Shipbucket

Beautiful work, Red!

I agree...I'm loving this thread!

-Matt

In 1918, the Republic of Texas authorized an Air Volunteer Group, where Army and Navy personnel who were qualified pilots could learn air combat skills from British and Canadians aviators conducting flight training in Texas. Though the numbers of personnel were small, there were enough to field a squadron under the Royal Air Force. The RAF provided aircraft and ground crews to the "Texas Squadron" and by summer, several of those Texan pilots were training more of their brothers at aerodromes in France. By the summer of 1918, there were three fighter squadrons, each equipped with the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a:



The Texas aircraft were known early on by the "TX" on the fuselage and later by a white star with a blue border beneath the cockpit (though they retained RAF roundels for recognition).

An observer squadron was later fielded to support the Army's First Division when it was engaged in the Somme Offensive of August 1918. The fighter squadrons were tasked to protect the Division from air attack.

The Air Volunteer Group will disband at the end of the war and its personnel returned to their parent services. But the interest in air power, which had been marginal before the war, gained many devotees and adherents in the small time it existed in France. It would sow the seeds for the creation of a Texas Air Force just a few years later.

Nice, nice Red. I was thinking what kind of markings will TAF have. I work on some post WWI SPADs and wonder if I can make some with TAF marks for you.

Very nice drawing of SE.5. But are You sure that this plane is over 20 meters long? (A related FD thread perhaps?)

Aircraft are FD scale unless posted with a ship. And I probably used the wrong template, now that I think of it.

This AU kind of dipped beneath my radar until recently. But I'd agree with everyone else here, all this stuff is top notch. I'm loving the bearing marks on the turrets and the attempts at dazzle paint.

If this kind of qaulity goes on into the interwar period and beyond then we are in for a real treat.

It seems odd to end the war so quickly with just a few posts, but more fun is to come while I try to figure out what post-war Texas Military Forces look like in size and equipment. I know how many men are available, but I have to determine what I can afford.



Some explanations on the symbology:
1. Division insignia is taken from what actually exists. First Division is derived from the US 90th Division, with the "O" erased from the "T". Second Division is the US 36th's patch without the "T". In real life, both divisions were formed from men out of Oklahoma and Texas during WWI. Third Division is the US 63rd Cavalry Division, never formed really except on paper. Fourth Division is also taken from a US Division because rattlesnakes are cool and can be found all over the state. Fifth Division is the current insignia of the Texas State Guard.

2. Brigade insignia is more simple. The numbered patches indicate type. Red borders are Texas Militia Brigades with a coastal artillery regiment. Gray or silver borders are brigades with three infantry regiments. Gold borders are Texas Militia Brigades that mobilized a dismounted cavalry regiment instead of a third infantry regiment. Those with unique patches have ties to service in the American Civil War, mostly confederate units except for the 27th Brigade (which had a cavalry regiment fight for the Union). The 35th Cavalry Brigade is the insignia of the 56th US Cavalry Brigade (which actually served in New Mexico and Texas during the Mexican Revolution). Others have historical significance to other periods of Texas history or municipal/county symbology.

Through 1919, the Texas Navy put the heavy cruisers and the oldest destroyers through a refit. The cruisers were given expansion engines again, after the fleet's experience with turbines proved inconclusive. It was also determined that adapting her older shafts and bearings to the loads created by turbines would be unsafe. Starting with Campeche in 1919 and San Jacinto in 1920, they were provided with the newest, most efficient expansion engines possible and gained a knot in maximum speed.



They were also fitted with tripod foremasts to accept rangefinders in a spotting top, a feature they lacked during the war. Though this partially solved the remaining problems with their gunnery, the worries (largely false) that the war might re-ignite meant a more extensive refit with a tripod mainmast did not occur. Also, their replacements were on the drawing board, with more guns and higher speed.

The Beaumont class destroyers had their bridge structures enlarged and completely enclosed. They were also given new engines. Four were refitted quickly in 1919 and the other four in 1920.



For the better part of the year and into 1920, the Naval Staff spent more of their attention on what the postwar force should look like and how many ships should be constructed or acquired to fill that need.