AVIATION DETAILS:  28 May 1918 - 1945

 

Types	Locations
1  - balloon	Stern
11 - airplanes	Turret 2
2 - drones	Turret 3
	Turret 4

Airplane Dates: Unless noted are assigned and reassigned. Sources: Main deck period and catapult period - William T Larkins  His research of the history of many of the individual airplanes that were aboard TEXAS  "Battleship & Cruiser Aircraft of the US Navy, 1910 to 1941"; William T. Larkins; Schiffer Military History, 1996.

KITE BALLOON (at stern) - 28 May 1918 to not later than October 1918

Qty 1 unknown maker Observation

The balloon was a two-man observation platform that floated 800 - 1000 feet above the ship. Each occupant was provided a parachute. A telephone was connected from the balloon to the bridge. One ship in the squadron would tow the balloon while sailing in the North Sea.    An 11 June 1918 entry in the ship's deck log records the balloon broke lose from it's stern attachment cable. photo from BB35 book "North Sea Days"

 

Platform - Atop Turret 2 and Turret 4:  4 November 1918 to nlt August 1920

 

The dates are based on limited records and accurately dated photos which was cross referenced with known periods in US Navy Yards.

1-1/2 Strutter Qty 1 Sopwith

no  photo

13 Dec 1918 to not later than early January 1919.  Transported from France to America during her 1918 return from WWI.  In a BB35 photo of the return trip, Andy Kemp, of "Cross and Cockade"  identified what might be a partially disassembled Strutter, atop Turret 3.

Camel Sopwith  Qty 1- 2

Sopwith Camel  13 December 1918 to not later than 19 June 1919.  Quantity:: 1 - 2.  Airplane Id number:  None are available.  Based on ship photographs, two were brought back from Europe, in December 1918.  It is unknown if any Camel was continuously aboard until replaced by  the Hanriot.  The latest BB35 photo with a Camel aboard that I have seen is 14 April to 2 May 1919 with a Camel atop Turret 4, in the North River, in New York City.

Hanriot  Hanriot Qty 1

Hanriot HD2 By 14 July 1919 and at least through 18 September 1919.  Quantity: 1.  Airplane Id number:  A-5621.  Based on deduction and elimination the airplane was brought aboard during the New York Navy Yard period of 19 June to 14 July 1919.  Only one airplane, the HD2, was aboard when TEXAS crossed the Panama Canal, 25 July 1919.  A 12 September 1919 photo shows the HD2 atop Turret 2, as TEXAS enters Seattle, WA.  On 18 September, BB35 enters the Bremerton Navy Yard, which was the first of three possibilities for removal.

 

MAIN DECK (on the stern):  Fall 1923  to 31 July 1925

UO-1 Vought  Qty 1

In the BB35 files (on the website) is a July 1923 drawing of the stern arrangement.   airplane is from NEW YORK

 

Catapult - atop Turret 3:  November 1926 to 12 December 1945

UO-1 Vought Qty:  1     11 November 1926 to 3 July 1928: An airplane article in the 20 October 1928 issue of the ship's weekly newspaper confirms the UO-1 was aboard after the modernization dry-dock was completed.  The article states a catapult launch of the UO-1 was quite a jolt for the 2,600 lbs airplane was launched by a catapult designed to launch a 6,500 lbs airplane.     OL-6 Loening Qty: 1-2 1 January 1927 to 27 June 1928: The 20 October 1928 ship's newspaper refereed to the airplane as "the duck" and did not have anything positive to say about the airplane. O2U-1 Vought Qty:1 A better photo of the  O2U-1 airplane is needed October 1928 to June 1930: (assigned 28 June 1928) 6 November 1931 to 4 August 1932 The 20 October 1928 ship's newspaper has an article about the new O2U being aboard.     O2U-3 Vought Qty - 3   Jun 1930 to June 1931:   Oct 1932 to June 1933 ??  "Fleet Aircraft Assignment" lists Battleship Division One having two types of airplanes but does not identify which type was assigned to which ship. The fuselage lettering of "United States Fleet" means it is the airplane of the Navy CinC.   The photo from the collection of TEXAS veteran Chester Moss, 1931 - 1934   O3U-1 Vought   Qty: 3-4 June 1931 to October 1932:  October 1932 to June 1933 ???  - see O2U-3 above June 1933 to August 1933 18 December 1934 to June 1936      O3U-3 Vought  Qty: 3 31 July 1933 to 27 December 1934   30 September 1936 to 8 June 1937 On the fuselage, the number aft of the stripe denotes the battleship division and the forward number is the aircraft's division identification number, meaning this airplane is #1 in Battleship Division One.  The airplanes were removed when TEXAS was assigned to the Training Squadron.   SOC-3 Curtis Qty: 2-3 16 October 1939 to 29 April 1941  The SOC-3 is aboard in a 2 February 1940 photo of TEXAS entering Havana.     The identify of the SOC-3 left is #1 in Battleship Division 5. OS2-U Vought - Sikorsky Qty 3 - 2 30 September 1941 to not later than 12 Dec 1945 (when the catapult is removed) During the November 1942 invasion of North Africa, one airplane sank and another bombed enemy tanks.  After the invasion, Walter Cronkite flew off TEXAS in an OS2-U when the ship was within range of Norfolk.  At the start of 1943 three were still aboard but reduced to two before 1944.  During the invasion of Normandy, the airplanes were removed.  During the invasion of Okinawa, #8 sank during recovery due to damage from anti-aircraft fire and #7 strafed small Japanese boats.

Drones - Catapult: January and August 1945

TDD Full Qty - Unk

Drone activity is in the War Diary:: 3 to 5 January 1945: off Hawaii. 7 to 9 August 1945, in San Pedro Bay, Philippines