Shortly after the re-establishment of the U.S. Naval Photography School at N.A.S. Anacostia in 1920 the Navy Department authorized the establishment of eight Naval photographic units at the following U.S. Naval Air Stations:

Anacostia, D.C.; Norfolk, Virginia; Lakehurst, New Jersey; Rockaway, Long Island; Pensacola, Florida; Coco Solo, Canal Zone; Ford Island, T.H.; and San Diego, California.

The N.A.S. Anacostia and the Pacific Fleet Air Photography Unit at N.A.S. San Diego through the twenties and thirties became the two most active photographic units in the U.S. Navy.

Late in 1920 or early 1921 Chief Photographers Patrick McDonough and Jack House reported for duty at the U.S. Naval Air Station, North Island, San Diego, California for the purpose of establishing and operating a U.S. Naval photographic unit to service the Pacific Fleet Forces in the Southern California coastal area.

Shortly after McDonough and House had reported for duty at North Island, they were assigned to a small wooden bungalow type building at North Island which they converted into a three room photographic laboratory.

The following camera and laboratory equipment was sent to the Pacific Fleet air photo unit at North Island from the Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C.

One Fairchild K-l aerial camera, Four Eastman F&S 4 x 5 hand-held aerial cameras, one Eastman 6" x 8 1/2" view camera, two Graflex 4" x 5" press cameras, two Eastman 3-A 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" roll film cameras, one Cirkut panorama camera, one Akelsy 35mm 200 foot capacity motion picture camera, one 8" x 10" contact printer, one enlarging printer 4 x 5 to 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" negative size, one Stineman hand cranked 35mm motion picture printer, one set Stineman 200 foot capacity 35mm film developing tanks and reels, and a small amount of photo lab items such as: print trimmer, dry mounting press, chemical weighing scales, print trays, hard rubber developing tanks, glassware, etc.

Late in 1921 or early 1922 Naval Photographers first class Arthur St. Jacques and William Gallagher joined Chief Photographers Mates McDonough and House in the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit at N.A.S. North Island where the unit became fairly busy producing photographs for the Station Public Works Department showing monthly progress of construction projects, photographs of damaged-defective aviation equipment, Naval publicity photos, aerial photos of shell splashes in target areas during battleship long range gunnery firing practices in the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast.

The aerial photographs of the Pacific Fleet ships gunnery exercises were made by the Fleet air photographers using the Eastman F&S 4 x 5 (glass plates) hand held aerial camera from the bow hatch of F5L seaplanes flying from San Diego bay to the target grounds in the Pacific Ocean area west and south of San Clemente Island.

September 9, 1923 Naval Photographers Arthur St. Jacques and William Gallagher made aerial photographs of the U.S. Naval Destroyer squadron wreck on the rocks at Point Honda, California. The Naval Destroyer squadron was enroute from San Francisco to San Diego proceeding at fairly high speed during a very foggy night when the leading ship of the flotilla made a turn to the port which was followed by the ships in the column line, when shortly after they had made the navigational course change all of the ships except the last two in the column ran ashore on the rocky coast near Point Honda about midnight on September 8, 1923.

Shortly after midnight when word was received at San Diego regarding the U.S. Naval Destroyer wreck at Point Honda, the Fleet Air Naval Squadron Commander at San Diego ordered VJ-l aircraft squadron at North Island to send two F5L seaplanes to Point Honda for the purpose of obtaining aerial photographs of the wreckage.

At about 0730 on September 9. 1923 two F5L seaplanes with Navy photographers St. Jacques and Gallagher departed from San Diego bay bound for the Point Honda area. The two F5L seaplanes flew in thick fog at an altitude of about 100 feet from San Diego to Point Conception where the fog had risen to about 500 feet above the ocean. The two Naval seaplanes flew on to Point Honda where they made two low level passes over the wrecked Naval Destroyer ships during which time St. Jacques and Gallagher made about six exposures on each pass. The cameras used were the Eastman F&S 4 x 5 hand held 6 1/2" F.L. camera.

The two Naval F5L seaplanes departed from the Point Honda area bound for San Diego via San Pedro where the two seaplanes made a refueling stop, and then flew on to San Diego, arriving late in the afternoon on September 9, 1923.

The aerial photos made by St. Jacques and Gallagher were immediately developed and 8" x 10" prints were made and released to the national and local press services that evening by the Commander of Pacific Fleet Air Squadrons, N.A.S. North Island San Diego, California.

In 1924 the Pacific Fleet Air Squadrons Photographic Unit was moved from the small bungalow building to an old two story wood building which had been vacant for several years at the Naval Air Station at North Island.

The Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit in 1924 at N.A.S. North Island had about 5 or 6 enlisted Naval photographers under the supervision of Chief Photographer James M.F. Hasse who directed the photographic operations under the Flag Lieutenant of Commander Pacific Fleet Air Squadrons.

The camera equipment available in the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit in 1924 was about the same as it was in1921 - 1922.

About the only change in the Naval photographic unit was a little larger laboratory space in a run down dirty building which none of the Fleet Air Squadrons had any use for. Chief Photographer J.M.F. Hasse and his small group of Naval Photographers spent several weeks cleaning-patching and the construction of interior partitions for their photo lab in the sand dune area near East Beach at N.A.S. North Island.

Chief Photographer J.M.F. Hasse was an outstanding professional photographer who was most active in all fields of photography at N.A.S. North Island, and he also had a small private photographic darkroom facility at his home in Coronado which he used for the production of photographs made by him when be was not on duty at N.A.S. North Island. Some of Hasses's outstanding photographs were his pictures of Bing Crosby's string of race horses in the twenties. lt was through his race horse pictures and with some assistance from Bing Crosby that in the thirties J.M.F. Hasse conceived of and developed the "photo finish" picture system that was used at race tracks in California for photographing the horses as they crossed the finish line.

In the middle twenties the Navy did not have any variable focus aerial cameras by which sharp image photographs could be made of objects between 15 and 75 feet distance from the camera.

In 1926 Chief Photographer J.M.F. Hasse designed a variable focus aerial (hand-held) camera which was fabricated by the N.A.S. North Island machine shop mechanics under Hasse's supervision.

Hasse's variable focus aerial camera had a 10 inch focal length lens mounted in a calibrated sliding barrel with settings for 10 feet, 25 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet, and infinity. The lens had the full range of diaphragm stops from f/4.5 to f/32. The lens also had a between the lens element shutter which could be adjusted up to 1/250 of a second shutter speed.

Hasse's variable focus aerial camera also had a focal plane curtain shutter for adjustable speed from 1/50 to 1/500th of a second. The aerial camera had a picture size of 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" using a glass plate or a cut sheet filmholder.

Chief Photographer Hasse used his variable focus aerial camera for close up aerial photographs of single aircraft in flight, and three aircraft in formation flight with image sharpness by which the pilot could be recognized. Hasse's variable focus aerial camera was the only one in the Naval Service until the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation supplied the Navy with the F-8 variable focus 5 x 7 aerial camera in the early thirties.

In 1926 Chief Photographer J.M.F. Hasse U.S.N. was the first Naval photographer to demonstrate the use of a small dark box in the rear cockpit of a DH-4 landplane for the purpose of processing and printing of an aerial photograph and the dropping of the finished photograph while the aircraft was in flight.

At the time that Chief Hasse was experimenting with his "in flight picture processing" there was only a small number of Naval Officers who had any interest, therefore, the "in flight picture processing" did not get much attention, mainly because most, if not all, Naval aerial photographic operations did not require instant "in flight picture processing".

The "in flight picture processing" concept in the U.S. Navy was dormant until it was again used in 1940-1941 by the aerial photographers in the "Catalina" PBY flying boats in the Pacific Fleet patrol squadrons which were operating from the U.S. Naval air bases in the Hawaiian Islands.

