Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-29
EDITOR

clouds upon an enemyS camp.
Italy learned conclusiyely during the war in
Trpoli the futility of casual bomb-drOpping
from aerOplanes. Expert students of aviation,
eagerly following the work of the Italian bird
men, found that the grenades thrown at the
enemy from on high either buried themselves
harmlessly in the sand or exploded without do
ing any real damage. The difficulty, as the Ital-
ians soon FOUND was to explode the bombs at the
right time, which involved an amount of calcu-
lation impossible to perform during the limited
moments that an aeroplane could stay over the
spot where the bomb was to be dropped. No in
yentor has yet been able to build an aeroplane
that will hover in one spot-unless it is facing a
wind of approximately it's own speed-and thus
the brdnan has no time to make the nice calcu-
lations as to distance to the earth and the flight
of the falling missile The Italians, therefore,
came to the conclusion last year that the only
type of fying-machine from which it is practi-
cable to throw bombs is dirigble.
The Italian aerial navy, often referred to as
the most advanced in the world, has been devel
oped as result of the experiences in TripOl
The Italians have gathered together an aeroplane
equipment that includes speedy machines that
can fly many miles and return, carrying one or
two birdmen, machines of less weight and more
stability for tactical work, and weight-carriers
for bombthrowing and similar purposes. The
long-range machines are used for reconnaissance
The machines of the second class are valuable for
aerial photography, which has come to be dis
tinct branch of military science.
A recent critic, writing of the Italian aero
plane equipment, gives the following facts: The
present scheme of the italian government, which
it is hoped will be carried out by next spring.
provides for twenty-six field squadrons, each
composed of seven biplanes, making a total of
30 machines Squadrons are to have sufficient
transport to enable them to keep the field for a
month without reinforcement. There are also to-
be, in addition to the 30 machines above mem
toned, eighty school machines, distributed
among the four training schools at s Maurizio,
Malpensa, Aviano and Pordenone
Each squadron has four efficer-pilots, four
offieer-observers, and 25 men. The fact that
there are only four pilots to seven machines is
noteworthy. There are at present about 100 fly
ing officers, of whom about 20 have taken their
military certificates.
Italy, like France, has been comparatively
slow in taking up the hydroaeroplane, but the
navy is believed to possess about 20. There is al
scheme for the establishment of some Is hydro
aeroplane stations at various points around the
coast.
Returning to the feat at Guaymas, it is prob
able that the aviator who accomplished it is Did
Ter Mason, well-known in Hawaii He has been
employed by the rebel forces for some months
and recently announced that he had perfected al
method by which he could explode bombs
dropped from the air. If his method works out
satisfactorily, the European nations will be
quick to modify their present views as to the
value of the aeroplane for this particular pur-
pose
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