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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0040.PDF
FLIGHT, JANUARY 9, 1931 THE R.A.F. BALTIC CRUISE ALTHOUGH we have already briefly recorded, week byweek, the cruise in the Baltic Sea, of the four Super-marine " Southampton " flying boats of No. 201 (F.B.) Sqdn., R.A.F., under Group Capt. E. R. C.i Nanson,C.B.E., D.S.C., last September, we think the following official report on the cruise will be of interest. The object of the cruise was to provide training to thepersonnel of a flying-boat squadron operating away from its base for a month. Petrol and oil were provided, but, apartfrom this, the flying-boats were entirely self-contained. Valuable experience and training was obtained during thecruise in landings and manoeuvring in strange harbours and mooring up to various types of buoys, and also in refuellingthe flying-boats in various ways and under different con- ditions. Narrative of Cruise Four flying boats of 201 (F.B.) Squadron left Calshot for Felixstowe onSeptember 2 to carry out an extended cruise in the Baltic Sea during the month of September. The boats were refuelled at Felixstowe on arrival,and left the next day for Esbjerg, the sea-crossing taking about 6 hr. All boats were refuelled at Esbjerg on the morning of September 4, and inspec-tions of machines and engines were carried out. On September 5, the Squadron left for Copenhagen, and crossed the southernpart of Jutland at a height of 3,ooo ft., the land crossing being about 30 miles. On arrival at Copenhagen, the aircraft were refuelled during the afternoonfrom a refuelling boat. On September 6, machine and engine inspections were carried out in the forenoon, and aircraft were visited and inspectedduring the afternoon by H.M. Minister and officers of the Danish Naval Flying Service. H.M. Minister and the Rear-Admiral Commanding theAir Service were given a flight. On Sunday, September 7, the wind sprang up from the north north eastand it was impossible to approach the boats in dinghies, owing to the rough sea. At 0200 on September 8, it was reported the S. 1228 was driftingashore. The crews of the aircraft and the personnel of the station entered the water and, when the machine had drifted close enough, secured linesaboard by which they dragged her to the slipway. This action was con- sidered to be the only possible means of saving the machine, and owing tothe promptness with which it was carried out, no damage was sustained. Later during the day, when the sea appeared calmer, the aircraft wastaxied back to her moorings. It was found impossible to take the crew off in a dinghy, so they were floated astern in a rubber dinghy, two at a time,and picked up by a motor boat. The cause of the breaking away of S. 1228 was that her main pennant wndYarmouth gear were secured to a patent spring hook in the mooring wire, and thie hook had pulled out Straight, During the galo, S. 1058 and S. 1229dragged their moorings about 100 yards. The gale gradually abated during September 8, but still the boats could not be boarded, and the departure ofthe squadron for Stockholm had to be delayed a day. On the morning of September 9, a thorough inspection of all boats wascarried out, and the Squadron left for Stockholm. S. 1234 forced landed south of Cape Sandhammar, at 1130 hr., but signalled that she would requireno assistance, and actually proceeded in about 10 nun. The cause of the fouced landing was a cracked oil pipe from the engine to the oil-pressuregauge. Three machines arrived at Stockholm at 1640 hr. S. 1234 arriving at 1700 hr. On September 10, 25 hr. inspection of machines and engines was com-menced, and the machines refuelled during the day. Inspections were continued on the 11th and were finished by midday. September 12 wasgiven over to sight-seeing. Before leaving on September 13, S. 1228 changed the airscrew on the starboard engine for the spare one which was carried.On taking off, however, the vibration was found to be worse, and