ACROSS THE EQUATOR WITH THE AMERICAN NAVY 



601 



Official Photograph, U. S. Navy Air Service 



TWENTY-ONE AMERICAN DESTROYERS ANCHORED OEE BALBOA, PANAMA CANAL ZONE 



The United States Navy's destroyer fleet consists of 281 vessels of the first line and 



21 of the second line. The average destroyer of the first line is from 310 to 314 feet long, 



has a speed of 35 knots, is equipped with four 21-inch torpedo tubes, and has a complement 

 of eight officers, eight petty officers, and 106 men. 



on the mine-layer Sandpiper. Captain 

 "Bill's" specialty is in doing things that 

 have never been done before, which is of 

 value in the airboat service, because 

 things are happening there that have 

 never happened before. 



The Sandpiper is one of the neatest 

 and sturdiest craft imaginable. She has 

 a wide fantail aft and a neat round body 

 which tapers into an impertinently sharp 

 nose. Captain "Bill" would cheerfully 



undertake to drive her through the Gobi 

 Desert if called on. 



On the decks of the Sandpiper a mini- 

 ature dry-dock is carried. That was got- 

 ten overboard and the hurt plane loaded 

 in the well. But it did not reach port. 

 There was no bad weather — no particu- 

 larly bad weather — but the waves 

 snapped the wings off and finally de- 

 stroyed the plane. It was a mere inci- 

 dent of airboat flying. The flyers hope 



