crossing the ocean by airplane. One European wrote in part, …flights  over  the  ocean  will  be  made possible by a new type of ship…[its] deck will be  clear  of  all  obstacles,  flat  and  wide  as possible … [it will] have the aspect of a landing fi e l d … i t s   s p e e d   s h a l l   e q u a l   t h a t   o f   a cruiser…housing of planes will be arranged below  deck  and  planes  will  have  folding wings…and to one side there will be the service personnel workshop. Others saw the potential of aircraft serving as an extension of the might and range of a naval force at sea. They were convinced that airplanes wouldn’t be used just  for  circus  sideshows  and  crop-dusting.  They believed aircraft would transport troops across oceans and be equipped to strike offensively. The  Navy  was  again  looking  upward.  As  the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt recommended that the Secretary of the Navy appoint two officers “…of scientific attainments and practical ability…” to examine Professor Samuel P. Langley’s flying machine and report on its potential for military use. One  such  man  was  Navy  Captain  Washington Irving Chambers, the U.S. Navy’s first officer in charge of aviation. Captain Chambers’ initial involvement was to answer letters from air-minded citizens and observe and  report  on  aviation  developments  of  particular concern to the Navy. What started as a collateral duty soon was a full-time job, and Chambers became a strong supporter of those who wanted to see the sea service add an air arm. In April 1911, the Office of Aviation in Washington, D.C., consisted of only Captain Chambers. In May, he wrote requisitions for two machines made of wood, canvas, bamboo, rubber, and metal—two airplanes, the A-1 and the A-2. Earlier in the year, a civilian, Eugene Ely, had successfully taken off from and later landed a biplane on a platform rigged aboard USS  Pennsylvania (ACR  4),  demonstrating  the  practical  use  of  naval aircraft. Shortly thereafter, the Navy accepted delivery of its first  airplane,  the  A-1.  The  A-1  was  first  flown  by Lieutenant T. G. Ellyson, the Navy’s first aviator. The A-1 was followed by the A-2; naval aviation had gotten off the ground. By  October  1911,  the  Navy  was  ready  to  try durability flights. Lieutenants Ellyson and J. H. Towers attempted  a  flight  from  Annapolis  to  Fort  Monroe, Virginia. After flying 112 miles in 122 minutes, the pair was  forced  down  somewhat  short  of  their  goal  by mechanical problems. Although a failure in part, the flight paved the way for successful durability tests in the following months. Based on tremendous headway made in a few short years, in 1914, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels prophesied  “…the  science  of  aerial  navigation  has reached that point where aircraft must form a large part of  our  naval  force  for  offensive  and  defensive operations.” It had become evident that the airplane was  no  longer  merely  a  plaything  of  the  rich  or eccentric—it had become a vital part of our nation’s weaponry. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS FROM 1900 THROUGH WORLD WAR I Meanwhile, the Navy was switching from coal to oil as fuel for its ships. USS  Nevada  (BB 36) was the first of the battleships to use oil. The day of the coal passer was on the way out. Navy involvement in exploration continued during the  first  decade  of  the  century.  On  April  6,  1909, Commander Robert E. Peary, accompanied by Matthew Henson, reached the North Pole. In pre-World War I days, the Navy also carried out its role as a diplomatic arm of the government. On December 16, 1907, the Great White Fleet left Hampton Roads, Virginia, for a round-the-world cruise to show the flag. The exercise demonstrated the strength of the U.S. Navy. Although the United States entered World War I late, the Navy had plenty of time to make history. On May 4, 1917, six American destroyers commanded by Commander  Joseph  K.  Taussig  steamed  into Queenstown, Ireland. They became the first U.S. Navy ships to operate in European waters during World War I. The event, billed as the “return of the Mayflower,” was a great morale booster and aid for the Allied forces. The 5-16 Student Notes: