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An Incipient Mutiny: The Story of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Pilot Revolt
An Incipient Mutiny traces the creation of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Aeronautical Division in 1907 up to the establishment of the Air Service of the National Army in 1918. It is a shocking account of shortsightedness, mismanagement, criminal fraud, and cover-up that led ultimately to a pilot revolt against the military establishment. Dwight R. Messimer focuses on the personalities of the pilots who initiated the rebellion and on the Signal Corps officers whose mismanagement brought it on.
The official air force histories say nothing about the poor construction and design flaws in the airplanes that the Signal Corps used, which were responsible for the deaths of 25 percent of the pilots, a death rate so high that no life insurance company would issue them a policy. At the same time, there were airplanes on the market that were superior in every way to the planes the army was using and less expensive as well. The loss of human life, then, could not have been more senseless.
The official air force histories say nothing about the poor construction and design flaws in the airplanes that the Signal Corps used, which were responsible for the deaths of 25 percent of the pilots, a death rate so high that no life insurance company would issue them a policy. At the same time, there were airplanes on the market that were superior in every way to the planes the army was using and less expensive as well. The loss of human life, then, could not have been more senseless.
312 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 4, 2022
the title is about ten times more interesting than the content but mr. messimer writes with such style that i was sipping my iced coffee and swinging my feet whilst reading it nonetheless
January 1, 2020
"AN INCIPIENT MUTINY: The Story of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Pilot Revolt" is a fascinating book detailing the establishment and development of aviation in the U.S. Army from 1907 (when it was a part of the Signal Corps) through May 1918, when it achieved independent status within the Army as the United States Army Air Service.
Reading this book proved to be a revelation in broadening my understanding of the evolution and development of U.S. Army aviation, which did not run smooth. Indeed, "An Incipient Mutiny" is "a shocking account of shortsightedness, mismanagement, criminal fraud, and cover-up that led to a pilot revolt against the military establishment."
What becomes clear to the reader is the sadly deficient airplanes (in terms of design flaws and poor construction) the Signal Corps purchased and expected its pilots to fly. Pilot fatalities in flying accidents by 1914 amounted to 25%, a death rate so horrendous that no life insurance company would issue an insurance policy to Army pilots. This need not have happened, because there were other airplanes in the market that were available to the U.S. Army that were better in quality and less expensive than the ones the Signal Corps were content to buy and use. Such negligence on the part of the Signal Corps leadership (and by extension, the Army itself) was obscene and inexcusable.
For anyone with an interest in learning something about the real history of the development of military aviation in the U.S., "An Incipient Mutiny" is a book that will engage and absorb your interest. It has a cast of characters and photographs that add depth and perspective to a compelling story that needs to be more widely known and understood.
Reading this book proved to be a revelation in broadening my understanding of the evolution and development of U.S. Army aviation, which did not run smooth. Indeed, "An Incipient Mutiny" is "a shocking account of shortsightedness, mismanagement, criminal fraud, and cover-up that led to a pilot revolt against the military establishment."
What becomes clear to the reader is the sadly deficient airplanes (in terms of design flaws and poor construction) the Signal Corps purchased and expected its pilots to fly. Pilot fatalities in flying accidents by 1914 amounted to 25%, a death rate so horrendous that no life insurance company would issue an insurance policy to Army pilots. This need not have happened, because there were other airplanes in the market that were available to the U.S. Army that were better in quality and less expensive than the ones the Signal Corps were content to buy and use. Such negligence on the part of the Signal Corps leadership (and by extension, the Army itself) was obscene and inexcusable.
For anyone with an interest in learning something about the real history of the development of military aviation in the U.S., "An Incipient Mutiny" is a book that will engage and absorb your interest. It has a cast of characters and photographs that add depth and perspective to a compelling story that needs to be more widely known and understood.
November 17, 2021
What I found to be the particular value of this study of the Signal Corps as the air arm of the U.S. Army, is that the author turns an analytic eye on all the participants in this sorry tale, as the aviation enthusiasts produced a victor's history of this organizational adventure. There was much to castigate, but it's also the case that the behavior of the pilots often did not bear close analysis either. In the end, aviator arrogance and the self-serving empire building of the leadership of the Signal Corps produced a combustible mixture, resulting in an outcome where the Corps hierarchy nominally chastised the dissidents, but found themselves discredited. Though it really took the failures of American aviation in 1917-1918 to produce the U.S. Army Air Corps. It is to be admitted that this is a rather dry study, but Messimer is very careful in pulling together the fragments of a poorly understood incident.
May 2, 2021
Superbly researched, but unfortunately it was a bit of a snoozer. Caught myself repeatedly checking out what the last page number was to see how much I had left...not typically a good sign
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews