WesWorld

Tuesday January 7th, 1930
The new super-liners Columbia and Liberty are undergoing sea trials this month off the east coast in preparation for their first transatlantic voyages this spring. Owned by the United States Lines, the two leviathans are capable of well over thirty knots and are almost certain to capture the famed Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing. Both will operate primarily on the New York to Southampton route, but will also occasionally make voyages to Cleito, Atlantis.

The SS Columbia off the Virginia Capes running trials.

Monday, January 13th, 1930
The gigantic war games held last December in the Gulf of Mexico are being described as a great success by Navy officials. The exercises involved forces from at least four other countries and were said to have provided “vital information on future tactics”. Some in Congress have criticized the games as being too expensive and little more than a publicity stunt by the Navy. It is believed that planned exercises this year will be considerably smaller in scope.

Friday, February 14th, 1930
Hoyt Field near San Diego received its newest resident today when the airship Los Angeles arrived after flying across Mexico and up the Pacific coast. The airship is intended to replace the lost airship Susquehanna which crashed in a storm in Kansas in the summer of 1928. Navy officials said that it was vital to have an airship on the west coast, since most of the U.S. fleet is based there. The airship is reportedly scheduled to fly to Hawaii this summer as part of a Navy exercise. Prior to landing at Hoyt Field, the Los Angeles flew over the ground breaking ceremonies in her namesake city for Goodyear-Zeppelin’s West Coast airship factory. The plant is scheduled to be finished sometime late next year and deliver its first airship in 1933.

The Los Angeles over her namesake city.

Over the coast near San Diego.

Monday, March 31st, 1930
The Navy announced today that it will be selling its six oldest destroyers to Mexico at the end of the year. The O’Brien class destroyers were scheduled to decommission at the end of the year when new destroyers are scheduled to replace them. They were completed in 1914 and 1915 and are considered obsolete as far as the U.S. Navy is concerned. The ships will reportedly undergo a refit before being turned over, allowing them to serve into the 1940’s. Recent changes to the Cleito Treaty allow the sale of older vessels. Prior to the treaty, the United States sold Mexico the old battleship Idaho and has also built two new cruisers for the Mexican Navy.