During the twenties, the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit was based at N.A.S. San Diego, California, with four to six enlisted men who held a photographer rating from third class Petty Officer to Chief Petty Officer who operated under the Staff of Commander Fleet Air Squadrons.

From 1921 to 1930 several Naval Aviator U.S.N. Officers on the Staff of Commander Fleet Air Squadrons were assigned collateral duties as the Fleet Air Photo Officer, most of whom had little or no photography experience or training. Their primary interest was in flying airplanes; therefore, the leading Chief Petty Officer photographer was in effect the Fleet Air Photo Officer who directed and supervised the day-to-day operations that were requested or required of the unit.

In 1930 the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit was transferred from the Staff of Commander Fleet Air Squadrons to Utility Squadron One.

During the years 1921-1924 the Pacific Fleet Air Photographers were assigned to Utility Squadron One at infrequent intervals at N.A.S. North Island for the purpose of photographing shell splashes in the Fleet drill grounds off San Clemente Island during long range battleship firing exercises.

Many times the F5L twin engine seaplane failed to reach the target area in time to photograph the scheduled battleship's firing exercise. There were a number of reasons why the F5L photo plane failed to reach the Fleet drill grounds such as: poor communications, engine troubles, weather conditions, inadequate fuel capacity, navigation problems.

During the years 1926-1931 due to the small number of seaplanes available at N.A.S. San Diego for aerial photography coverage of the Pacific Fleet battleships gunnery practice conducted in the ocean area, some 30 to 40 miles northwest of San Clemente Island, the Fleet Aerial Photographers from the Fleet Air Base, N.A.S. San Diego would proceed to San Pedro, California where they would report to the Fleet camera party officer about one or two days prior to a scheduled gunnery practice.

The Fleet aerial photographers, after being briefed in regard to the scheduled gunnery practices, would then proceed to an assigned battleship where they would report to the Senior Naval Aviator who assigned the aircraft and pilots required for the photographic flight operations.

The Fleet battleships would proceed from San Pedro to the gunnery drill area, where preparations were made to catapult the photo planes about one hour prior to the scheduled time of the firing practice.

Shortly after being launched by catapult from the battleship deck, the photo plane would take station over the target area flying a figure 8 at 1,000 feet altitude and about 500 yards astern or ahead of the surface target rafts.

Aerial oblique photographs were made of the shell splashes in the target area. The aerial photographs along with the surface triangulation photographs were used by the Fleet gunnery plotting officers to determine the gunnery score of the firing ships.

The aerial cameras used for the Fleet gunnery practices were the 1918-1919 Eastman Kodak F&S 4 x 5 hand-held aerial cameras to which was attached a glass plate magazine which held 12 sensitized 4 x 5 glass plates.

These old F&S hand-held aerial cameras were used throughout the Navy for oblique aerial photography until the late twenties, when the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation supplied the Navy with the first roll film (5" x 7" picture size) hand-held F-l aerial cameras.

The Fairchild F-l hand-held aerial cameras used roll film for about 50 exposures a roll. High quality sharp pictures were obtained by the F-l cameras. However, the between the lens shutter operation was not too reliable because the shutter reset arm would frequently become disengaged from its socket which caused the shutter to remain in an open position, thus no pictures were recorded.

This shutter operating deficiency required a number of trial and error adjustments by the Pacific Fleet Aerial Photographers before they found a method by using higher tension springs on the shutter rewind shaft which gave positive shutter operation with no further trouble.

The following is a brief description of a photo plane catapult launched aircraft from the deck of a battleship:

About 15 minutes prior to the scheduled "launch aircraft" time, the pilot and the photographer would climb into the single float seaplane which was on the catapult launch car in the "ready" firing position at one end of the 60 foot long catapult.

The pilot of the seaplane was in the front cockpit and the photographer in the rear cockpit. Any loose objects in the cockpit such as: aerial camera, film magazines, lunch boxes, etc., would be secured underneath the seats of the seaplane which was a standard safe practice requirement for the catapult launch shot.

Both pilot and photographer would check and secure themselves in their respective cockpit seats making sure that their buttocks, back, shoulders, and head were in firm contact with their seat, back and head rest for the sudden shock during the catapult launch of the seaplane which was literally thrown into the air from a sitting position at some 60 miles per hour in a short distance of 60 feet in a time period of about 2 seconds.

The aircraft engine was started about 1- to 15 minutes prior to launch time for engine "warm up" and instrument check during which time a flagman on the ship's deck near the catapult was displaying a yellow flag which indicated a signal order from the "ship's bridge"for "purpose for catapult aircraft". About 2 or 3 minutes prior to the scheduled launch time a "red flag" was displayed by the flagman which was the signal for "standby to catapult" aircraft, at which time the pilot would advance the throttle lever to bring the engine up to its maximum revolutions required to sustain the seaplane in flight upon being launched into the air from the catapult. During this time the pilot and the photographer were really "glued" to the backs of their seats awaiting the sudden shock of being thrown into the air from "dead" stop to over 60 miles per hour from the catapult.

The energy source used in the twenties for catapulting the aircraft from the battle-ship decks was either compressed air or powder charges.

Upon the display of a "green flag" by the flagman, the catapult officer gave the order to "fire catapult", and within seconds there was "one-helluva" bang and a very sudden jolt from which the airplane was literally thrown into the air from its resting position on the catapult cradle.

Normally the photo plane, after being catapulted from a battleship, would reach the target area about one hour prior to the scheduled gunnery firing practice. The photo plane would take station at about 1,000 feet altitude flying a figure 8 slightly ahead or astern of the target being towed about 1,000 yards astern of a battleship.

During the period of some 15 to 20 minutes that the firing ship was dropping 14" shells in the target area, the aerial photographer standing up in the rear cockpit and with half of his body out of the cockpit was operating his hand-held aerial camera taking photographs of shell splashes consisting of six or twelve shells per salvo.

Upon completion of the scheduled firing practice, the photo plane would proceed back to its home battleship which would be making a wide turn in the ocean causing "slick" water area in which the seaplane would land and taxi on the lee side of the battleship from which a hoisting boom was protruding with a steel ball weighted cable hoisting hook was being lowered as the battleship rolled from side to side by action of the sea swells.

It was the job of the photographer to grasp the hoisting hook and secure it into the ring of the hoisting sling which was fastened on top of the upper wing of the seaplane.

This recovery operation required exacting practice by the pilot, photographer and the person at the control on the ship operating the hoisting winch cable. The pilot had to keep the airplane some 20 feet from the side of the ship and directly under the cable hoist by his control of the seaplane's forward speed and length of cable being lowered and the photographer standing with his feet on the top sides of the rear cockpit holding the sling ring with his left hand, eyes glued onto the lowering hoist hook and his right hand ready to grasp and secure the hoisting hook into the metal ring of the hoisting sling. This job of getting hold of the hoisting hook and securing it into the ring of the hoisting sling had to be accomplished while the battleship was rolling in the sea swells and the seaplane bouncing on the water while moving forward to the "hook-on" - "hoist position", a recovery action similar to a circus performer riding standing up bare-back on a "jittery horse".

The aerial photographer would remain on board the battleship, and upon anchoring in San Pedro bay he would transfer from the battleship to the Fleet Camera Party Ship U.S.S. Procyon, where he developed, identified, and printed the aerial photographs which were used by the plotting officers in determining the firing ships gunnery score.

Upon completion of the aerial photographs of the gunnery exercises, the aerial photographer would return to the Fleet Air Photo Unit at N.A.S. San Diego.

The aerial photography of shell splashes during battleship firing exercises was obtained from the catapult launched airplanes from the decks of various battleships until about 1932 when Utility Squadron One of Fleet Air Base, N.A.S. San Diego, California had in operation the twin engine PN seaplanes which had a much greater operation reliability compared to the old F5L seaplanes. So, from 1932 to 1941 Utility Squadron One provided the required aerial photography coverage of the various Pacific Fleet ships firing practices and war game exercises.

