US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Service in the Naval Aeronautical Organization 93
The Jason was 21 years younger than the Ajax, with twice the displacement.
But she was not ideal as an aircraft tender.
As Commander of Aircraft Squadrons, Asiatic, reported to the Navy
Department:
The ]tzfon is a collier assigned as an aircraft tender and flagship. No materiel
nor personnel changes, other than the addition of a small Flag complement
have been made. . . . [She is] wholly inadequate as a tender for the Air
Squadrons.30
As a further supplement, another‘ Bird-class minesweeper, the Avocet
(AVP-4) had been added to the squadron early in September 1925, having
been freshened up to act as a seaplane tender, after being taken from “out
of commission” status.3’
By 1928, the command of Aircraft Squadrons, Asiatic, had passed through
the hands of two non-aviators, Commander Ernest Frederick (Class of 1903)
and Commander Raymond F. Frellsen (Class of 1907). This occurred be-
cause, with only a dozen commanders in the Navy designated as naval
aviators, none had been made available to the Commander in Chief, Asiatic,
for the command.3’
Commander Frellsen, having been detached at the end of September 1927,
had already arrived back in the States before Commander Turner sailed on
the SS President Monroe from San Francisco on 16 December 1927, for
the four and a half week voyage to Manila, Philippine Islands.
PROBLEMS AHEAD
In January 1928, not only was the flagship without a regularly detailed
Commanding Officer, but the Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander
Karl E. Hintze, U. S. Navy (Class of 1913), was awaiting departure for
the States as soon as his relief, Lieutenant Commander Walter M. A. Wynne,
U. S. Navy (Class of 1915) came aboard. In addition to the doctor, a paymaster,
and his clerk, there were two junior grade lieutenants and an ensign
to keep the 162-man ship’s organization producing.33
mCOMAIRONS, A.R., 1928, p. 1.
3’ (a) Navy Direrlory, 1926-1927; (b) DANFS, I, p. 78.
“ Four of the commander naval aviators commanded or were executives of ships (.Lexitzglon,
Sarutoga, Wright, Lzngley); three commanded Naval Air Stations (Hampton Roads, Pearl Harbor,
Pensacola ); two were on Staffs AIRBATFOR, AIRSCOFOR; three were in Navy Department.
= (a) Navy Directory, Jan. 1928; (b) Turner; (c) Price; (d) COMAIRONS, A. R., 1928,
p. 23.