Chapter TEN

For two months after the attack on the Wilbur Wright the airways of the Pacific Ocean remained free from the activities of the unknown and mysterious flying pirate. The aerial transport companies slowly and cautiously resumed their schedules as the government patrol system steadily increased in efficiency and scope.

Although the pirate had apparently suspended his operations, the government had gone ahead with the organized plan developed at Washington for dealing with the menace caused by his advent. By the end of two months squadron after squadron of fighting airplanes had been dispatched to the Pacific, and had taken up the duty of patrolling the airways.

Under the plan of stationing a squadron at every available island as nearly as possible within five hundred miles of each other, squadrons had already been distributed and established as follows:

Squadron No. 1, at Johnston Island, Hawaiian Archipelago.

Squadron No. 2, at Wake Island.

Squadron No. 3, at Jaluit Island, Marshall group.

Squadron No. 4, at Ponape Island, Eastern Carolines.

Squadron No. 5, at Truk Island, Middle Carolines.

Squadron No. 6, at Yap Island, Pelew group.

Squadron No. 7 at Guam.

Squadron No. 8 at Asuncion, Marianas.

In addition to these, six reserve squadrons had their base at Honolulu and were operating temporarily from the islands of Midway, Laysan, Necker, Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii. All of the first eight squadrons were now definitely engaged in patrolling the airways east of Honolulu. To the westward the reserve squadrons and other squadrons on the Pacific coast of the United States were doing similar work. Wing Commander Fitzgerald in charge of pursuit operations had taken up headquarters with squadron No. 2 on Wake Island as the most centrally located.

The squadrons on the islands had each twelve airplanes in reserve at all times. Their headquarters had been linked together with special cable arrangements wherever facilities permitted. Where cables did not exist special wireless stations had been installed, and the code system had been definitely agreed upon.

The big naval wireless stations at Honolulu, Guam and Manila had been designated to control all operations within their respective zones, and the Honolulu station was in supreme charge of the entire situation so far as wireless was concerned. Each of the three big stations was equipped with the latest type of Direction Finder apparatus.

Thus slowly, methodically and persistently the government laid the trap which it hoped would ensnare the man who had caused the havoc that threatened to entirely disrupt all aerial transportation. As yet, however, the quarry had refused to snap at the bait and in fact had apparently vanished completely so far as information revealed. The routine of the organized plan, however, was continued daily, with an occasional alarm to test the efficiency of the system.

Commodore Heathcote at Honolulu, who was in control of all base operations, had taken a keen interest in all the plans for the pursuit of the pirate and had personally tested all the arrangements. More particularly was he interested in the wireless arrangements for co-operating with the aerial fleets.

As soon as he was appointed, he made it a point of going to the naval radio station at Honolulu and familiarizing himself with the methods employed by the operators in picking up the signals of the pirate and getting his location in the event the latter should use his wireless apparatus. He listened attentively as the chief operator explained to him the working of the Direction Finder.

“The theory of its operation is very simple, Sir,” said the latter, “although some complicated calculations enter into the working out of a position due to certain variations that have to be determined and allowed for.”

“You see this loop of wire around this frame,” continued the operator pointing to a large square wooden frame, around the edge of which a wire was wound several times in parallel loops, with the two ends of the wire attached to another piece of apparatus. “Well it was found several years ago that such a ‘loop’ produced peculiar results when placed in the path of a train of electro-magnetic waves. It was found that if the edge of the loop was pointed toward the direction from which the waves were coming, signals would be recorded on the apparatus connected with it. In other words a small current was induced in the coil which was then registered by the delicate detectors and recording instruments.

“Now if the coil is turned so that its edge is at right angles to the path of the waves there is absolutely no current induced in it. In fact the moment the edge of the coil is turned away, either to the right or the left, from the true direction of the wireless waves, the signals immediately decrease in strength, and this decrease is more pronounced the more the coil is turned toward the right angle position. As a matter of fact the amount of current picked up by the loop is so small that we have to employ apparatus that amplifies or increases the effect produced by the current, consequently signals picked up from long distance are only received when the edge of the coil is pointing directly towards them.

“As you see, we use a compass with the Direction Finder. With that we are able to get the bearing of the coil in degrees as soon as the adjustment for the strongest signals has been completed. That bearing of course tells us in what direction the station sending out the messages is located. Of course there have to be allowances made for magnetic deviation and certain other factors, but they are all charted and comparatively easy to apply.”

“That’s very interesting,” said Commodore Heathcote, “very interesting, but as I understand it that only gives you the direction of the sending station. How do you find his exact location?”

“Well, we do that with the aid of two known wireless stations and triangulation,” replied the operator. “It’s done this way. Take for instance the station at Guam and this station. Suppose there is a ship at sea between us that is sending out signals, and we wish to determine its exact location. First of all I get a bearing on the ship with my Direction Finder, and of course Guam is doing the same thing with its apparatus at the same time. Now we know the exact latitude and longitude of both Guam and this station. As soon as I get the bearing I take a chart and then work out the angle of the bearing to our meridian of longitude and continue the resulting line of that angle across the chart.

“Guam then tells me what bearing he has obtained on the ship. I repeat the operation by obtaining the angle of Guam’s bearing to his meridian, and also continue the line across the chart. Somewhere on the chart the two lines will cross each other, and the point where they cross is the exact location of the ship that is sending out the wireless signals. If the ship is moving we repeat the process in a couple of hours, and that gives us an exact line on the course the ship is following. That’s how it is done, Sir.”

“By George!”, exclaimed Heathcote, “that’s wonderful. Now I’m sorry I didn’t pay more attention to wireless. Why, there are marvelous possibilities in that. The more I think of it the more it appears to be the only way in which we shall be able to track this fellow down. God help him if ever he opens his wireless mouth.”

“If he does, Sir, we’ll get him sure,” said the operator with the earnestness of conviction.