In 1927 Navy Photographer George Carroll was on the Staff of Commander Aircraft Squadrons Battle Force on board the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Langley during the Fleet cruise to the Carribean and up the east coast to New York City and Newport, Rhode Island and the return cruise back to San Diego, California.

During this U.S.Fleet cruise Carroll made a number of photographic flights from the flight deck of the Carrier U.S.S. Langley in a Loening OL amphibian airplane using an Eastman F&S 4 x 5 hand-held aerial camera, Fairchild K3 aerial mapping camera, and a 35mm Bell & Howell motion picture camera, photographing various Naval operations conducted by the U.S. Fleet ships.

The developing and printing of the aerial photographs made during the 1927 Fleet cruise was done in the small photo lab on board the U.S.S. Langley.

During the years 1927-1931 Navy Photographer George Carroll made frequent photographic flights in the Vought OU single engine seaplane launched from the decks of the Pacific Fleet Battleships.

Mainly, these photographic flights were for aerial oblique photographs of the shell splashes in the target area during the scheduled long range gunnery firing practices conducted by the Battleships of the Pacific Fleet.

In August 1930 the Pacific Fleet Battleships, Cruisers, Destroyer Squadrons, Submarine Forces, plus the Aircraft Carriers U.S.S. Saratoga and U.S.S. Lexington were engaged in joint U.S. Army-Naval war game exercises along the California coast during which a mock attack was carried out by the Fleet Forces against the San Francisco Bay area which was defended by the U.S. Army land and air forces.

On board the Carrier U.S.S. Saratoga under the direction of Lieutenant George Mundorff U.S.N. were eight Naval air photographers who were assigned to fly from the Saratoga in Vought scouting planes of VS-2 squadron for the purpose of obtaining vertical overlapping aerial photographs of the fortified defense sectors in the San Francisco Bay area during the mock attack.

This particular photographic coverage was the first time that the Navy had attempted a multi plane photo reconnaissance mission under simulated war conditions.

The purpose of the mission was to obtain vertical overlapping aerial photographs which could be pieced together forming a mosaic photo map on which the location, number, and size of coastal defense guns, military aircraft for types and number of aircraft and other important coastal defense facilities could be readily located and identified.

The Naval aircraft aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga that were assigned to the photo reconnaissance coverage were single engine two place Vought biplanes designed for observation-scouting operations.

They were not designed to carry aerial camera equipment for vertical aerial photography. Therefore, aerial photographs made from these scouting Voughts had to be made by the aerial photographer standing up in the rear cockpit holding the camera over the side of the plane while bucking the wind forces of the flying plane at some 65 to 70 miles per hour air speed.

The eight photo reconnaissance planes were assigned three specific target areas to be photographed from an altitude of 500 feet flying a parallel course about 500 feet apart with a scheduled time of arriva1 over target to coincide with the Naval aircraft assigned for simulated bombing and strafing attack.

The entire Fleet air force of about 150 aircraft from the Carriers U.S.S. Saratoga and U.S.S. Lexington appeared out of the fog bank about 2 or 3 miles west of San Francisco at 1200 hours where shortly thereafter a massive five minute simulated air attack was conducted by the Naval Fleet air force after which the air squadrons regrouped in formation over the ocean area some 30 miles southwest of San Francisco, returning and landing on board their respective aircraft Carriers U.S.S. Saratoga and U.S.S. Lexington after a three to four hour flight.

The eight Naval air photographers who made the first Naval photo reconnaissance flight in 1930 from the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Saratoga in Vought scouting planes of VS-2 squadron were: Chief Photographer Earl Sever; Chief Photographer Roy Houser; Photographer First Class George A. Carro11; Photographer Third Class C. P. Blattman, L. R. Webb, C. Call, L.F. Burns, and B. D. Kendall.

Shortly after the photo reconnaissance aircraft had landed on the Carrier U.S.S. Saratoga, the Naval photographers processed the aerial roll film and made prints from the exposures.

Lieutenant George Mundorff U.S.N., the photographic officer on the Saratoga, Lieutenant Howell Dyson U.S.N. one of the photo plane pilots, along with Earl Sever, Roy Houser and George Carroll spent most of the night pasting together the aerial photographs into photo mosaic maps on which they circled and assigned a key number to each circle locating the important coastal defense gun emplacements, aircraft on the ground at Crissy Field and Mills Field.

The aerial photographic prints were difficult to piece together due to the photo planes being at slightly different altitudes, some cases where the two photo planes being too far apart for flight line overlapping coverage, photographer not holding his camera in the vertical position causing tilt scale displacements; in some cases the hand operated F-l cameras required too much time for the operator to advance the film, re-cock the shutter and make the next exposure, which resulted in not enough overlap in the photographs along the flight line.

The overall results of this photo reconnaissance multi plane operation were successful in locating the coastal defense gun positions - air fields - aircraft count at the air fields. However, the Naval photographers and the pilots were all in agreement that low altitude aerial photo reconnaissance missions over fortified enemy targets under wartime conditions would not be successful due to the high probability in the loss of the photo Planes and crew due to enemy ground controlled gun fire.

The Naval air photographers aboard the Carrier U.S.S. Saratoga in 1930 who flew in the low level photo reconnaissance assignment during the joint Army-Naval war game exercises became aware of the need for high speed-high altitude photographic planes in which aerial cameras could be counted and operated inside the aircraft instead of trying to obtain vertical overlapping aerial photographs with a hand-held heavy camera by an operator hanging over the side of the airplane.

Our plea for photographic aircraft and better aerial equipment was heard with little or no official action taken because of the limited funds available to the Navy during the depression thirties.

During the pre-flight briefing all flight personnel were told that upon reaching our target areas we would probably see a beam of light pointed in our direction from the coastal defense gun position which was their signal that the overhead aircraft was in their gun sights, and we were presumed to be shot down.

During the five minutes that the photo planes were over their respective targets no light was observed. However, we did observe in a number of the aerial photos personnel running toward various gun positions, and also,' personnel at the Crissy and Mills Army airfields running toward their parked airplanes. This observation was noted and forwarded with the completed aerial photos to the Chief umpire on the U.S. Fleet Flagship from which the Fleet air photographers received a "job well done".

During the summer of 1930 VF-l fighter squadron received 18 new Curtis F8C-4 "Hell Divers", two cockpit single engine high speed fighter airplanes. These airplanes were equipped with four machine guns, two for firing through the propeller blades and two for firing from the port and starboard upper wing.

The two wing guns when fired in flight were ejecting spent cartridges inboard which were hitting the fabric covered fuselage and tail of the airplane cutting the fabric into ribbons.

The Commanding Officer of VF-l squadron, LCDR Arthur W. Radford U.S.N. requested that 35mm high speed motion pictures be made during full power vertical dive while firing a wing gun to show the path and action of the spent cartridges being ejected from the wing gun and their hitting on the aft section of the F8C-4 "Hell Diver" airplane.

Navy Photographer, George Carro11, was assigned the job of operating the motion picture camera in a F8C-4 "Hell Diver" piloted by Lieutenant Southwick U.S.N.

In order to install the Bell & Howell motion picture camera in the rear cockpit of the F8C-4 airplane, the rear seat had to be removed, the camera tripod had to be anchored to the cockpit structure in such a position that the camera could be operated looking forward viewing the starboard wing gun, and also the camera could be turned to look aft of the cockpit viewing the rear section of the fuselage and the tail of the airplane.

