Kenneth Whiting facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenneth Whiting
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Commander Kenneth Whiting aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) during his 1927–1929 tour as her executive officer.
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| Born | July 22, 1881 Stockbridge, Massachusetts |
| Died | April 24, 1943 (aged 61) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Buried |
sea off Execution Rocks in Long Island Sound
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| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1905–1943 |
| Rank | Captain |
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| Battles/wars |
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Kenneth Whiting (July 22, 1881 – April 24, 1943) was a United States Navy officer. He was a true pioneer in both submarines and naval aviation. During World War I, he led the first American military group to arrive in Europe for combat.
After the war, he played a huge role in developing the aircraft carrier in the United States. Many people call him the U.S. Navy's "father of the aircraft carrier." He helped design or build five of the first six U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. He also served as a leader on the first two American carriers. He created many new ideas for how carriers work, and some of these are still used today!
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Kenneth Whiting was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on July 22, 1881. He moved to Larchmont, New York, when he was young. He joined the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1900. He graduated in 1905.
After graduating, he served on ships like the armored cruiser USS West Virginia. He became an ensign in 1907 or 1908. In 1907, he moved to the gunboat USS Concord in Asia. He then transferred to the steamer USS Supply in 1908.
Adventures in Submarines
In 1908, Whiting decided to join the submarine service. He took command of the submarine USS Shark in the Philippines. Then, he commanded USS Porpoise starting in November 1908.
On April 15, 1909, Whiting did something amazing. He believed a person could escape a submarine through a torpedo tube. He decided to test this idea himself! He squeezed into Porpoise's 18-inch (460-mm) tube. His crew closed the inner door, then opened the outer door. Seawater rushed in, but Whiting held on. After 77 seconds, he was free and swam to the surface. Porpoise surfaced and picked him up. This experiment showed that escape was possible.
Whiting later commanded the submarine USS Tarpon. In 1911, he helped prepare the new submarine USS Seal, which was renamed G-1. He became her first commanding officer in 1912.
Whiting wanted to fly planes. In 1910, he applied for flight training but wasn't accepted at first. However, on June 29, 1914, he finally started his career in naval aviation. He went to the Wright Company in Dayton, Ohio, to learn to fly. He was the last naval officer to be taught by Orville Wright himself. On September 6, 1914, he became Naval Aviator No. 16.
Whiting then became the officer in charge of the Naval Aeronautic Station in Pensacola, Florida. He worked with another aviator, Henry C. Mustin, on seaplane designs. They even filed a patent for a "hydroaeroplane" in 1916. Later that year, he commanded a unit of seaplanes attached to the armored cruiser USS Washington.
Whiting later joined the Early Birds of Aviation. This group was for pilots who learned to fly before December 17, 1916.
World War I Service
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Whiting was chosen for an important job. He commanded the 1st Naval Air Unit. This unit was the first American military group to arrive in Europe for combat. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean to France in June 1917.
Whiting had to set up a U.S. Navy air presence in Europe with little guidance and no aircraft at first. In June 1917, he chose Dunkirk as the site for a U.S. Navy air base. This helped create the U.S. Navy's Northern Bombing Group in 1918. He also taught French pilots.
For his service in World War I, Whiting received the Navy Cross. France also gave him the Legion of Honour.
Leading the Way for Aircraft Carriers
Kenneth Whiting is often called the U.S. Navy's "father of the aircraft carrier." He started pushing for the Navy to develop "plane carriers" as early as 1916. In March 1917, he suggested that the Navy get a ship with an aircraft catapult and a flight deck. This was the first serious idea for an aviation ship since the American Civil War. Even though his idea was rejected at first, Whiting would be key to building five of the first six U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.
After World War I, Whiting continued to argue for aircraft carriers. He helped convince the Navy to turn the collier USS Jupiter into the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. This ship was later named USS Langley (CV-1).
