▁being ▁the ▁most ▁heavily ▁engaged ▁unit ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Naval ▁Forces ▁in ▁Europe .' " ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁war , ▁L t . ▁Hav il and ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁USS ▁Texas ▁( BB - 3 5 ) ▁near ▁Gu ant án amo ▁Bay ▁as ▁a ▁combat ▁pilot . ▁There , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁pilot ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁plane ▁off ▁a ▁U . S . ▁batt les hip , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁pilot ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁military ▁aircraft ▁off ▁any ▁ship , ▁motiv ating ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁begin ▁developing ▁the ▁first ▁military ▁aircraft ▁carri ers . ▁The ▁idea ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁experiments ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁when ▁st unt ▁av i ator ▁Eug ene ▁E ly ▁launched ▁a ▁Curt iss ▁Model ▁D ▁( non - mil it ary ) ▁bi plane ▁off ▁of ▁a ▁custom ▁platform ▁built ▁onto ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Cru iser ▁USS ▁B irmingham . ▁Hav il and ' s ▁idea , ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁proposed ▁to ▁Captain ▁Nathan ▁C . ▁Tw ining ▁on ▁the ▁USS ▁Texas ▁( BB - 3 5 ), ▁was ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁, ▁ ▁run way ▁of ▁tim bers ▁l ashed ▁together ▁on ▁the ▁Number ▁ 2 ▁guns ▁of ▁the ▁Batt les hip ' s ▁forward ▁deck . ▁His ▁S op with ▁Cam el ▁bi plane ▁would ▁then ▁be ▁win ched ▁down ▁on ▁the ▁run way ▁and ▁its ▁whe els ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁brid le ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁at ▁Hav il and ' s ▁command , ▁after ▁the ▁plane