With the seat removed from the rear cockpit, the camera operator had to ride from take off to landing by standing up in the cockpit, with a parachute on and a safety belt very tight around his chest and back with a quick release buckle on his chest side. Lieutenant Southwick, the pilot, and Navy Photographer, George Carroll, in a F8C-4 "Hell Diver" took off from N.A.S. San Diego and climbed to 15.000 feet altitude over the anchored target in the ocean area west of Imperial Beach. From this altitude Lieutenant Southwick put the "Hell Diver" into a full power dive; Photographer Carroll started hand cranking his motion picture camera for about 5 or 6 seconds to obtain 128 frames per second. After the airplane had been in its power dive for about 8 seconds, Lieutenant Southwick pressed the trigger firing the wing gun for a period of about 15 to 20 seconds as the airplane was in the vertical dive at about 300 miles per hour with a very sharp pull-out between 10,000 and 8,000 feet altitude.

During the first flight on the sharp pull-out, photographer Carroll "blacked out" for a few seconds which he expected and wasn't concerned. However, he did have a camera operation problem. During the sharp pull-out the upper film feed loop between the film magazine and the shuttle gate dropped due to the centrifugal force, which resulted in a huge film jam; therefore, the day's operation was over with just one vertical power dive.

Within a few days after that first flight Carroll had the Naval Air Station machine shop fabricate a highly polished chrome-plated metal trough shaped for the normal film path in the camera to prevent the dropping of the upper film loop when high centrifugal forces were encountered in flight.

Shortly after the metal trough had been installed in the Bell & Howell motion picture camera, Lieutenant Southwick and Navy Photographer Carroll made a second flight in the F8C4 Curtiss "Hell Diver" during which they had no camera problems as they made a number of full power dives from 15,000 feet altitude with sharp pull-outs at about 8,000 feet altitude firing the starboard wing gun while Carroll was obtaining 35mm (128 frames per second) motion pictures of the spent cartridges being ejected from the wing gun and also the cartridge action hitting the aft fuselage and tail section of the airplane.

After Carroll had processed the motion picture film and a positive print was made, he showed the motion pictures to Lieutenant Southwick and the VF-l squadron gunnery officer, who upon viewing the pictures on the movie screen observed a movement in the tail section of the F8C-4 "Hell Diver". They phoned LCDR Radford and some officers on the staff of the Commander Fleet Air Squadrons which resulted in about six of eight officers coming to the Fleet air photo lab to see the motion pictures.

Upon screening of these high speed motion pictures the Naval officer pilots were far more interested in the tail movement of the F8C-4 "Hell Diver" which appeared to be really jumping during the sharp pull-out from a vertical power dive. In fact, this tail movement caused the Navy to ground all F8C-4 "Hell Divers". Lieutenant Commander Arthur W. Radford U.S.N. Commanding Officer VF-l squadron asked for volunteer pilot and photographer to fly one of the grounded F8C-4 "Hell Divers" for the purpose of obtaining high speed (128 frames per second) 35mm motion pictures of the tail section of the airplane during all types of aerobatics that this type of aircraft was designed to perform. Lieutenant Southwick volunteered as pilot and George Carroll as the photographer.

Over a period of about 2 weeks Southwick and Carroll made a number of aerobatic F8C-4 "Hell Diver" flights from N.A.S. North lsland which included several wide open throttle power dives from 15,000 feet altitude at speeds of around 300 miles per hour with a very sharp pull-out of 10,000 feet altitude, during which time photographer Carroll riding backwards standing up in the rear cockpit with parachute on and a safety belt buckled very lightly around his chest, hand cranking the 35mm Bell & Howell motion picture camera recording high speed movies (128 frames per second) of the airplane tail structure movements during the power dive and sharp pull-out aerobatics.

Photographer Carroll blacked out in each of the sharp pull-outs. However, he managed to keep cranking the motion picture camera whereby excellent pictures were obtained showing the F8C-4 tail movements which were very much appreciated by the Naval officer pilots and the Curtiss engineers in their evaluation of the defective tail structure which was in a short time reinforced after which additional high speed motion pictures were made of the F8C-4 tail section in flight showing little or no serious movement under high stress flight conditions.

After Navy Photographer George Carroll had made some six or eight high speed aerobatic flights in the F8C-4 "Hell Diver" his rib cage became bruised and very sore due to the high centrifugal force encountered in the sharp pull-outs from the diving airplane. Navy Photographer Lance Call became aware of Carroll's sore rib cage, so in order to give Carroll some relief, Lance Call volunteered to take Carroll's place as motion picture cameraman which was approved by Chief Photographer Roy Houser who was at that time in charge of the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit at N.A.S. North Island. Navy Photographer Lance Call made high speed 35mm motion pictures of the F8C-4 "Hell Diver" tail section during some 6 or 8 aerobatic flights with Lieutenants Southwick and Duckworth who were volunteer pilots in VF-l "High Hat" fighter squadron.

In 1931 the author was assigned to make aerial oblique photographs of long range battle practice firing scheduled to be conducted by the Pacific Fleet battleships by "Division Force Firing" which consisted of 4 battleships in each of the three battleship divisions; three separate gunnery firing in a one day operation.

Navy Photographer George Carroll in a Vought OU-3 seaplane was launched by catapult at 0600 hours from the U.S.S. Arizona, plane landed from lst photo flight and hoisted aboard the U.S.S. Arizona about 0930 hours. Carroll was immediately transferred by boat to the U.S.S. Maryland where he was launched by catapult about 1030 hours for the second photo flight which returned and was hoisted aboard the U.S.S. Maryland about 1300 hours. He was then transported by boat to the U.S.S. California where he was again launched by catapult about 1430 hours for the 3rd and last photo flight of the day which was completed about 1730 hours. The photo plane landed and was hoisted aboard the Battleship U.S.S. California at about 1800 hours.

This particular scheduled battleship division long range firing practice in 1931 was the first time that three battleship divisions of the U.S. Fleet operating in groups of 4 ships in each division were conducting simultaneous salvo firing from 20,000 yards range at a group of three targets towed by a battleship from which surface triangulation photos were made of the shell splashes in the target area.

About twelve salvos (twelve-14" shells per salvo) were fired from each ship in the division which resulted in that 48 shell splashes per salvo had to be photographed in rapid order by the surface and aerial camera operators.

The aerial photographs of the three battleship divisions long range firing made by Navy Photographer George Carro11 were of great aid to the Fleet camera party plotting officers in their efforts to determine the gunnery score for each of the firing ships in each division.

This battleship division long range firing practice was a colorful sight as viewed from the photo plane because the dye loaded 14 inch shells, upon contact with the ocean water, would cause the dye pot to burst, resulting in 48 shell splashes in each salvo having vivid colors of white, yellow, red and green, each color being assigned to a respective firing ship of the battleship division for identification in plotting the official score of the firing operation.

In 1931 all surface and aerial photographs made by the Navy of ships firing practices were made with panchromatic Black & White sensitized film as there were no color films available for use in our triangulation and aerial cameras.

In 1931 the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit at N.A.S. North Island was again moved into a small four room space in the south center section of a seaplane hangar on east Beach of the Naval Air Station.

The north half of this seaplane hangar was assigned to the battleship observation squadrons for their aircraft overhaul and training operations at N.A.S. North Island. There was a solid wall from the floor to the roof in the center of this hangar separating the VO squadrons from the Fleet Air Ordnance Unit and Fleet Air Photo Unit who were assigned the south half of the structure.

The Fleet Air Ordnance Unit occupied three quarters of the structure's south half and the Fleet Air Photo Unit one quarter of the space in the south half.

The Fleet Air Photo Unit had four small rooms next to the center wall of the structure with their entrance and exit through the Fleet Air Ordnance space. The entire hangar building had no mechanical ventilation. However, there were a few windows about 8 or 9 feet above the floor along the east side of the structure which with the solid interior wall did very little for cross current ventilation.

