Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
AERIAL WARFARE
OFFERS PROBLEMS
TO MILITARY men
New and Confusing Ele-
ments Introduced Into the
Fighting Art as Developed
in Flying Machines.


The aoroplane has introduced new and
confusing element into the art of war, for
its rapid development has made it one
of the best means for obtaining informa-
ton concerning an enemy; and not only
can they be used for dropping bombs
within the enemy's lines, but the big
airships are even provided with rapid
fire guns. How it is proposed to meet
these new forces Is told in the following
extract from the special war number of
the Scientific American of September 81
| There are two means of combating
| flying machine. Many military students
| contend that the way to destroy an aero
plane is to put machine rife in another
aeroplane and attempt to combat it in
| the air. This will probably be the method
| followed In modern war at the present
time. Another means is to provide field
\ artillery guns able to fire in the air,
| and many balloon guns of this type have
been tried out by various countries. One
| notable cannon of this type Is the Deport
| field gun, which is so arranged that 1t
I ttll Ue ustu dS Il lltlu dTIllleIy gun lol
| low targets, but may be trained for
! aerial targets as we'll.
| There are a number of difficulties con-
| nected with firing against balloons or
| aeroplanes, and extensive experiments
| have been carried on in various countries
| for the purpose OF solving this problem.
The large ordnance manufacturing con-
| Germs OF the Krupp and Ehrhardt com
| panies, in Germany, have designed and
| manufactured guns firing three-inch pro-
| jectles mounted on automobiles or on
| wheels: but so far no definite conclusions
have really been reached as to the most
| effective manner of firing at balloons.
DIFFICULT TARGETS.
Among the difficulties experienced is
the fact that the acroplanes move very
rapidly. making it difficult to follow them
| through the sights of the gun. Another
difficulty to be encountered is the fact
| that the required angle of departure for
| proiectile to reach a certain range va
| ries as the target moves above the hori-
! son. For instance, target on the same
| level with the gun at 900 yards range
| may require an apgle of departure OF II
degrees; while " this target should be
| located i5 degrees above the horizontal
| the super-elevation, which is the eleva-
| ton of the gun above the line drawn
| from the gun to the target, would be oLny'
| or 8 degrees. If the aeroplane should
be the same distance, but vertically
above the gun, no elevation over the di-
rection of the line of sight would be nec-
essary.
1t Is also n difficult matter 10 estimate
the distance to these balloons. and the
use of range-tinding instruments, due to
the rapid movement OF the targets, Is a
times almost impossible. In some cases
experiments have been carried on with q
View of firing projectiles with burning
! tracers attached to them. These tracers,
by burning in the air, will show the path>
of the projectile, and will show how close
the projectile may be to the target
That rifles or small guns can be fired
from aeroplanes has been demonstrated
While these guns would probably not be
very effective against troops on the
ground there is small doubt that bombs
dropped from balloons would be very>
dangerous Inconvenience for the enemy
THE AIR SCOUTS.
Scouting b. airship is a new feature in
the war game. and the effects OF the in
formation derived by this means on the
conduct of campaigns will be eagerly
studied as illustrated by the msneuvers
in the war in Europe. Because Re has
aircraft at his disposal a modern general
will be more apt to await the results of
their reconnotcring before giving final
orders. In other words, there ought to
he fewer counter orders ir present Euro
pean engagements than during the
Franco-Prussian War. There is too big
risk of moving troops in the wrong di-
rection.
1t is estimated that within 2ls hours q
general may expect an air report OF his
foes strength, position and movements
II he Is within a radius of so miles Tr
cavalry alone were used for the same
r.ttrt 4. Il
quirod. and the information collected
would not be so precise Three and one
half hours is not too long to wait before
giving a definite order which may result
in victory or defeat.
DTRIGIBIE AN ENIGMA.
While the aerop!ane has proved its util-
ity both in the Morocco and Balkan cam
paigns the dirigible is still d military
enigma The operations of European
almies during their annual mancuycrs
are shroudcd in vel! of secrecy as dense
as IL the forces were engaged In real
war, Germans and Frenchmen shrink
from publishing the results of their mil
itsry experiments for each others bene-
III. Great Britain is less secretve. Her
last army exercises. which were fully re-
ported and analysed in the London press
by competent military men, demon-
strated conclusively that the slow, nom
rigid dirigibIe IS cert Ain to be destroyed
should it attempt toNtakc part in day.
light warfare, spsel hlone can save it.
but speed impose fohioitive size ana
power for that WI craft
The lesson is clearly taught by the
evolution of the rigid type. The Zeppelin
built In 1906 had volume of $4,000 cubic
feet; that of 1911, 627 600 cubic feet; the |
first naval craft wrecked off Heigoland. !
10000 cubic feet, and the second naval
Zeppelin, ~. q" $4,000 cubic feet StllI |
larger vessels are in course of construc-
ton. Speed has increased correspond |
inGly from sc miles an hour in 1908, to % !
miles an hour in 1912. and over 20 miles |
an hour in 1918. The very latest type has |
an average speed of about G5 miles an |
hour, and has made as much as % miles |
with the wind. In other words, the latest |