cover image Admiral William A. Moffett, Architect of Naval Aviation: Architect of Naval Aviation

Admiral William A. Moffett, Architect of Naval Aviation: Architect of Naval Aviation

William F. Trimble. Smithsonian Books, $34.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-1-56098-320-0

As chief of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, Moffett (1869-1933) was responsible for bringing aviation into the U.S. fleet and guaranteeing it a major role by his aggressive advocacy of aircraft carriers. Trimble ( Wings for the Navy ) describes how Moffett mastered the civilian and military bureaucracy in Washington, developed his farsighted vision of air warfare at sea, and became the guiding force behind legislation leading to the first major expansion of the aircraft manufacturing industry. Moffett believed in the integration of aviation within the overall service structure; his rival, Army General ``Billy'' Mitchell, argued that aviation alone could fight and win wars. The debate between these two spokesmen for opposing viewpoints (the issue remains unresolved) constitutes one of the most interesting aspects of the book. Trimble reconstructs the final flight of the Akron on April 3-4, 1933; Moffett died when that experimental airship crashed in heavy rain and fog off the New Jersey coast. This biography confirms that Admiral William Moffett accomplished more than anyone before or since to secure the place of naval aviation in America's military establishment. Photos. (Dec.)