Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book

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J 1 D D 4 .1 1 -,-.1 'U 1 1 10 :TO .CD - 512 591 :Q .- - 2 :Z ,.. L. D B- F W9 .ie- . .- ,.-. ...- ...- - .53 IL 's.. E.: a..- .... qu 'LJ 1-31 io -:Q LD 1 -1 ..- 'au 9512 Jn-1 'E --1 B Pl :Z fr 'ld Ze ,- 5- IE 1: 5:3 THE C0 NIA ll REAR ADMIRAL DIXWELL KETCHAM, USN ADMIRAL DIXWELL KETCI-IAM graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1920 and became a naval aviator 19 December 1922 after training at Pensa- cola. After many important tours of duty, 1939 found him Air Officer in the USS SARATOGA. The following year he became Operations Officer of Carrier Division One and later aide and Chief of Staff. In 1943 he commanded the USS CHENANGO. Wihile he was attached to Carrier Division 27 his Hag flew from the BLOCK ISLAND masthead. Admiral Ketcham is now Commander, Fleet Air Wing One. CAPTAIN FRANCIS MASSIE HUGHES, Academy Class 1923, made records as quarterback on the football squad and won letters in ' wrestling and lacrosse. His first sea duty was aboard the USS TEXAS. He achieved his wings March 1931 at Pen- sacola. After a tour of duty in the USS CHICAGO, he served with air units at Pearl Harbor and aboard three great carriers. His PBY squadron jj: 25, was the first to get into the air at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Still in his pajamas, which he rlirhft doff for 48 hours, his Catalina careened up the channel and was off on a 1500 mile patrol Hight. He com- manded squadrons in the combat areas of the Pacific until he came aboard the USS BLOCK ISLAND, CVE 21, I0 March 1944. He is now Chief of Staff to Commander. Fleet Aircraft, West Coast. CAPTAIN F. M. HUGHES, USN ,Y mam 4 .4 s:,yg . m'x'4ffY,3ff if-1 . ,A CAPTAIN LOGAN RAMSEY, USN CAPTAIN LOGAN C. RAMSEY graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1918 with the class of 1919. Diiring the last six months of World W7ar I he Served aboard the USS TEXAS in the British Grand Fleet. Captain Ramsey became a naval aviator in 1921. Wfhen the attack was levelled at Pearl Harbor, Captain Ramsey was Operations Ollicer of the Patrol Wiings based in the Hawaiian Area. In May, 1942 he became Operations Officer at the island of Mid- way. Subsequently he served as Chief of Staff to Commander Aircraft, Pacific Fleet. 8 March 1943 he became the Commanding Officer of the USS BLOCK ISLAND CVE 21 and served aboard until 10 March, 1944, when he was or- dered to duty as Chief of Staff to Commander, Fleet Air, Norfolk. He is now the Commanding Officer, USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN. CAPTAIN WALLACE MORRIS BEAKLEY, Naval Academy 1924, earned his wings at Pensacola in 1926 after tours of duty in the USS UTAH and the USS MAHAN. Remarked for his ability as an aeronautical engineer, he took post-graduate courses in this field. At the start of the present war he com- manded Fighting Squadron Five and subsequently was Air Group Commander aboard the USS WASP until it was sunk by the enemy submarine attack. He became Air Operations Officer of the Staff of Vice Admiral Towers, COMAIRPAC. and took part in strikes on Marcus and Tarawa made by the USS YORK- TOWN and the USS LEXINGTON. After nearly 2 years on the staff of Fleet Admiral King, Captain Beakley 1 August 1945 became Commanding Ollicer of the BLOCK ISLAND. CAPTAIN WALLACE M. BEAKLEY, USN

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,Wy 3' Mm! , MWM1 K wiht! V www. -. w K. ,nf ,nc 2, mi' irq, HULL-Length 557 feet 1 in.g breadth 75 feet RADAR IDLATFORMTIOS rect above keel FLIGHT DECK-Length 500 feet: breadth 79 feet 10 in. DRAFT-30 fig -V . . ,L ' Wh V V W , ,w..-X-,.-,-..-.. -...,M.,..-... - ...---,., - -.M -..,q.....-,,, ,A .L i .

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,S .,,, it x lk., IA -nf f l A 21, Men have always wut-had to fly. The balloon provided the first successful Veflicle for going aloft. Leonardo daVinci conceived thilii distinct devices for carrying men in the air. FIRST llljtgigned two pairs of wings which a man irniglaf' Bl. using his arms and legs to flap them. His SCCOUQLQSQIGII wigs. a heliocopter with an aerial screw 96 feet kiwi. 30,0 fiibe turned by a strong and nimble operatot.. H15 fu-vm. lf?-561116 of flight was a framed sail on which g .Mau ylauld glide. For nearly four centuries there was no vw-Urficant advance- VGAMEZXKITTT' HAWK 17 December 1903 Wilbur and Ofaville Waragent achieved the first powered flight of a heavier tlzaiirair machine. Naval authorities showed their fmstfinteresgt in aviation by sending official ,observers io 'kgportfff on Orville Vfrightis deznonstration of his airplane at' Fort Myen Virginia, in September 11908. Captain W. 1. Chambers, USN, determined to 'interest the Navy in aviation, arranged with the Curtiss Company, after the Wrights had shown an unwillingness to cooperate, to have Mr. Eugene Ely, a skilled pilot, fly from a platform con- structed on the bow of the USS BIRMINGHAM at Hampton Roads, Virginia. . 7.11. , The vy oar ith ing Mr. Curtiss, taking advantage of the profound impres- sion which this flight made, offered to teach a naval officer to fly free of charge. Lieutenant T. G. Ellyson, USN, was ordered to the Curtiss camp at San Diego on 23 December 1910. The potential value of aviation to the Navy was brought out more forcibly the following month 18 January 1911 when Mr. Ely landed on a plat- form built on the stern of the USS PENNSYLVANIA, anchored in San Francisco Harbor, and a few minutes later took off from the platform and returned to his base. In addition to learning to fly, a difficult task at that time, Lieutenant Ellyson was assisting Glenn Curtiss in ex- periments on a hydroplane attachment. 17 February 1911 a plane thus equipped landed in the water along- side the USS PENNSYLVANIA and was hoisted aboard, then hoisted out on the water again making a take-off and flying back to the air field. From 1911 on, naval aviators contributed much to the world history of aviation. Wind tunnels were built, model seaplane basins established, endurance and flight records achieved. 12 November 1912 Lieutenant Elly- son piloted the plane in the first successful catapult launching. 'B I Ili -5 25. ' ' ' 'fmrfx 1 ' -- f ' . , , ' af. S.. . V V f .: L - ' ' ' 1- ' is ' 1- . ' -12' ' -I : s ng -,II ..a- Q 9 -- ' , -Vliiflt if f my ,,,.-- A J ei , 44. F .1 . N Ltx' .f , , at ' f i ' ' --- a. . I 1 .:.:fr.i:fmmw ' , . Mr. Ely flies from deck of USS BIRMINGHAM 14 November 1910