so the machine landed again at Stockholm and replaced the original airscrew. S. 1058, S. 1229, and S. 1234 arrived at Helsingors at 1420 hr., and S. 1228at 1540 hr., having been further delayed by a slight oil-pressure trouble. The boats were refuelled during that afternoon, and the morning of thefollowing day. Inspections were carried out on the 14th, and the starboard radiator of S. 1228 taken ashore in order that a small leak should be stopped.During the morning of the 15thithe boats were cleaned up, and later visitors were received. The British Minister and the General Commanding theFinnish Air Force were given a flight. The Squadron left Hehingfors for Tallinn (Reval) on September 1.6, arrivingat 1030 hr. Refuelling was carried out from a lighter. Flights were given to the British Minister and three distinguished Estonian Military and AirForce officers. The Squadron left Tallinn for Riga on September 18. Aircraft took offindependently from outside the harbour, where a rough sea was running, but got off without difficulty. S. 1228 Was delayed with oiled plugs on theport engine, but followed shortly afterwards. On arrival at Riga, the forma- tion was met by a Latvian seaplane and escorted to the Stintsea, where themoorings were laid. All machines refuelled on September 19. and a 15-hr, inspection was carried out on the engines and aircraft. A flight was givento two distinguished Latviau military officers. The Squadron left Riga for Memel on September 20, and were escorted tothe Latvian-Lithuanian Frontier by a flight of three Latvian seaplanes. The moorings at Memel were laid in the river, and a landing was madealongside the buoys, the wind fortunately being up and down the river. One boat refuelled on arrival, the remainder refuelling on the following day.The Squadron left Memel on September 22, and landed at Puck without incident. Refuelling was commenced the following day from rowing boats,each machine using its Zwicky pump. On September 24, the Squadron left Puck and flew over Gdynia, the PolishNaval Base, at the request of the Polish Naval Authorities. The Squadron continued to Stockholm, and arrived without incident. At Stockholm, 25-hr, inspection of engines and machines were carried outand machines were refuelled on arrival, the refuelling being completed ori the following day, September 25. The petrol was brought alongside iE50-gallon drums in dinghies and Zwicky pumps were used. The British Minister was given a flight. On September 26 the Squadron left for Goteborg, and landed in the river.outside the Naval Harbour. The original scheme was for the buoys to be laid in the Civil Aviation Harbour, some way outside Goteborg, but theSwedish Naval Authorities decided to alter the position of the buoys m order to make them more convenient to the city. On September 28, the Squadron left for Oslo, and made the destinationin very fine weather and without incident. Refuelling was carried out the following day from a petrol barge using a semi-rotary pump, and hose providedby the Shell Co. The Squadron left Oslo for Esbjerg on October 1, and arrived at 133o hr.All boats refuelled on arrival, and inspections were carried out that evening. On October 2, the Squadron left Esbjerg for Felixstowe. S. 1234 landedat 1350 hr. in the North Sea, with a serious oil leak. It was found that the vertical drive of the starboard engine (starboard block) had becomeunscrewed. This was tightened up, and the machine proceeded with the others and arrived at Felixstowe at 15.45 hr., and refuelled on arrival. Theaircraft left Felixstowe at 0930 hr., arriving at Calshot at 1145 hr. Weather ReportsThe organisation provided by the Meteorological Office, Air Ministry, for the supply of weather forecasts worked extremely well. The Meteorological Bureau at Stockholm was of the greatest assistancein providing forecasts and reports before leaving Copenhagen and supplying further reports, through radio stations, en route. Again, on Putzig-Stockholmand Stockholm-Goteborg