History of Naval Aviation Ordnance

The Navy's
Aviation Ordnance Rating

Background

The Navy's Aviation Ordnance rating really began on April 9, 1915 when a Chief Gunners Mate and a Chief Turret Captain, along with several other mechanics, were sent to Pensacola, Florida to work on what would be the beginning of aircraft armament and ordnance systems.

The Navy accepted its first aircraft, a Curtiss Triad (Hydroplane), on August 9, 1911. Early bombing tests were held in January and February of 1913, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in July 1914 at Indian Head, Maryland. Twenty-two months later, in May 1916, the development of a gyroscopic bomb-sight was initiated. On April 6, 1917, at which time the United States entered into World War One, the inventory of the fledging air arm consisted of the following: 45 seaplanes, six flying boats, three land planes, and one airship. By September, 1917 two types of bombs were in service with a third type coming into production, weighing 163, 270, and 216 pounds respectively. Successful tests of machine guns were conducted between January and May, 1918 at Pensacola, Florida.

In March of 1918, the Aviation Ordnance (AVORD) sub-section in the Bureau of Ordnance, became a separate unit. Previously it served as a division of the Surface Gun Mount section, dating back to the early months of the war. As a separate group, they were given cognizance over the procurement and technical aspects of machine guns, including mounts, sights, fittings and ammunition. Other aviation ordnance items falling within AVORD cognizance in 1918 were larger caliber guns, bombs, bomb racks, bomb sights, pyrotechnic signaling devices, air launched torpedoes, aircraft torpedo launching equipment, and training devices which include miniature practice bombs.

Gunner's Mate (Aviation) 1918-1921

On August 12, 1918 the Commandant of the Pensacola, Florida Naval Air Station recommended the establishment of the Gunner's Mate (Aviation) - G.M. (A) rating. The commandant emphasized that men doing such duty had no chance for advancement as they did not have the occasion to better themselves in the specialty of the ratings held. The commandant listed the ordnance items in which personnel should qualify to obtain the G.M.(A) rating, including the ability to act as instructors and armorers. Although rating badges (winged crossed gun barrels) for Gunner's Mate (Aviation) existed, official directives authorizing the wearing of same did not exist. The specialty mark was never included in the various changes issued between 1917 and 1921 to uniform regulations. The rating of Gunner's Mate (Aviation), which extended from Third Class through Chief Petty Officer, was officially listed in Bureau of Navigation Circular Letter (BNCL) 158-18 of August 30, 1918.

Gunner's Mate (Assigned to Aviation) 1921-1926

By an Act of Congress, approved June 4, 1920, the Secretary of the Navy was authorized, at his discretion, to establish such grades and ratings as necessary for the proper administration of the enlisted personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps. The Gunner's Mate (Aviation) rating was not included in this listing. An aviation designation for Gunner's Mates who had qualified as aviation armament and munitions technicians, and were attached to an aviation activity, were so identified by appropriate entries in their service records. These Gunner's Mates functioned as the aviation ordnancemen until mid 1926.

Aviation Ordnanceman 1926- Present

The Aviation Ordnanceman rating was established at all four petty officer grades of Chief, First, Second and Third Class on March 2, 1926 as a rating within the Aviation Branch. The Aviation Ordnanceman rating was filled initially from qualified personnel serving primarily with the ratings of Gunner's Mate and Torpedoman (assigned to aviation). The Aviation Ordnanceman specialty mark, a winged flaming spherical shell, was incorporated into Uniform Regulations in January 1927.

The Aviation Ordnanceman family of ratings since 1918 have encompassed the following:

November 5, 1958 marked the promotion of 15 Senior Chief Aviation Ordnancemen (AOCS) E-8 and two to
Master Chief Aviation Ordnancemen (AOCM) E-9.

United States Marine Corps

HOW IT ALL BEGAN!

I suppose we should consider the man, who handed the first grenade to the first pilot who subsequently dropped it in anger, as our first Aviation Ordnanceman, however this act and the date it occurred is lost in history. In an effort to establish a date as the birthday for Aviation Ordnance it is necessary to back up and look for a moment at the history of Marine Aviation.

The idea of Marine Aviation dates, perhaps, from the year 1903, when a young Alfred Austin Cunningham first watched a manned balloon fly and talked its owner into giving him a ride. A year later Cunningham entered the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1909 and chose to become a second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He was continually obsessed with flying and after stirring a congressional tempest, was ordered to the Navy's Aviation camp at Annapolis for flight training on 22 May 1912. There he became the Marine Corps first aviator and Naval aviator number 5. From that date until WW I, Marine aviation was small. Starting with only five officers and thirty enlisted men on the day the United States declared war, the Marines increased their air arm until the close of the war they had 282 officers and 2180 enlisted men.

