The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-08-20
MENACE IN WAR
IS NOT CONSIDERED SERIOUS
Experiments Show That SmaII-Arm Shooting
Can Look After Operators of Heavier
Than Air Machines

-
and detachments of infantry and cay
airy of the United States Army to de
termlne the utility of heavier-than-air
flying machines as military instruments
IN warfare have just been completed
at a Southern and a Western Post SAYS
the New York Times.
An army officer who was associated
in the conduct of these trials has out
lined the policy that was followed in
testing the usefulness of the aeroplane
and the dirigible balloon for dropping
explosives, reconnaissance work, and
dispatch carrying.
1t was, of course, impossible to shoot
at the aeroplanes employed in these
experiments. as heavier-than-air ma
chimes cannot be sent aloft without an
operator, but in number of tests big
box kites, constructed 50 as to resem
bic an aeroplane in general appearance,
and flown at varying attitudes, and
captive balloons, at the end of ropes
of different lengths, were fired at by in
fantry and cavalry using the service
small arm and full-load ammunition
and by field artillery employing the
regulation threeinch rifle and shrap-
mel.
Most of the experiments were con-
Quoted in the daytime, to gather data
on which to arrange ballistic tables
and obtain information regarding ira
jectories, but not infrequently tests
were made at night, particularly when
there was no moon, SO as to give the
detectives fred at all the best of it,
searchlights being called into service
to locate the kites and balloons. A few
experiments were made also both by
dav and at night, along the line OF
dropping ten and twelve pound bombs
upon circumscribed spot from vary
| ing attitudes. The officer made the
following comment on these experiments
of most of which he was witness:
Balloons Hard to Hit.
"Taking up the balloons first let me
say that we had a tremendously dlf
| ficult time to hit them with our three
| inch guns. Our small arms went better
| These spherical air bags were tied doWr
| to heavy beams at the end OF broac
plain. There was no hills in back OF
| them to give them perspective OF back
ground, this Typographical condition
having been chosen deliberately. The
| troops that did the firing were not IN
! formed Of the lengths of the ropes from
which the balloons swung. The eleva
! ton of the balloons varied from 1876 tC
400 yards, and the firing squads anc
Guns were distant from 500 to lI0t
yards.
| e.The shoulder rifle had the frst
chance. Expert marksmen had beer
selected for the work and they wen'
| at it with a vim. There first shots WERE
wide of course, but they were being
used as range and elevation finders. BY
| noticing the spot where the landing
bullet kicked up the dust and comput
! ing from that and the elevation they
| had taken on their sights. they were
able to figure pretty closely how ia
away the anchors of the balloons were
That gave them one leg of their tn
angle.
"But it was when they fred direct
" at the gas bags that their trouble
and confusion started The first TIM
we tried the stunt the air was as alb
| solutelv still a. it ever is. There wa
not mile of wind blowing along tn
ground. but the balloons swaEed never
| theless, and to a very considerable eX
tent. Finally one riheman saw the pro
| iectile from his piece carry away
part of the netting with which tn
balloons had been covered so that the,
might resemble. as closely as posi- bic
the bags of dirigible balloons: 3,
noting his elevation and wind allow
ance for that shot he was able L
correct his sight adjustments so tina
his next shot went plumb at the cen
ter of the bag.
Did Not Penetrate.
Gan that happened was that pee
of fused lead core. from which mos
Of its cupro-nickel jacket had oeel
| AZ with ma