flights, several weather reports were received ™ Stockholm, Flyghamn (Airport) Radio from places on the route, which wertof great value. Generally, the weather throughout the month of September at the placesvisited was good. It appeared, however, that the Squadron's itinerary coincided generally with fair weather. Adverse winds were generallyexperienced, but not of considerable force. " Rain—fog," in conjunction with rough sea and strong winds only pre-vented the Squadron's departure on one occasion, viz., from Copenhagen. Delay of one to two hr. was also necessitated by fog locally at Memel. andon the Stockholm-Goteiorg route. Visibility on Esbjerg-Felixstowe flight on October 4, 1930, was very poor, varying between 1,000 yards and tare-miles with a maximum of five miles. At Copenhagen, Helsinki and Putzig. the Air Forces of these countries provided the Squadron with their ownforecasts. Personnel The personnel was as follows :—Southampton S. 1229.—Group Captain E. R. C. Nanson, C.B.E.. D.S.C., A.F.C., commanding; Sqdn.-Ldr. E. F. Turner, A.F.C., First Pilot: Fit-Lieut. M. C. Pascoe, Second Pilot and Navigator ; No. 335772 Corp. L. Porter, Fitter ; No. 342743 Corp. P. Bristow, Wireless Telegraph Operator.Southampton S. 1228.—Group Captain E. L. Gossage, D.S.O.. M.C., Air Attach?, Berlin, Passenger ; Flt.-Lieuts. A. C. Stevens, First Pilot ; FlyingOfficer R. B. Councell, Second Pilot; No. 243942 Corp. Osborne H.. Fitter; No. 359229 A.C. 2 F. Gore, Wireless Telegraph Operator.Southampton S. 1234.—Fit.-Lieut. R. L. Ragg, A.F.C., First Pilot: Firing Officer K. F. Jones, Second Pilot; No. 335903 Sergt. S. Field, Fitter: Xo.349454 Sergt. F. Roberts, Rigger; No. 370032 L.A.C. A. Revel], Wireless Telegraph Operator.Southampton S. 1058.—Fit.-Lieut G. H. Smith, First Pilot ; Flying Officer E. J. Laine, Second Pilot; No. 17396 Fit.-Sergt. A. Brookerm. Rigger;No. 363590 L.A.C. V. Carter, Fitter; No. 354841 L.A.C. W. J. French, Wireless Telegraph Operator. Itinerary ol Cruise Date From— Sept. 2 . . Calshot . .Sept. 3 . . Felixstowe Sept. 5 . . Esbjerg . .Sept. 8 . . Copenhagen Sept. 13 . . StockholmSept. 16 . . Helsingfors Sept. 18 . . Tallinn ..Sept. 20 . . Riga Sept. 22 . . Memel ..Sept. 24- . . Putzig Sept. 26 .. StockholmSept. 28 .. Goteborg.. Oct. 1 . . OsloOct. 2 .. Esbjerg . . Oct. 3 . . Felixstowe Total time *22S 20* Total hours flown is the flying time of the four aircraft. To— FelixstoweEsbjerg Copenhagen .Stockholm HelsingforsTallinn Riga ..Memel Putzig StockholmGoteborg Oslo ..Esbjerg FelixstoweCalshot Totals Local flying Distance Sea-miles 159 333 200 358 225 43 181 206 109 286 301 148 290 333 159 3,331 time .. Tijtal Hours Flown.*Hr. 11 24 13 25 17 4 in 13 7 15 16 10 16 22 10 220 6 Min. lilt 05 10 45 10 10 30 3» 4ft 50 15 30 35 40 25 15 05 Air Pageant for Dublin this Year OUR Irish correspondent says it is suggested in Dublinthat there will be an air pageant in Ireland during the summer of this year under the auspices of the Irish Aero Club. The. suggested rendezvous for the pageant is the Phoenix Park, quite close to the city of Dublin itself, and where there wouldbe plenty of room for a temporary aerodrome. The Irish newspapers have taken up the idea, but, unfortunately, havesuggested gliding as an additional feature. In the County Dublin this is impossible, owing to the heavy prevailing windsbeing from the west. These cause a severe dowadraught, which is bad enough while flying an ordinary machine,but would be hopeless for gliding. An enquiry at the ofhees of the Irish Aero Club elicited the information that such apageant is likely, but the club will have to become member5 of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale before any-thing definite can be said. The whole matter will probably be decided at the annual meeting of the club, which takesplace at the end of this month. Aerodromes for Czechoslovakia. CZECHOSLOVAKIA is constructing six new aerodromes,and erecting IS aerial beacons. 42
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