In 1919, battleships found that using aircraft to spot their gunfire made them much more accurate. Whiting explained that aircraft spotting could make ship gunnery up to 200 percent better. This led the Navy to put floatplanes on all its battleships and cruisers.
In 1922, Whiting said that Langley would be a great "experimental carrier." He believed it would help the Navy learn how to design future carriers and develop new aircraft. He was right!
USS Langley (CV-1) Innovations
Whiting joined Langley on March 20, 1922, the day she was put into service. He was her first executive officer and also acted as her first commanding officer. This made him the first person to command a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Langley was too slow for the main battle fleet. Her main job was to be a "laboratory" to figure out how aircraft carriers should work.
On October 17, 1922, Lieutenant Virgil C. Griffin made the first takeoff from an American carrier from Langley. On October 26, 1922, Lieutenant Commander Godfrey Chevalier made the first landing. On November 18, 1922, Whiting himself made history. He performed the world's first catapult launch of an aircraft from an aircraft carrier. He was piloting a Naval Aircraft Factory PT while Langley was anchored in York River.
Whiting created many basic rules for carrier aviation. He set up the first pilot ready rooms on Langley. He also had a camera film every landing to help pilots improve. He even had a darkroom on board to develop the films at sea.
Pilots on Langley didn't have a system to help them land. So, Whiting watched all landings from the flight deck. He would use his body language to guide pilots. Pilots found this helpful and suggested that an experienced pilot should always be in that spot. This led to the idea of a "landing signal officer" (LSO), who uses signals to guide planes safely. The LSO system is still used on aircraft carriers today. Whiting also helped make it a rule that carrier commanders must be qualified pilots.
In July 1924, Whiting became the assistant chief of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics. He later became the head of the Aircraft Carriers Division. In 1926, he oversaw the building of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3). This ship was the second American carrier and the first that could operate with the main battle fleet. He became her first executive officer in 1927.
Whiting was promoted to captain in July 1929. He then became chief of staff for the Commander, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet.
In August 1930, Whiting took command of Naval Air Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. He later attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1933, he returned to USS Langley as her commanding officer. He then helped prepare the new aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4). He also helped plan for the new carriers USS Yorktown (CV-5) and USS Enterprise (CV-6). In June 1934, he became the commanding officer of USS Saratoga.
Whiting left Saratoga in 1935. He then became Commander, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, and commander of Fleet Air Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He held this position until 1938. In 1939, he became the General Inspector of Naval Aircraft for the Eastern Division in New York. He was still in this role when he was placed on the retirement list in 1940, but he stayed on active duty.
World War II Service
After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, Whiting continued his general inspector duties. In February 1943, he took command of Naval Air Station New York in Brooklyn, New York. He held these jobs until he passed away.
Death and Legacy
Kenneth Whiting died on April 24, 1943, from a heart attack. He was in the hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, for pneumonia. His funeral was held in Larchmont, New York. Important Navy leaders attended.
His ashes were buried at sea off Execution Rocks in Long Island Sound, as he wished.
Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida, is named in his honor. A plaque there says: "Whiting Field, named in honor of Capt. Kenneth Whiting, U.S. Navy, Pioneer in Submarines and Aviation, Naval Aviator No. 16, Father of the Aircraft Carrier in our Navy, Died on Active Duty on April 24, 1943."
One U.S. Navy ship, the seaplane tender USS Kenneth Whiting (AV-14), was also named after him. His widow, Edna Andresen Whiting, helped launch the ship in 1943. The ship served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War.
In 1984, Whiting was honored in the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
Awards & Decorations
 Navy Cross |
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 American Defense Service Medal |
 American Campaign Medal |
 World War II Victory Medal |
 Legion of Honor, Knight |
Images for kids
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Kenneth Whiting undergoing flight training at the Wright Company in Dayton, Ohio, in 1914.
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Real Admiral Ernest J. King, USN, and Captain Kenneth Whiting, USN, at French Frigate Shoals in the Hawaiian Islands in 1937.
