The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-07-12
FIRES TORpEDOES
FROM AER0PLANE
Naval Officers Invention Is a
Marvel Of Ingenuity.
OFFICIALS ENTHUSIASTIC.

Sent on lite Way, Dropping From Air
Craft at High Speed-NavaI Guns Of
Present Day Cannot Be Trained on
Aeroplane When Going Swiftly.
Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, un-
til recently In command of the frst di-
vision of the Atlantic feet, now on
duty as aid for operations In the navy
department at Washington, has invent
ed an apparatus which is believed to
make possible the firing Of submarine
torpedoes from aeroplanes. The device
can be fitted to any type Of aeroplane.
Naval officers who have seen the
model In the patent office In Washing
ton are enthusiastic over the possibili-
ties of the Fiske invention as a means
OF defense.
The torpedo which the aeroplane at
tachment is designed to discharge may
be of any of the standard types and
is carried In checks on the bottom or
lower frame of the aeroplane. A strap
connected with the aeroplane passes
below the torpedo, holding 1t, and is
then again connected with the operat-
ling part of the aeroplane proper. The
torpedo is held rightly In place, its bow
pointing In the same direction as the
~airship. The p~rojectile is released by
a lever apparatus operated by the foot
of the aviator. the torpedo falling hori-
zontally out of the checks into the wa
ter and then speeding on its way to
the ship against which 1t is aimed.
How Torpedo Is Directed.
In directing and delivering the at
tack the naval aviator flies at a COM
paratively high altitude to a point
about 1900 yards distant from the tar
get. He then swoops downward at a
high rate of speed and as nearly YER
ically as possible until within ten or
fifteen feet Of the water, directing his
| fight so that on reaching the desired
low elevation the bow Of the torpedo
bears on the target. The aviator then
throws his lever which starts the pro-
| polling mechanism In the torpedo, aft
er which the projectile drops into the
water and thereafter performs its
| work.
The advantages of the Fiske inven-
ton are that the torpedo Is held firm
ly to the airship and practically be-
comes a part Of 1t, so that the direct
ing Of the aeroplane toward the tar
get also directs the torpedo. 1t is sus-
pended in the position which it as
sumes In the ~water-that Is, horizontal
and retains that position after being
released. The releasing device is un-
del the control Of the aviator at all
times.
The advantage Of approaching the
target at a relatively high elevation
and then rapidly descending to a lower
one before releasing the torpedo is,
supposing the target to be a battle
ship. that 1t is practically impossible
with present day naval guns to hit an
object falling from a great height ow-
Ing to the resulting change In range
and the consequent elevation of the
guns.
Advantages Of Invention.
The advantages obtained by proceed
Ing to within about 1900 yards Of the
enemy are that the chances Of the tor
pedo getting home are increased and
the aeroplane is able to carry torpe-
does Of lighter than ordinary weight
since torpedoes designed for long
ranges are much heavier than those
fired at shorter distances.
While the Fiske invention Is attract
ing the attention Of naval officers here
and abroad, there comes news of still
another wonderful invention, the OBJ
ject of which is to protect war vessels
from torpedo attack. This invention
Is Of German origin. 1t Is an 'illumi-
mated SHELF loaded with calcium car
bide. The shell Is fired In the usual
way.
On striking the water the shell sinks
a few feet, and the water, entering the
shell through apertures, sets up chem
ical action which generates gas, the
resulting buoyancy driving the shell
back to the surface, after which the
gas Is automatically ignited, shedding
an equal light over a large area. The
light Is equal to 5000 candle power
and will burn for al hour. The object
of the inventor is to surround a battle
ship at night with these Illuminated
shells, thus rendering practically Inn
possible the unobserved approach of
torpedo craft of all types.