A I R T R A N S P O R T A N D F E R R Y I N G
closed down since the preceding October when the Ferrying Com-
mand had been forced to discontinue its B-24 shuttle service. There-
after, three of TWA's Stratoliners operated regularly over the North
Atlantic into Britain.169
War with Japan had also focused attention on the alarmingly inade-
quate state of United States defenses in Alaska and brought about an
early speed-up in work already under way toward the establishment
of an air route to the northwest. In December 1941,the air bases and
weather and communications facilities along the inland route through
Canada, running east of the Rocky Mountains and crossing over
through Whitehorse to Fairbanks, were in a state that might be
described as usable under optimum conditions."' These conditions did
not exist in the winter of 1941-42,as was discovered in January when
an attempt to ferry twenty-five P-40's and thirteen B-26's along the
route met with disaster." On 2 0 February 1942, the U.S. government
entered into a contract with Northwest Airlines, giving that organi-
zation the main responsibility for further development of the inland
Not only was Northwest to operate an air transport service;
it was also to make whatever improvements were required to enable
the route to support the flow of ferried military traffic that was antici-
pated. The transport service provided a means for the quick return
of ferrying crews following the completion of deliveries and assured
a fast mail service as well as air cargo space for the movement of a
limited amount of urgently needed supplies, such as airplane parts and
communications equipment, and essential personnel. By terms of the
contract, terminal points were established at Fargo, North Dakota,
and Fairbanks, but the southern terminus was soon shifted to Minne-
apolis, where cargo for air shipment could more easily be assembled.
Northwest dispatched its first survey flight on 2 7 February, which
was followed during March by a series of shuttles to familiarize pilots
with the route and to deploy personnel and materials required for
regularly scheduled operation^.'^^
Quantitatively viewed, the Alaskan operation was of little conse-
quence before the last days of May. Reports of Northwest Airlines
show that in the period from 2 1 March through 3 0 April approxi-
mately 1 7 0 tons of cargo and 2 5 8 passengers were carried, and that
the corresponding figures for the month of May were 240 tons and
63 I passengers. About one-third of the April total and more than half
* See above, pp. 303-4.
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