U. S. NAVAL AIR STATION NA34/A9-3 KODIAK, ALASKA 10:RSS:avm Ser 2140 OCT 16 1950 From: Commanding Officer, NAS, Kodiak To: Chief of Naval Operations (Aviation History Unit) Subj: Historical Report; submission of Ref: (a) Aviation Circular Letter No. 18-49 Encl: (1) Historical Report period ending 30 June 1950 1. In accordance with reference (a), historical report for six- months ending 30 June 1950, is submitted as enclosure (1). L. J. DOW G. P. KOCH By direction HISTORICAL REPORT Period 1 JANUARY - 30 JUNE 1950 The Naval Air Station, Kodiak, Alaska, is under the military command of the Commander, Naval Air Bases, SEVENTEENTH Naval District, under the man- agement control of the Bureau of Aeronautics. It is further assigned as a component of the Naval Operating Base, Kodiak, for military command in matters of internal security, fire protection, administration of naval disci- pline, defense and for co-ordination with other components of the Naval Operating base in providing direct logistic services to the Operating Forces. Captain L. J. Dow, USN, is the Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station, Kodiak; Commander Naval Air Bases, SEVENTEENTH Naval District; Commander Naval Operating Base, Kodiak; Commander Search and Rescue Area TWO; and Com- mander Forces Kodiak sector. The Coast Guard Air Detachment, Kodiak comes under Commander Search and Rescue Area TWO for rescue operations. The administrative chain of command is via the Commander, Naval Air Bases, SEVENTEENTH Naval District; via the Commandant, SEVENTEENTH Naval District; to the Chief of Naval Operations. The aircraft of this Command are a portion of the Commander, Air Force, Pacific Fleet complement of aircraft. Assignment of new and replacement air- craft for reason of overhaul is received from the Commander, Fleet Air Seattle, as directed by the Commander, Air Force, Pacific Fleet. The Aviation Navy Baker allotment for fuel is issued directly from the Bureau of Aeronautics. Personnel of this Command are detailed to duty by the Commandant, SEVENTEENTH Naval District, who received personnel replacements from the Com- mander, Service Force, Pacific Fleet. - 1 - CHRONOLOGY __________ 4-5 JANUARY On the night of 4-5 January roofs were blown from two (2) buildings which were occupied by married enlisted personnel. No persons were injured but property damage occurred. Numerous other buildings received minor damages due to this wind. The wind velocity exceeded 99 knots. Moorings No. 16 and 23 also broke loose. 7 JANUARY Commander in Chief, Alaska, LT GEN TWINING, USAF, arrived with 19 VIP's from Anchorage, Alaska by aircraft for a visit to survey living conditions on the Naval Operating Base and in the town of Kodiak. 11 JANUARY MATS aircraft C-54 BUNO 570 crashed after landing long on Runway #18. The aircraft ran off the approach end of Runway #36 into the water of St. Paul Harbor. Six (6) of the twenty-eight (28) occupants received minor injuries. No fatalities occurred. 13 JANUARY MATS aircraft C-54 Bu No 5483 landed long on Runway 25 and ran off the end of runway with no damage to aircraft or crew. 17 JANUARY A Coast Guard PBY was dispatched by COMSAR TWO to Raspberry Island at night to remove a woman (who was bleeding badly) to the Kodiak hospital. 21 JANUARY CAA personnel at Woody Island reported sighting an uniden- tfied submarine operating partially submerged between Woody and Long Islands. The base was alerted and 4 P2V's, one PBY and one F6F were sent in search. Results were negative. 22 JANUARY A Navy P2V aircraft reported visual and radar contact with an unidentified object described as pale ember with white lights alternating or rotating at high speed at the same altitude as the aircraft. The object was visible to the plane crew for a period of six (6) minutes when contact was lost. 4 FEBRUARY A Navy R4D BUNO 50754 received "strike" damage to aircraft when struck by a gust of wind while taxiing. No injury to per- sonnel involved. 8 FEBRUARY A Coast Guard PBY was dispatched by COMSAR TWO to pick up an elderly woman with an injured skull and bleeding badly, at Chignik. Patient was transferred to Kodiak hospital. 12 FEBRUARY Governor Gruening of Alaska arrived for an official visit. 10 MARCH Base Defense Drill held this date. - 2 - 19 APRIL LT GEN H. R. Bull (Commandant of the National War College) ar- rived with thirty-four (34) officers from the National War College on an indoctrination tour of Alaska. 3 MAY Message was received from the fishing vessel FALCON that she was leaking badly and all five (5) hands abandoned ship off Metrofama Island Light. COM SAR TWO dispatched a Coast Guard PBY which located the survivors. Four survivors were flown to Sand Point. 4 MAY COMSAR TWO dispatched Coast Guard PBY to Afognak Island to as- sist a sick woman and transferred her to the Kodiak hospital. 10 MAY Navy PBY departed Kodiak to drop serum to False Pass. 17 MAY COMSAR TWO dispatched Coast Guard PBY to Kalgin Island to trans- port man who had bad cut from an axe on his leg to Anchorage. 25 MAY COMSAR TWO dispatched Coast Guard PBY to Lazy bay to assist man with a fishhook in his eye. Man was transferred to Kodiak hospital. 26 MAY Navy P2V was sent by COMSAR TWO to search for missing fishing vessel Double Knot. Vessel found on beach at Wingham Island and rations were dropped to the survivors. 13 JUNE COMSAR TWO dispatched Coast Guard PBY to pick up sick man at Paule Bay and return him to Kodiak Hospital for treatment 19 JUNE A civilian aircraft crashed in Mill Bay. Navy crash boat was sent to scene -- picked up survivors. 19 JUNE Commander, Aircraft Pacific Fleet. VADM T. L. Sprague, USN, arrived on an official visit. Commander, Fleet Air Wing Four RADM Perry, USN, accompanied him. 21 JUNE COMSAR TWO dispatched Coast Guard PBY to Port Moller to pick up injured man and transfer him to Kodiak hospital. 27 JUNE Navy P2V was sent to Port Heident to pick up sick man and trans- port him to Kodiak hospital. 29 JUNE COMSAR TWO dispatched Coast Guard PBY to False Pass to pick up patients and transfer them to Kodiak hospital. - 3 - NARRATIVE _________ During the period of this report, there were nineteen (19) children born in the Dispensary - 10 girls and 9 boys. The only complication was the death of one girl who died eleven hours after birth due to respiration failure. The Supply Department has been in the process of identifying, processing and returning to the United States excess and obsolete material. Extensive planning, cataloging and cross-indexing of stock is being done in view of the planned support of MSTS vessels commencing on 1 Nov 1950. The Supply Depart- ment is still in the process of consolidation of stores and storeroom into a more restricted area so that labor and transportation costs can be reduced and issue time speeded up. A new fenced lumber stowage area has been built and is in operation. - 4 -