The Fleet Air Ordnance Unit cleaned and overhauled machine guns and small arms equipment in open trays of gasoline at various work benches in their unventilated section of the structure. This ordnance cleaning operation with gasoline created fume conditions to be present most of the time in the south half of the structure. Due to the nonexistent ventilation the gasoline fumes in the photo lab darkrooms became so bad that in 1931 Naval Photographer George Carroll brought this condition to the attention of his commanding officer of JV-l utility squadron who made a working day inspection and then wrote an official letter to his superior officer, Commander Fleet Base Force at San Pedro, California, in which the unsafe hazardous conditions were reported and a request for immediate action for correction.

The Admiral Commander Fleet Base Force wrote a letter to the Commandant llth Naval District at San Diego citing the unsafe-hazardous conditions existing at N.A.S. North Island under which Naval personnel under his command were operating. The letter requested immediate investigation and appropriate action to correct the reported unsafe-hazardous conditions at the Fleet Air Photo Laboratory N.A.S. North Island.

The Commandant llth Naval District at San Diego immediately upon receipt of the letter from Commander Fleet Base Force caused a group of Naval officers to investigate the reported hazardous condition of the Fleet Air Photo Unit at N.A.S. North Island.

In late August or early September 1931, one morning at about 0930 hours a group of about 8 Naval officers headed by the Commanding Officer N.A.S. North Island conducted an unannounced inspection of the Fleet Air Photo Lab and the Fleet Air Ordnance Unit at the hangar at East Beach.

The Fleet Air Ordnance Unit was busy cleaning machine gun parts in gasoline filled trays on the work benches in the unventilated section of the hangar adjacent to the Fleet Air Photo Lab. Gasoline fumes were quite heavy in the photo lab and ordnance spaces during the officer's inspection.

The inspecting Naval Officers took action on the spot under the direction of the Commanding Officer, N.A.S. North Island. The Fleet Air Ordnance Unit gun cleaning with gasoline was stopped until proper ventilation systems could be installed. The Fleet Air Photo Lab personnel and the Fleet Air Ordnance personnel were given fire fighting equipment, handling instruction, additional fire extinguishers, fire axes, fire hose, fog nozzles, etc, were immediately provided in and adjacent to the photo lab and gun cleaning end of the East Beach hangar.

The public works officer N.A.S. North Island was instructed by the Commanding Officer to find suitable space at the air base for the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit.

The public works officer, Lieutenant Frederick R. Hewes (CEC) U.S.N. asked Chief Photographer George Carroll U.S.N. (who at that time was Chief Petty Officer in charge of the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit) for a photographic laboratory equipment facilities layout drawing for their use by the Station Public Works Department in connection with providing suitable space for the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit.

About a week or so later Chief Photographer Sumner N. Farrar U.S.N. returned to duty in the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit at N.A.S. North Island from the Aleutian Island aerial survey expedition. Farrar assisted Carroll in the final preparation of the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Lab layout drawings which set forth far more space than any of the Naval Officers had in mind.

Due to the increasing demands for aerial photography by the various commands in the Pacific Fleet, Chief Photographers Farrar and Carroll were successful in their justification for a 6,000 square foot space available in any building at N.A.S. North Island.

Congressional approval was required for any new buildings by the Navy Department, such approval we did not have, therefore, due to the urgent need for a Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Laboratory at N.A.S. North Island, Lieutenant Frederick R. Hewes (C.E.C.) U.S.N. proposed that an expansion to an existing building could be built without Congressional approval.

Lieutenant Hewes proposal was approved by the Commanding Officer N.A.S. North Island. A $20,000 building extension fund was approved for the purpose of adding an extension onto building 16 which was then an empty 160 square foot one room structure near the N.W. corner of the old balloon hangar.

Under the direction of Lieutenant Frederick Hewes detailed drawings for the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Laboratory were made by the Public Works Department. Construction of the extension of building 16 was completed late in 1931 or early 1932.

The Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Laboratory at N.A.S. North Island from 1932 to 1942 was the most modern and largest photographic laboratory in the U.S. Navy adequately equipped for the various types of photographic coverage required of the many Pacific Fleet operations conducted by the battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, aircraft squadrons, destroyer squadrons and the submarine squadrons.

By mid 1932 the Pacific Fleet Air Squadrons based at N.A.S. North Island, had in operation three squadrons of twin engine seaplanes that could carry enough fuel for 6 to 8 hour photographic flights, therefore, the aerial photographic coverage requirements of the Pacific Fleet Battleship Division, Heavy and Light Cruiser Divisions, Aircraft Carriers, Destroyer Squadron, Submarine Squadrons, was shifted from the Vought OU catapulted photo airplanes from the Battleships-Cruisers to the Pacific Fleet Air Squadron at N.A.S. North Island.

Mainly the aerial photography coverage of the Pacific Fleet operations was made by Utility Squadron One, which had twin engine Martin Patrol PM-1 and Douglas Patrol PD-1 seaplanes.

Occasionally twin engine seaplanes from Fleet Air Squadron VP-7, VP-9, VP-11 and VJ-2 were used to cover large multi force Pacific operations where six to ten photo planes were required for major operations which sometimes lasted for 3 to 4 days.

During the 1930s, to shortly prior to WWII, there were some 50 to 60 naval photographers assigned to photographic duties in the Pacific Fleet air Photography unit.

The Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Laboratory building #16A consisted of some 14 rooms including old building #16 which was used for camera repair and storage, chemical photo material stock storage; the main building 16 annex had two fireproof vaults for photo film and paper stock storage; and negative files; office; large room for photo print washing-drying - trim and sorting; aerial roll film developing; cut sheet film developing; 35mm motion picture film drying; aerial roll film developing; cut sheet film developing; enlargement print room for four enlargers; contact printing room for four contact printers; rectification printing; aerial mosaic map assembly; photo copying including photostat machine; 35mm motion picture film printing on Bell & Howell Model D printer; 35mm negative and positive film processing, - 1932 to 1935 on 200 foot wood racks in deep tanks, - 1935 to 1942 motion picture film was processed in a continuous 8 feet per minute processing machine built by Art Reeves in Hollywood, California. The laboratory also had adequate lighting equipment and space for photographing damaged or defective equipment items.

The Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Laboratory was a re-inforced concrete structure complete with mechanical ventilating systems, adequate water supply and drainage and electrical services; in fact, this laboratory was just about the best all purpose photographic facility in the military services of our nation until 1943 when the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory was placed into operation at the U.S. Naval Air Station Anacostia. D.C.

Shortly after the opening of the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Laboratory, Bldg. 16-A, in 1932, Mr. W. L. Richardson in the Navy Department Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington D.C. secured the funds to purchase additional aerial cameras, motion picture cameras, enlargers, contact printers, electric heated glossy and matte print dryers for use in this Fleet air facility at North Island.

In 1932 this San Diego facility received their first motor driven 35mm motion picture cameras, also a motor driven Bell & Howell 35mm motion picture film printer which was a big improvement compared to the hand cranked Stienman printer.

Later in the mid-thirties the production facilities of the Fleet Air Photo Lab were expanded and somewhat modernized for the first continuous 35mm motion picture film processing machine in the Naval service. Also, provisions were made for aerial roll film rectification printing.

On May 11, 1931, the rigid airship USS AKRON arrived in the San Diego area after a non-stop flight from Lakehurst, New Jersey and was scheduled for a mooring at a temporary mast at Camp Kearney Mesa at 0800 hours.

Three naval photographers from the Pacific Fleet Air Squadron's photo unit were at the Camp Kearney mooring site where they were prepared to photograph the mooring of the airship. Chief photographer George Carroll had his 35mm Bell & Howell movie camera in position about 60 feet outboard from the mooring mast, two other Navy photographers with the 4 x 5 Speed Graphic cameras were also on the scene, but were not near Carroll and his movie camera.

