Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-11-03
WARFARE IN THE AIR
Military Balloons Battle With
 Automobiles Tn France.
PRAOTGCABMITY OF BOTH PROVED

French Fortifications Bombarded
 With Blank Cartridges From a
 Height of 4,5O0 Feet - The Swift
 Motor Cars Were Credited With
 the Victory.
 Like a glance into the future by a Verne or Wells has been the work of the balloon and automobile corps of the French army in the field maneu- vers during the past few days, says a special cable dispatch from Paris to the New York American and Journal High in the air over the forts of Toul- which, by the by, lies on the road to Strassburg-the Lebaudy military di. rigible balloon circled and swung, bombarding the Qualifications below with blank cartridges, while swift au- tomobiles followed the airship on the roads beneath and fired at it with light rapid fire guns.
 The demonstration was the most re- markable of modern war methods. It marked two great steps forward in military science. The -practicability of the balloon as an attacking force was clearly shown, but as parallel deyel- opment it was also shown that these aerial assaults could be opposed and a splendid defense established by the use of small, light high power guns mounted on swift auto cars.
 The Lebaudy military dirigible bal loon made three successful flights and created the greatest enthusiasm among the officers in charge of the maneu- vers. The third and by far the most ambitious fight on the part of the bal loon resulted in successful attack up- on a series of Notifications The um- pires were confronted with conditions such as have never arisen on any ac- tual battlefield, and their decision has been contested by many who witnessed the maneuyers. They admitted the success of the attack by the balloon on the forts, but also credited the au- tomobile guns with victory over the balloon.
 The great airship was sent to a height of 4,500 feet with several army officers on board. A course was map ped out which was followed perfectly by the airshlp, although 1t was forced to make its way against the wind. with the wind abeam and with the wind off the quarter. It swung grace fully along, however, passing above each of the forts indicated in the plan of attack turned over to the army off, cers in charge. The sight was one which called forth expressions of amazement from the veteran officers following the maneuvers. As easily as a motor boat the great airship was brought into position above each of the forts.
 Then at such an altitude as to be dis tinguishable only with field glasses one of the officers would lean over the side and drop a blank cartridge k would be seen to flash in the air and then shoot downward with the con stantly increasing momentum that finally dashed 1t like meteor into the fort at which 1t was directed. A flash of flame and then sharp report would mark the landing of the cartridge, and in nearly every case hit was scored for the airship.
 While the alrship scared through the air a half dozen automobiles on the roads beneath coursed 1t like beagles. A constant rattle from the light ma chine guns marked the attempt to de- fend the Notifications In this fashion, and from time to time the balloonists would set afloat smaller balloons, which fioated away and were used as targets later by the automobile guns, using ball cartridges.
 The work of these automobile batter ies was remarkable. Although, of course, no leaded shells were fired at the airship, the rapidity of fire, the ability of the automobiles to follow the flight of the aerial bombarders and the accuracy of fire, as shown later against the target balloons. were all consid- cred in making a decision, and the re- suit of the deliberations of the umpire was that the attacking airship would have been destroyed by the automobile corps. What the result would have been had a fleet of aerial battleships been in action the umpires did not say.
 The accuracy of the aim of the gun ners was shown to be remarkable when it was taken into consideration that they were firing from automobiles going at a high rate of speed at bal looms moving over 4.000 feet above the ground. Several of the target balloons were hit and shells sent close to others
 Further experiments in the use of the airship and of automobile corps will be kept up for several weeks.