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growing need for air travel. * Pilots and mechanics were scheduled to
arrive about the 15th of February to operate the additional aircraft.
Another warehouse, adjacent to the one already being used as a hangar
and twice as long, was prepared to house the other aircraft.
A fuel
point was established, with a capacity of 1000 gallons, about 1 February
to ease the work of fue®ing the aircraft.
Prior to this time the air-
craft were being refueled by means of five gallon cans.
On 5 February, the USSPassig arrived with four (4) OY-1 aircraft,
deck loaded.
The aircraft were exposed to salt spray, which resulted
ir. damage to those parts not protected by preservative.
One of the
aircraft had broken loose from its moorings while at seu and caused
major damage to one other aircraft before it was secured again.
‘Spare
parts were supposed to have been sent with the above aircraft, but
none arrived at this time.
‘Work was immediately started on the least
damaged of the newly arrived planes whilegthe rest gf the aircraft
were stored in the hangar.
It was necessary to cannibalize the worst
damaged of the aircraft in order to make others flyable, due to lack
of parts.
No parts had yet arrived for the L-4's and all possible
missions were flown down by the one L-4.
The pilots and mechanics
worked as a team in order to get additional aircraft into the air.
On
7 February, the first OY-1 was put into operation after a test flight
and this gave the Air Section one L-4, and one OY-1 to use in completing
their mission.
The second mishap occurred on 10 February, when Lt. QW attempted a test landing with an OY-1 on Runit Island.
Section VIb
45
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Since no previous