The airship approached the mooring area underneath a fog layer which covered the area until about 1030, when the airship dropped the port and starboard yaw guy lines, and the main mooring cable. The main mooring cable was quickly connected to the mooring winch cable which started pulling in the cable via the top of the mooring mast. The yaw guy crews, one port and one starboard with about 30 enlisted men assigned to each side, both port and starboard yaw guy lines had been connected to the 30 manned spider lines, and at the same time the airship's propellers were positioned to force the airship down at slow safe rate, the mooring engine at the base of the mooring mast was running full speed in its attempt to pull the nose of the airship down into the locking cup at the top of the mooring mast.

The nose of the airship was some 200 - 300 feet away from the mooring mast when the layer of fog parted permitting the airship to be exposed to the full heat of the sun, which was coupled to the fact that the airship was coming in light due to the loss of ballast water dropped during the airships crossing the mountain areas in Southern New Mexico - Arizona in its flight to San Diego.

The airship Akron was some 200-300 feet from the mooring mast, the tail of the airship started rising, the airship nose was down, the mooring engine didn't have enough power to pull the airship down into the mooring mast, in fact, the airship was actually gaining altitude, the sailors that were holding the yaw guy spider lines were attempting to pull the ship down, but the lifting force of the airship was too great.

Chief photographer Carroll, with his movie camera being close to the mooring mast, could hear the various verbal orders being given during the mooring, and just happened to be shooting motion pictures of the port yaw guy crew as they seemed to be having trouble in their attempt to pull the airship toward the ground, when Carroll heard the Ground Officer in charge of the mooring operation shout "Cut mooring cable; release yaw guy lines."

The main mooring cable was cut with a power cutter, which immediately released the cable from the mooring mast a fairly series of whooshing sounds due to the strands of the cable parting for some 50 to 100 feet up the cable.

The sailors on the port yaw guy spider line were immediately jerked upward into a mass of 30 men resembling a cluster of bees, the port yaw guy sailors let go of their hold on the spider toggles and fell to the ground in a pile with some minor injuries, except three men, two of which were holding onto the spider toggle with their hands which was about the size of a broom stick about 12" in length tied in its middle to a line that was about 20 feet long and tied into the spider ring which was attached to the yaw guy line that was secured to the nose of the airship., The third man, Seaman C. M. Coward, in the group was sitting on his spider Toggle.

The airship Akron at that time being very light seemed to leap skyward, jerking these three sailors aloft, the first man, Seaman Nigel Menton, lost his grip on his spider toggle and fell to his death from about 200 feet, and Seaman Robert H. Edisall fell shortly after from about 300 feet, the third man Seaman C. M. Coward, seated on a spider toggle immediately started gathering the 20-30 loose spider lines and tied himself into on mass of lines, where he remained for about 2 hours when he was finally hoisted into the nose of the airship Akron.

Chief photographer George Carroll, with his 35mm movie camera, covered the entire action of the port yaw guy ground crew obtaining the accident showing the two men dropping and hitting the ground, their bodies bouncing like a rag doll, also about 200 feet showing Seaman Coward tying the loose lines around his body as the airship rose skyward.

The 35mm motion picture film was processed late that afternoon at the North Island Fleet Air Photo Laboratory and was screened to a committee of Naval Officers the next morning. Shortly after the screening the Commander Pacific Fleet Air Squadron approved the release of the motion pictures of the accident to the nations news reel media, except the footage showing the two enlisted men falling to their death. I suppose the reason for this speedy release of the film to the nations news reel services, was because none of the news reel cameramen got pictures of the accident, and when they found out that Navy Photographer had 35mm movie coverage, the national news service organizations brought pressure on the Navy for a quick release of the film.

In 1936 the 35mm motion picture photography requirements of the Pacific Fleet operations had increased to such magnitude that the 200 foot capacity rack and tank film processing facilities at the Pacific Fleet Air Photo laboratory at N.A.S. San Diego were most inadequate for the developing, fixing and washing process of the thousands of feet of motion pictures being made of the various Fleet operations. Also, the 1,000 foot rolls of exposed 35mm motion picture film to be cut into five 200 foot rolls, invariably resulted in the loss of critical pictures at the cut parts of the film. Also, there were quality problems with the rack and tank processing system. Also, there was much labor and time involved with the rack and tank process.

Chief Photographer George Carroll being acquainted with the motion picture photography requirements of the Pacific Fleet operations, and the inadequate film processing facilities and associated processing problems, sent a personal letter to Mr. W. L. Richardson in the Bureau of Aeronautics, Photo Section, Navy Department, in which Carroll requested authorization and approval for the procurement and installation of a continuous 35mm motion picture film processing machine to replace the then existing rack and tank 35mm motion picture film processing facility in the Fleet Air Photo Laboratory at N.A.S. San Diego.

In Carroll's letter to Mr. Richardson he requested approval for the sum of $3500 needed to purchase a continuous 35mm motion picture film processing machine built by Art Reeves Motion Picture Equipment Company in Hollywood, California.

Mr. W. L. Richardson obtained approval for the expenditure in the Bureau of Aeronautics which was officially sent from the Navy Department to the Commanding Officer, Utility Squadron One, Fleet Air Base, N.A.S. San Diego, California. Shortly after receipt of the Bureau of Aeronautics authorization the Fleet Air Base Supply Officer issued the purchase order papers to Art Reeves and in a few weeks a 35mm motion picture film processing machine was delivered and installed in the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Laboratory at N.A.S. San Diego, California.

By the early part of September 1936, the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Laboratory, Fleet Air Base, N.A.S. San Diego, California had the first continuous 35mm motion picture film processing in the Navy, and by that time had a three man operating crew headed by Navy Photographer Arthur Black who not only processed 35mm motion picture film exposed by the Fleet Air Unit Photographers, but also processed 35mm motion picture film from a number of other West Coast Naval operating photo units.

With the newly installed Art Reeves 35mm film processing machine, the quality of the processed negative and positive film had a marked quality improvement over the old rack and tank system. Also, there were no breaks in the 1,000 foot rolls of processed film and, last but not least, a reduction in laboratory labor and time required for the processing of motion picture film which caused the Naval photographers to take more interest in their motion picture assignments, mainly because the Fleet Air Photo Laboratory Unit had a complete line of professional equipment such as: motor driven 35mm motion picture Bell & Howell and Mitchell cameras, Bell & Howell continuous printing machine, Bell & Howell film splicer, movieola editor and a continuous 35mm film processing machine for negative and positive film, and further, by arrangements made by the Pacific Fleet Camera Officer, several Fleet Air Photographers interested in professional 35mm motion picture photographic principles and practices were sent to movie studios in Hollywood, California for instruction and training in the use of the equipment by professionals at M.G.M., Paramount, Warner Brothers, and R.K.O. Studios.

In 1934-1935, Lieutenant (j.g.) William Nation U.S.N., Naval Aviator was the first Naval Officer to be assigned full time duty as the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit, which operated from N.A.S. San Diego, California under the Commanding Officer, Utility Squadron One.

Lieutenant Nation being a graduate of the Naval Photographic school in 1934 was the first Naval Officer who devoted much of his time at the Fleet Air Laboratory with the Chief Petty Officer Photographer in charge, in their direction and supervision of the Pacific Fleet Air Photographers in day to day photographic assignments.

The wide range of professional photographic services provided by the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit at N.A.S. San Diego, California during the years 1935-1939, under the immediate direction of Chief Photographer George Carro11, was a period of familiarization training experience for the Fleet Air Photo Officers and the enlisted photographers which proved to be most valuable during the 1941-1945 World War II period in which Naval photography was greatly expanded, modernized and fully utilized for World wide military operations during the war.

In 1936 Lieutenant (j.g.) Howell J. Dyson U.S.N., Naval Aviator, Graduate of Naval Photography School, was the second Naval Officer to be assigned primary full time duty as the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit, Utility Squadron One, N.A.S. San Diego, California, Lt. Dyson, over a two year duty period, devoted much of his time at the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Lab taking a day to day interest in the Fleet Air Photographic operations, where he became fully acquainted with the Fleet Air Photographers and the various services being accomplished by the unit under the immediate supervision of Chief Photographer George Carroll.

