The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-08-17
Kites Will Be Shot at From
the Decks of Moving
Batt|eships.
no ascertain the most efficient
method Of annihilating craft of
the q IL, tho mint e,,oox, darn

upon the country in time of
war Uncle Sam is to mobilize his bat
teship fleet and a portion of his army
and set them to work on the problem
Of how best to wreck the aeroplanes
Of an invader. These tests will be
held the latter part Of August for the
navy at Hampton Roads, Virginia, and
for the army at the Sandy Hook prov
ing grounds, where the big guns are
usually tried out More than 10000
men and officers in the navy alone will
perform the experiments assigned
them and seek to destroy that which
others in Uncle Sans employ are still
striving to perfect-the aeroplane.
Last year tests of a somewhat SINH
lar nature were held by both branches
OF our defensive force, but on a much
smaller scale. The army tests held
then consisted chiefly of firing at ball
oons with the regular army rifle, but
this year the balloons will be the tar
gets for the fire of specially designed
gun and carriage made solely for that
purpose and jealousy guarded as a
state secret In the navy this years
tests, conducted under the personal
command of Admiral Hugo Osterhaus,
commander in chief of the Atlantic
1eet, and four other divsion admirals.
Will cover every possible phase of de-
stroying the newest Of all war craft,
those Of the air.
In this as in many other matters
both military and civil the United
States is far in the lead of the Euro
pean powers. Tests have, Of course,
been made by the other powers, but
In no instance have they been conduct
ed on so gigantic scale as those now
planned. Exact details regarding
these foreign tests are not available.
as no power divulges matters of this
sort, nor in turn will the tests to be
held here be open to inspection by
representatives of foreign governments.
The Navy Tests.
In the navy tests experiments of q
limited character will be first under
taken, consisting Of a single battleship
firing at kite carried by the ship her
self. But during the first part of Sep
TENDER a large portion of our fleet will
participate in more general expert
ments under the direction of Admiral
Osterhaus, who will command from
his flagship, the Connecticut.
In both army and navy actual aero
planes will not, Of course, be used
The tests are Of too serious a nature
to permit the use of real air craft, for
they would undoubtedly be attended
by loss of life. The same result, how
ever. is obtained in using, as the navy
does. large kites of the box variety
and capable of lifting a man. From
these kites will be suspended pendent
targets. During the preliminary tests
a kite will be sent up from the same
ship firing at the targets. When at
the height desired the targets will be
sept facing the battleship by means Of
ropes attached to it and held by sailors
Oh board, Ten man squads will then
fire at them with tine regulation rifle.
It will, Of course. be possible for the
kite to be destroyed by a single volley,
but only at comparatively short dis
lance. and it is for the purpose Of do
ing equal damage at a much greater
distance that the more pretentious
tests will be made.
All ships participating will construct
their own kites. This was determined
in competitive tests held several weeks
ago, when each ship designed it's own
kite, the best Of them being taken as
the standard for the coming expert
ments. The tests following the pre-
liminary ones will be made during
what is known in naval circles as
"batt]e practice" and will consist, in
addition to the aeroplane features, of
an attack upon the feet by our torpe
do destroyers and submarines. Thus
to be practically fighting the three
most dangerous enemies Of the battle
ship-the aeroplane, the torpedo de-
stroyer and the submarine-at the
same time will be almost similar to
actual battle and will therefore prove
Of inestimable value to all classes Of
the naval service.
Under Admiral Osterhaus the Off
GERS in charge will be Admiral Charles
J. Badger, Admiral Aaron Ward, Ad-
miral Thomas 3. Howard and Admiral
Sidney A. Staunton. Among the bat
tleships participating are the Dela-
ware, North Dakota, Michigan, South
Carolina, Utah, Pennsylvania, Califo--
ola, South Dakota and the Florida. if
she is ready for service then. In adj
lition to the twenty-five battleships,
all our torpedo destroyers, Of which
there are forty, and our fifteen sub
marines will take part. Consequently
there will be about eighty ships taking
part, with five admirals commanding
some forty odd thousand officers and
men.
The Attack.
When this gigantic, squadron assem-
bles at Hampton Roads the most pre-