MITCHELL, WILLIAM ("Billy"), Pioneer exponent of miliatary aviation . Typed letter signed ("Wm. Mitchell") to Lester D. Gardner, of the Gardner, Moffat Co., War Department, Air Service, Washington, D.C., 1 March 1921. One page, 4to, on Mitchell's imprinted service stationery . BILLY PREPARES TO SINK A FEW SHIPS A letter which relates directly to one of the most famous incidents in Mitchell's remarkable aviation career. It appears from the present letter that the outspoken Mitchell had supplied some controversial material for the magazine Aviation , which had published it, using Mitchell's name. "What I meant was to have you publish the stuff I sent you but not over my signature. We will get the battleships now, and you can expect some results. When are you coming down here again...." The battleships he refers to were intended to be used as targets for test bombing of capital ships. On July 13-21, Mitchell's biplane bombers sank three captured German battleships off Virginia, the first and most graphic demonstration to date of the effectiveness of aerial bombardment of major naval vessels. Further tests against obselete American ships in September made air power a national issue and launched bitter debates in Congress and within the Army and Navy. Mitchell (who had learned to fly in l916) had early on become an outspoken advocacate of military aviation; this had already aroused the ire of many within the military. The wrangling over this issue, combined with his authorship of controversial articles in popular magazines, led first to his demotion and reassignment, in l925, and finally to a courts-martial later that year. For an account of his flamboyant and troubled career, see Dictionary of American Biography .
MITCHELL, WILLIAM ("Billy"), Pioneer exponent of miliatary aviation . Typed letter signed ("Wm. Mitchell") to Lester D. Gardner, of the Gardner, Moffat Co., War Department, Air Service, Washington, D.C., 1 March 1921. One page, 4to, on Mitchell's imprinted service stationery . BILLY PREPARES TO SINK A FEW SHIPS A letter which relates directly to one of the most famous incidents in Mitchell's remarkable aviation career. It appears from the present letter that the outspoken Mitchell had supplied some controversial material for the magazine Aviation , which had published it, using Mitchell's name. "What I meant was to have you publish the stuff I sent you but not over my signature. We will get the battleships now, and you can expect some results. When are you coming down here again...." The battleships he refers to were intended to be used as targets for test bombing of capital ships. On July 13-21, Mitchell's biplane bombers sank three captured German battleships off Virginia, the first and most graphic demonstration to date of the effectiveness of aerial bombardment of major naval vessels. Further tests against obselete American ships in September made air power a national issue and launched bitter debates in Congress and within the Army and Navy. Mitchell (who had learned to fly in l916) had early on become an outspoken advocacate of military aviation; this had already aroused the ire of many within the military. The wrangling over this issue, combined with his authorship of controversial articles in popular magazines, led first to his demotion and reassignment, in l925, and finally to a courts-martial later that year. For an account of his flamboyant and troubled career, see Dictionary of American Biography .
Testen Sie LotSearch und seine Premium-Features 7 Tage - ohne Kosten!
Lassen Sie sich automatisch über neue Objekte in kommenden Auktionen benachrichtigen.
Suchauftrag anlegen
/171206/Photo1%20data.jpg "Quelle: Dix Noonan Webb")