Prior to the primary photographic officer duty assignment of Lt. Nation and Lt. Dyson, various other Naval Officers in the twenties and early thirties were Naval Aviators, who were assigned collateral duty as the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Officer. These collateral duty officers had not been through the Naval Photography School, had little or no knowledge about photography, and being airplane pilots, naturally were more interested in flying airplanes than being the Photo Officer. Therefore, the Chief Petty Officer Photographer in charge was in effect the Photo Officer for the day to day photographic operations.

By 1937, the Pacific Fleet ships San Pedro-San Diego area had been greatly increased by the addition of heavy cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers, aircraft carriers, submarines and various support vessels.

The increase in the number of ships and aircraft squadrons engaged in various gunnery firings and war game exercises required extensive photographic coverage by the Pacific Fleet Camera Party, and the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit.

The photographic coverage of the expanded Pacific Fleet operations required expansion of Triangulation surface photography, surface 35mm motion pictures, aerial vertical and oblique still photography, and aerial 35mm motion pictures.

The photographic coverage of the various Pacific Fleet operations in 1937-1939 became so extensive and so technical that in order for the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit to render the best services with their N.A.S. San Diego based facilities, it became necessary for Chief Photographer George Carroll to attend the semi-annual Fleet Forces scheduling conference as an advisor consultant to the assembled group of Naval officers who had the job of planning and scheduling the operations of the various Fleet Forces six months in advance of the Fleet operations.

Due to the expanded Pacific Fleet operations 1937-1941, the photographic coverage required more airplanes, more cameras, more photographers, more film, more chemicals, etc, for which the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit was frequently requesting the Navy Department, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington D.C. for more equipment and personnel.

In 1937 the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit was engaged in photographic coverage of a major battleship division long range main battery firing exercises during which dye loaded shells were fired from the group of battleships.

In addition to the standard black and white 35mm motion picture coverage of the battleship firing exercises, the Fleet Air Photo unit also made for the first time 16mm Kodachrome aerial motion pictures which due to the Fleet operation being then classified, Lt. Dyson was required to personally take the exposed Kodachrome film to the Eastman Kodak Processing Laboratory in Hollywood, California where he had to be present six hours in that laboratory at the processing machine drying cabinet take-off where he was handed the processed Kodachrome color film under strict security control of classified material.

Upon Lieutenant Dyson's return to N.A.S. San Diego, the 16mm Kodachrome movies were projected for the Fleet Gunnery Officer umpire who was most pleased with the results which had beautiful color and were a great aid in the identification of the colored shell splashes and colored slicks of the ship's salvo firing exercises.

The success of this 16mm Kodachrome color film coverage was so good that each year thereafter the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit made aerial Kodachrome coverage of all dye loaded shell firing exercises conducted by the various Pacific Fleet battleships and cruisers long range battle practices.

During the period 1937 to 1941 the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit was the most active aerial photographic unit in the Navy and was amply equipped with professional motion picture cameras, also professional aerial still cameras manufactured by the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation. These aerial cameras were: the K-3-A, K-3-B motor driven, picture size 7 1/2" x 9 1/2", 75 pictures per magazine, between the lens shutter, lens focal length varied from 8.25" wide angle to 12" medium angle. These cameras were used mainly for vertical overlapping mapping photos. Also, the unit had a great number of the Fairchild F-56 hand-held motor-driven aerial cameras, between the lens shutter, 5.25 and 20 inch focal length lens, picture size 7 x 7 inches, 200 exposure roll film per magazine, rapid motor driven film advance which permitted a short interval of about 2 seconds between exposures.

The Fairchild F-56 hand-held aerial cameras 200 exposure film capacity used in the Naval Service during the mid-thirties were a great improvement over the Fairchild F-l hand-held aerial cameras used in the late twenties and early thirties which had a roll film capacity of about 50 picture per magazine, film advance by hand wind which required about 5 to 7 seconds time interval between exposures.

In the late thirties the processing of aerial roll film was changed from the hand cranked roll film developing reels to a motor operated unit which resulted in that even development was achieved for all exposures on the roll that produced high negative quality development which along with the temperature control equipment there was a great improvement over the former hand cranked aerial roll film developing units.

In 1938, Lieutenant Robert S. Quackenbush, U.S.N. Naval Aviator was assigned duty in the Navy Department, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington D.C., as the Bureau of Aeronautics Photography Section Officer under the Flight Division of the Bureau.

Prior to 1938 the Naval Aerial Photographic Units had been supplied aerial roll film manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company, which had been a highly satisfactory high standard quality material that the Naval air photographers had learned how to use with great success.

In 1939, for some unknown reason, the Navy Department Bureau of Aeronautics, discontinued their contract for aerial roll film with the Eastman Kodak Company. A contract for aerial roll film was awarded to the Agfa Ansco Corporation who supplied the Navy with several thousand rolls of aerial roll film.

The Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit at San Diego, after receiving some 500 rolls of Agfa Ansco Aerial Film, which the Fleet air photographers started to use because their supply of Eastman Kodak aerial film had been exhausted, experienced a serious problem with the new Agfa serial film in that some of the rolls when exposed in the F-56 aerial cameras had perfect exposures, and in other rolls with the same emulsion number exposed in the same F-56 camera on the same day with the same light conditions, a 50% loss in sensitivity was encountered upon processing of the film using the same developing solution formula which had been successfully used for years.

The Fleet Air Photographers at N.A.S. San Diego had to use the Agfa aerial film for coverage of various Fleet operations with the results that only part of the aerial photographs were excellent and part were of very poor quality. It was most disheartening to use an aerial film which varied so far in its sensitivity.

The loss in sensitivity of the Agfa aerial film caused Chief Photographer George Carroll to contact the Agfa Ansco representative in the Los Angeles office, who made a hurried visit to the Fleet Air Photo Lab at N.A.S. San Diego for the purpose of solving the problem. This Agfa representative was of no help to the Fleet Air Photographers. His prize comment was "You are not using Agfa Ansco chemicals in your developing solutions", to which Chief Carroll said, "Nuts". and further remarked that the chemicals used in the developing solution made no difference regardless of who manufactured them.

The Agfa Ansco representative was of no help to the Fleet Air Photographers with the unsatisfactory Agfa aerial roll film. He made no effort to contact his company in Binghamton, New York about the apparent loss of sensitivity of the Agfa aerial roll film which had been furnished to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

Chief Photographer George Carroll being familiar with almost all Naval and Marine Corps photographic operations, and the amount of aerial film used each year, supervised the testing of some two dozen rolls of Agfa aerial roll film which was sent with a written report of unsatisfactory material to Lieutenant Robert S. Quackenbush Jr., U.S.N. who was in 1938 the Photography Section Office in the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department, Washington D.C.

Lieutenant Quackenbush, shortly after receipt of Carroll's report and samples of the unsatisfactory Agfa aerial roll film proceeded to the Agfa Ansco Corporation headquarters in Binghamton, New York, where he confronted Agfa management with Chief Carroll's report and samples.

The Agfa management informed Lieutenant Quackenbush that the Agfa Ansco Corporation would replace the entire Naval film order for the several thousand rolls of Agfa aerial roll film which had been shipped to the Navy in 1938. They further stated that with Lieut. Quackenbush's permission they would ship via air that day fifty rolls of Agfa aerial roll film, which they had reason to believe would be satisfactory to the Pacific Fleet Air Photography Unit at N.A.S. San Diego, California, with a request that the new Agfa aerial roll film be tested by Chief Carroll and his Fleet Air Photographers and a report of the test be made directly to Lieutenant Quackenbush in Washington D.C.

