US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

88 Amphibians Cane To Conqzier
ment of the degree of heat of the Cold War,’ it is well to recall that, on
1 December 1927, there were only 876 heavier-than-air (HTA) aircraft in
the Navy.’ Of these, just 26 were on the Asiatic Station. Fourteen of the
26 were in VF-1017 and VO- 107 with the 3rd Brigade of Marines in China,
and six VO seaplanes were shipborne in Light Cruiser Division Three. Both
the Marine Brigade and the Cruiser Division were on duty in the Asiatic
Fleet and on the China Coast, in a temporary status.’
Only the six Martin Torpedo seaplanes (T3M-2) assigned to VT Squadron
five were directly under the command of Commander Aircraft Squadrons,
Asiatic Fleet, along with the flagship,
and USS Heron.”
USS Jason, and the tenders, US.S Avocet
But irrespective of the size of the command, the Asiatic Station, in 1928,
was a beacon toward which those naval officers seeking to practice the more
turbulent aspects of their profession could well turn.
THE SITUATION IN CHINA 1927–1 929
The mere fact that the 3rd Brigade of Marines with Major General
Smedley Butler, USMC, commanding, and Light Cruiser Division Three
with Rear Admiral J. R. Y. Blakely, USN, commanding, were temporarily in
the Asiatic Command and that 3,OOO Marines were in Peking and Tientsin,
and 1,000 in Shanghai was indicative that China was boiling with “Anti-
foreign agitation and civil war. “ ‘ “Chinese Nationalism and Russian Communism
walked and worked hand in hand.” Americans in China, reportedly
“were in a state of high tension and were much concerned about the welfare
of their persons and their property. ” s Three cruisers, 17 destroyers, 11 sub-
marines, four tenders, four minesweepers, one transport, and one oil tanker
were stationed in northern China during this period in addition to the
regular Yangtze River gunboats.
The Commander in Chief of the United States Asiatic Fleet was also
‘ DCNO (AIR) and CHBUWEPS, United States Naval Aviation 1910-1960, NAVWEP%OO-
80P–1, Appendix IV. Hereafter referred to as NAVWEP>OO–80P–1.
‘ United States Navy Directory, January 1, 1928, p. 140.
‘ Asiatic, A, R., 1928, pp. 20, 22, Third Brigade Marines status changed from Temporary to
Permanent status 1 March 1928. Light Cruiser Division Two relieved Light Cruiser Division
Three on 30 May 1928.
eNavy Direc/ory, Jan. 1928, p. 130.
‘ Encyc[opaedia Britannica, 14th cd., vol. V, p. s45; (b) SECNAV, Annual Report, 1928,
pp. 4, 5.
‘ (a) Asiatic, A. R., 1928, p, 3; ibid., 1929, p. IO; (b) SECNAV, A.R., 1928, p. 5.