It was during WW I that Marine Aviation first saw combat. In 1918 the Marine First Aviation Force, with one squadron deployed to the northern coast of France to bomb the German Submarine bases in Belgium. They deployed without aircraft which were to be furnished later. These planes were so long in coming that the restless Marines proposed to the British and the French that Marines fly with them and use their planes. The offer was accepted and the Marines flew with their allies for the rest of the war.

In the two decades that followed WW I Marine Aviation went into Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. It was during this era that Aviation Ordnance was finally identified as a separate skill. The document that did this was a Table of Organization (T/O). To understand just how a Table of Organization could establish a skill, it is necessary to trace backwards from the present system of Military Occupational Specialties.

Marine AO's are currently known as Aviation Ordnance with occupational field 65. This has only been true since 1949. From 1942 to 1949 all Marines were identified by their Specification Service Numbers (SSN's). Enlisted ordnancemen were (SSN 991's). Prior to 1942 and through the years Marine Aviation was emerging, the Marine Corps identified their enlisted men through their promotion certificates which were then called Branch Warrants.

Upon graduating from boot camp and until a man was promoted to Corporal he was a Marine with no identifiable skill. On promotion to Corporal there would appear on the Warrant the words "Corporal" (Aviation). The term "aviation" designated his branch. There was no further break down. The number of branches in the Marine Corps varied from time to time but generally included such specialties as Aviation, Communications, Engineers, Motor Transport, Ordnance (ground), Artillery and the Infantry (line).

To further identify the skill of a Marine it was necessary to look at the T/O and see what slot the man was filling. The First Aviation T/O's were issued about 1918 and showed only six kinds of personnel, Motor Shop, Erection Shop, Quartermaster, Transportation, Mess and Police. It wasn't until Table of Organization No. 37 was issued on 25 April 1922 that ordnance appeared on a T/O, and when it did, the term used was Gunnery personnel. This T/O authorized one Warrant Officer, one Sergeant, one Corporal and one PFC for a Division Aviation. They were assigned six airplanes.

The name Gunnery personnel stayed until Table of Organization No. 43-W was published on 11 September 1925 when the name was changed to Armament personnel. At this time the personnel allowance for a squadron was increased to 3 Marine Gunners, 3 Sergeants, 3 Corporals, and 3 PFC's. This remained in effect until 6 February 1935 when Table of Organization No. 23 changed the name to Ordnance. This authorized an Ordnance strength of one First Lieutenant, One Marine Gunner, one Master Technical Sergeant, one Sergeant, one Corporal and 3 PFC's/Privates. Since that day the title has stayed the same, only the method of identifying us has changed.

Taken from an article written by G. H. CONNER,Capt USMC

The First Combat Ordnancemen

The first ordnancemen to meet a combat environment were Marine Corps ordnancemen.

On 25 February 1927, VO-1M landed in Nicaraqua to assist the government against the insurrection of Sandini. The squadron consisted of eight officers and 81 enlisted with six DH aircraft. On 23 May VO-4M arrived and joined VO-IM. The first combat flights began 15 July with strafing and dive bombing. In December, the DH were replaced with the more modern 02U aircraft (During the operations there were Navy ordnancemen present but numbers are not available. It is known that one was an instructor in AO "A" school at Norfolk in 1940.)

The first ordnanceman captured by the enemy was Sgt. F.E. Dowell, after the aircraft in which he was backseat gunner crashed. He is believed to have been tortured and hanged by the Sandinistas.

Also in 1927 other ordnancemen were with Marine aircraft in China but did not load a bomb or fire a gun in anger.

Our next combat ordnancemen were also Marines, who were in action December 6, 1941 at Wake Island with VMF 2ll with twelve F4F3 aircraft. The arrival was so rushed on December 4 that the crew consisted of two master sergeants, specialty unknown and 45 ordnancemen with one AMMI probably from the tender WRIGHT. Ordnancemen performed all maintenance as they were very versatile people as we prove from time to time.

Total ordnance expended until all aircraft were lost, consisted of 20 one hundred pound bombs and 2O,OOO rounds of .50 caliber. The bombs were loaded with suspension lugs hand made on the spot due to problems in configuration. (sound familiar)?

Source: History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II, by Robert Sherrod 1952+