United States. Navy

Built and launched at New York Navy Yard; commissioned Nov. 12, 1944; scraped in 1993. Served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

The federal government decided in 1941 to send Supply Corps personnel to Harvard Business School for training in the business of equipping the Navy. This was effected by a transfer to Harvard of the faculties of the Navy Finance and Supply School in Philadelphia (a school supervised by the U.S. Naval Academy) and the Naval Reserve Supply Corps in Washington, D.C. The course, aimed at student officers and officers in the Naval Reserve, was first of three months duration, but was later extended to four. Approximately 800 students were accommodated by the school at one time, requiring renovation of existing HBS facilities and the construction of a temporary building on the campus, Carpenter Hall. Students were taught by a faculty consisting of 12 Navy officers and three HBS professors, who were required to take commissions. Teaching was by the case method.

The Navy War Adjustment Course at Harvard Business School started in February 1944 and lasted until September 1945. Courses were of four months duration, and were taught by HBS faculty. Approximately fifty officers enrolled in each four month term. Officers in the program studied appropriation, stores accounting, termination problems, cost analysis, factory war adjustment, handling and storage of materials, personnel and administrative problems, and problems of government in war adjustment.

The Navy War Adjustment Course at Harvard Business School started in February 1944 and lasted until September 1945. Courses were of four months duration, and were taught by HBS faculty. Approximately fifty officers enrolled in each four month term. In its early phases the program was experimental because of uncertainties regarding demands, changes in regulations, and the unknown duration of the war. Curriculum was kept flexible throughout the school's period of operation because of shifts in the problems associated with contract termination and surplus disposal. Officers in the program studied appropriation, stores accounting, termination problems, cost analysis, factory war adjustment, handling and storage of materials, personnel and administrative problems, and problems of government in war adjustment.

The Navy Industrial Accounting Officers Course started in 1943. The course enrolled officers who were on active duty for four months of special training in industrial accounting. Instruction was by the case method, supplemented by field trips to naval and privately operated shipyards. Instruction was primarily provided by Harvard Business School faculty members, who were assisted by visits to the school from Navy Accounting Officers and Navy Civilian Accountants. Students learned the principles of Navy Industrial Accounting, business industrial accounting, product organization and control, personnel problems, procurement problems, and cost analysis. The goal of the program was to prepare students for work as accounting officers or cost inspectors for Navy Yards and Naval Districts.

The United States Navy employed combat photographers throughout the Second World War to document the actions of the military. Beginning with photographs taken during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many of the prints were reissued as official publicity shots. The prints were commonly 8"x10" black and white glossy photographs. Many of them include captions on the verso describing the events depicted.

In 1941 the federal government sent Supply Corps personnel to Harvard Business School for training in the business of equipping the Navy. The course, aimed at student officers and officers in the Naval Reserve, was first of three months duration, but was later extended to four. Students were taught by a faculty consisting of 12 Navy officers and three HBS professors, who were required to take commissions. Teaching was by the case method.

The identity of photographer and creator of the photo album is unknown. He was a sailor and served on the USS Milwaukee in the 1920s. The Milwaukee was an Omaha-class cruiser in the US Navy, which was commissioned in 1923. This ship explored the South Pacific between the world wars, gathering oceanographic data about the Pacific Ocean. During World War II, the Milwaukee served on the South Atlantic Patrol Force and later was transferred to the Soviet Navy.

Corporal Dewey T. Reno served in the U. S. Navy. During 1950 and 1951, he was recovering from skin graft surgery at a variety of medical centers. He was brother to Mrs. Ethel Oakley of Sulphur, Oklahoma.

USS Cecil (APA-96) was "[a]cquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission 26 February, 1944... [and fitted] out as an Attack Transport. During World War II USS Cecil was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater... Decommissioned 24 May, 1946." -- "USS Cecil (APA-96)" NavSource online. http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03096.htm (Retrieved September 15, 2009)

"Plattsburgh Barracks continued as an Army Post until the mid-1940's. During 1944, it was turned over to the US Navy and became Camp MacDonough for a Navy Officers Training Camp. This was followed by the US Army Air Force Convalescent Hospital in 1945." -- "History." 4th Judicial Circuit, Plattsburgh City Court. http://www.courts.state.ny.us/4jd/plattsburgh_city/history.shtml (Retrieved September 15, 2009)

History

The United States Navy VAP-62 (Heavy Photographic Squadron) was equipped with the Douglas RA-3B Skywarrior, the photographic reconnaissance version of the A-3 bomber from late 1959 until 15 October 1969, when the unit was disbanded. During its decade of service, the unit operated from its home base of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, as well as various aircraft carriers and shore bases around the world. Many of VAP-62s Skywarriors saw combat during the first 5 years of the Vietnam War, while attached to a sister squadron, VAP-61. Tasked with the reconnaissance of roads and tracks in North Vietnam, during night operations the unit used infra-red sensors to locate enemy transport movements, illuminating them with parachute flares for subsequent attacks by other aircraft. The RA-3B was chosen for this role because of its ability to fly at a sustained 360 knots at an altitude of 1500 feet, thereby allowing it to approach targets quickly, retain some element of surprise and increase aircraft survivability. During this time, detachments were also sent to undertake a variety of mapping and survey projects in northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Central America, Iceland, Canada and the United States. Several special assignments were carried out, including photographing the launch of early manned satellites, a cartographic survey of the Great Lakes region, photographic surveys of flood damage, and tracking and seeding of hurricanes. During the 1963-1966 period, VAP-62 occasionally deployed to Rota, Spain, and then undertook detachments to a number of European bases, including Prestwick.

The RA-3B had a fully pressurised fuselage, housing a flight crew of four (pilot, co-pilot, photo-navigator and photo-technician) and up to 12 oblique and vertical cameras. It was capable of taking photographs by day and night, with a number of photo-flash bombs held in a small bay behind the cabin for target illumination at night.

The authority for the sorties is given as CINCUSNAVEUR (Commander-in-Chief US Naval Forces in Europe) or NAVOCEANO (Naval Oceanographic Office). They are also marked Secret: US/UK Eyes Only. The Secret classification is high for the typical cover obtained, although sorties were always classified in accordance with the highest classification of target covered; a single military installation, dockyard or naval facility could have warranted such a classification. In any case, this has now been downgraded. The caveat US/UK Eyes Only was typical for cover flown by US aircraft over the UK.

It is generally accepted by sources in the imagery intelligence field that the US Navy photography held in NCAP was most probably flown to provide intelligence for beach landing training by US amphibious forces and it is possible that the imagery was collected in order to locate suitable beaches for such training.