Pacific Airmails

Loss of "Hawaii Clipper"—The Hawaii-N.Z. Service

THE disappearance of the Pan American Airways trans-Pacific flying boat “Hawaii Clipper”, on July 29, when on her regular flight between Guam and Manila, is a complete mystery.

The boat was making the usual weekly service flight between San Francisco and Hongkong, and everything appeared in order when she called at Honolulu, Wake Island, Midway Island, and Guam. She was the Martin type of flying boat, with four nine-cylinder engines and was cap able of carrying 46 passengers at a speed of about 150 miles an hour.

The “Hawaii Clipper” left Guam at 11.40 a.m. on Friday, July 29, with 6 pas sengers and 9 crew, to fly 1,600 miles to Manila. She reported every half hour by radio. Early on Friday evening the radio operator on the Clipper reported that she had passed through several showers at an elevation of 9,000 ft. From that mo ment there was complete silence.

Within a couple of hours, there was a general alarm.

American naval vessels and aeroplanes from Manila and Guam immediately set out on a most comprehensive search, which swept the ocean in all directions for hundreds of miles. The “U.S.S.

Meigs”, which happened to be in the vicinity of the Clipper’s last reported posi tion, when the alarm was sent out, steamed immediately to that position; and, about 40 miles south-south-east thereof (a point midway between Guam and Manila) it found on the surface of the sea a patch of oil 1,500 ft. in circum ference. Subsequent investigation showed that there was petrol mixed with the oil.

The discovery was officially described as “significant but not conclusive”.

The search continued thereafter for over a week by American and Japanese ships, but not another trace of the Clipper was found.

The mystery deepens, the more it is considered. This huge flying ship had four powerful engines. Since the “Samoa Clipper” was destroyed in the South Pacific last January, by an explosion, caused through dumping petrol, special appliances have been fitted, to make a similar explosion practically impossible.

What strange accident happened, there fore, to cause this new flying-boat to dis appear without leaving a trace? Experts have pointed out that if the oil patch indicated a sudden plunge into the sea, there should have been some bits of wreckage floating on the surface, to mark the disaster.

Hawaii-Auckland Service

There still is no definite announce ment about the establishment of the Pan- American Airways service between Hawaii and New Zealand.

The company’s plans, knocked awry by the loss of the “Samoan Clipper” last Jan uary, were just beginning to take shape again, when this second disaster occurred.

Another factor making for delay is the disclosure that the first tests of the huge Boeing flying-boats (6 of which are being built for Pan-American Airways) disclosed some need for an alteration of plans. It is expected, however, that when the Boeings are available for the Pacific service (that is, if they are not wanted for an Atlantic service) the Martin flying-boats now en gaged on the Pacific service will become available for the Hawaii-Auckland run.

It seems possible, now, that the route

will be Honolulu-Canton Island-Suva (or Rose Is.)-Auckland, instead of Honolulu- Kingman Reef-Pago-Auckland, as first planned. The American planes, however, probably will not be able to use a British port, such as Suva or Apia, unless the proposed British service is assured of similar facilities in Hawaii. In that event, Pago or Rose Island will be the central Pacific station.