Chief Carroll and the Fleet air photographers, upon receipt of the air shipment of the Agfa aerial roll film. expedited the testing of the film which was found to be highly satisfactory. Chief Carroll reported to Lieutenant Quackenbush via Utility Squadron One radio communications, recommending all Agfa roll film supplied to the Navy in 1938 be replaced with the new Agfa aerial roll film that had been found satisfactory.

Lieutenant Quackenbush, upon receipt of the report from the Fleet Air Photo Unit Utility Squadron One, immediately phoned Agfa management who promptly shipped replacement Agfa aerial roll film to the U.S. Naval Air Supply Depot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who in turn shipped replacement film to the various Naval and Marine Corps Photo Units as directed by Lieutenant Quackenbush.

The Agfa Ansco Corporation furnished satisfactory aerial roll film to the Navy and Marine Corps from 1938 to 1941.

In 1938 Lieutenant (j.g.) Frederick Ashworth U.S.N., Naval Aviator, graduate of Naval Photography School, was the Fleet Air Photo Officer in Utility Squadron One N.A.S. San Diego, California.

Late in 1938 orders were received by the Commander of Utility Wing One, Fleet Air Squadrons, N.A.S. San Diego for Utility Squadron One with its Photographic unit to proceed from San Diego, California to the U.S. Naval operating base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Based upon these orders, the eight twin engine Sikorsky JRS Amphibians and six single engine Grumman JF-l Amphibians with their crews were to fly from San Diego, California to the Naval operating base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, early in 1939. The U.S.S. Arctic was assigned to transport the non-flying Utility Squadron crew, aircraft equipment, and photographic equipment from San Diego to Guantanamo Bay.

During the month of December, 1938, Chief Photographer George Carroll U.S.N., Chief Photographer Daniel Farrell U.S.N., and some thirty Naval photographers spent most of their time packing aerial cameras, motion picture cameras, photographic film, paper, chemicals, and miscellaneous supplies required for the projected photographic operations from the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Most of the photographic equipment was packed with silica gel in sealed containers because of the then unknown high humidity and temperature conditions which the equipment would be subjected to during the trip from San Diego to Guantanamo Bay via the Panama Canal.

The photographic equipment, along with the Air Squadron Aircraft equipment items, were stored in a cargo space aboard the U.S.S. Arctic where it remained undisturbed for about six weeks.

The time and effort required to package the photographic equipment for shipment into the tropics proved to be a valuable experience to the Fleet air photographers engaged in the 1939 operations from the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba, particularly to Chief Photographer Daniel Farrell who later in 1942-1943 was responsible for assembling and packing the vast amount of aerial cameras. photographic film, paper, chemicals, etc. that were used in 1943 at Guadalcanal by Fleet Air VD-l Photo Reconnaissance Squadron.

Late in January, 1939, the eight Sikorsky and six Grumman amphibious airplanes of Utility Squadron One departed from N.A.S. San Diego bound for the Naval operating base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Refueling stops were made enroute at El Paso, Texas; Pensacola, Florida; and Miami, Florida.

Shortly after the arrival of the U.S. Arctic at N.O.B. Guantanamo Bay, the fleet air photographers along with Utility Squadron One carpenters and electricians spent a busy two weeks in the construction of a four room photo lab in an existing building at the Guantanamo operating base.

The Fleet air photo lab at the Guantanamo operating base was designed and constructed for temporary facilities for the processing and contact printing of aerial roll film negatives, and the processing and printing of 35mm motion picture film by the use of Stineman 200 foot capacity metal rack and shallow tanks. Printing was done on a Bell & Howell Model D printer. Adequate space in the lab was provided for a small office, camera overhaul and repair, temperature controlled storage space for sensitized photographic film and paper, storage space for chemicals and miscellaneous supplies.

During the four months of photographic operations from N.O.B. Guantanamo we had no major problems with our camera equipment, and the sensitized photographic film and paper, all of which had been packed and sealed for use in the tropics.

The four months of photographic operations at N.O.B. Guantanamo were a busy period for Utility Squadron One with Lieutenant Commander Henry Stanley U.S.N. Commanding Officer, and Lieutenant (j.g.) Frederick Ashworth U.S.N. Photo Officer.

Comprehensive U.S. Fleet Operations were conducted by the combined Atlantic and Pacific Fleets during February, March, April and May of 1939 in the Caribbean which required complete photographic coverage by Utility Squadron One airplanes operating from N.O.B. Guantanamo, during which the Fleet Air Photographers made several thousand aerial still photos and over 20,000 feet of 35mm motion pictures.

Upon the conclusion of the 1939 combined U.S. Fleet operations in the Caribbean, Utility Squadron One airplanes were flown back to N.A.S. San Diego, California, with refueling stops at Miami, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; and El Paso, Texas. The squadron's non-flying personnel returned to N.A.S. San Diego from Guantanamo via ship.

Shortly after Utility Squadron One had returned to N.A.S. San Diego, California in 1939, Chief Photographer George Carroll received change of duty orders transferring him, after four years duty tour as Chief Petty Officer in charge of the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit, to the Navy Department, Washington D.C.

Upon Carroll's departure from Utility Squadron One, Chief Photographer Daniel J. Farrell U.S.N. was designated as the Chief Petty Officer Photographer in charge of the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit, under the Commanding Officer, Utility Squadron One.

In July, 1939, Lieutenant Frederick Ashworth U.S.N., who had been the Pacific Fleet air photo officer for about two years, was detached from Utility Squadron One. Lieutenant (j.g.) A.D. Fraser U.S.N., Naval Aviator, graduate of the Naval Photography School, was assigned primary duty as the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Officer in Utility Squadron One, N.A.S. San Diego, California.

Early in 1940, the Pacific Fleet, battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers. submarines, and base force support commands departed from the Southern California, San Pedro-San Diego operating area to the Hawaiian Islands, which was to be the main Pacific Fleet operating area for all major Fleet units in 1940-1941, with Pearl Harbor as the main Fleet anchorage and Fleet Headquarters.

Utility Squadron One with the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit in 1940 was moved from N.A.S. San Diego, California to the U.S. Naval Air Station, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, T.H., the Pacific Fleet Air Photographic Unit, under the direction of Lieutenant Fraser and Chief Photographer Farrell, a photographic laboratory facility was provided in a building on Ford Island, about 500 feet from the water front docks where the Pacific Fleet battleships were berthed.

Within a few weeks, Fraser and Farrell had the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit in full operation with some 30 to 40 enlisted Naval photographers, who for most of the time six days each week, were busy covering the various Fleet ships gunnery exercises and Fleet maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean area adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands.

In 1940-1941 the aircraft employed by Utility Squadron One for aerial photography were Sikorsky JRS amphibians, and Grumman JF amphibians.

Early in 1941 Lieutenant A.D. Fraser U.S.N. was detached from Utility Squadron One and ordered to duty in the Navy Depart-ment, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington D.C. Lieutenant Harry Badger U.S.N. Naval Aviator was assigned duty as the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Officer.

Later in 1941 Chief Photographer Daniel J. Farrell was detached from Utility Squadron One and assigned duty in the Fleet Air Detachment at N.A.S. San Diego, California where he became highly involved in the planning and equipment requirements for Naval Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft Squadrons.

During the years 1934 to 1941 the U.S. Naval Aviation Officers, who were assigned full time primary duty as the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Officer in Utility Squadron One, and the enlisted Naval and Marine Corps aerial photographers who operated from the Fleet air photo unit, gained during those years professional experience and training which became a valuable asset for the greatly expanded and far reaching Naval Photographic Reconnaissance operations during World War II, 1941-1945 period.

Most of the enlisted Naval aerial photographers who served in the Pacific Fleet Air Photo Unit during the years 1934-1941 became commissioned U.S. Naval Officers during the World War II period.