The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-09
ZEPPELIN FLEET TO
HIT LONDON, He SAYS
I. r. Macmechen. Dirigible
Builder. Predicts Airships
Will Fire Torpedoes.
SOLD ENGLAND HIS CRAFT
AerOplanes Said to Be Failures
in Combating New Fliers
of the Kaiser.

'I believe there will be another Yep
pelin attack on London within sixty
days. When the raid does come Il will
be bigger than anything that has gone
before and will be repeated night after
night. The Germans will probably send
at least ten Zeppelins. They are now
gathering a feet 80 large that they can
AFFORD TO risk the loss OF four OF Ave in
a raid.
"It was because they had no airships
tions this fall. Now they are nearly
ready again to strike repeated blows
TO cross the Chapnel In force, as they
must do to create the amount of terror
that they desire.
But England lie awake. She knows
the game now. She has learned that
airship must be fought with airship. She
Is preparing In the light Of what the
war has taught her to meet tho menace
In tho right way. She Is building rigid
dirigibles. When the raiders come she
will not he helpless"
The foregoing predictions we're made
yesterday by Thomas X. Macmechen.
aeronautical engineer ana president of
the Aeronautical Society OF America.
He recently returned from England.
where a small dIrigible which he In part
designed and which is described as q
torpedo boat destroyer of the air ID
lar
official British eyes.
Predicted Former Raid.
In THE SuN on March last Mr. Mac.
mechen predicted that the ships or Count
Zeppelin would stun London some time
after tn. middle of April" and that the
aeroplanes and high angle guns OF ths
British would prove futile against them
Other experts in New York at the tim,
disagreed with him. But on May 81
bombs were dropped on the capital and
| then. as IN subsequent raids. the ma
rauders got safely away. Yesterday Mr
Macmechan said
"At the beginning OF the war th'
/ Allies rhought that aeroplanes ana anu
I aircraft guns would he sufficient Bu
What the Zeppelins har" done - known
10 the world. and II is also known tna
Arthur Ralfour said recently III -rn'
Hons, Of Commons that England wa
J hulldlrg rigid dirigibles to meet the sit
nation Imposed by the Zeppelin raids.
"Thc ascent Of aeroplanes at nigh
to search for and attack Ieppelins ha'
nroy,d most dangerous Numbers o
ayiators have been killed in England
Franc. and Russia In making nish
landings. Moreover. when the aeroplane
appear the Zeppelrs rise 20 grea
height and compel the planes TO ex
haust their fuel In climbing after tnenl
The Zeppelin jumps to lo,""" or l-'oo
feet. subjects the aeroplanc TO machih
gun fire, then speeds away
These raids have convinced the Al
Ito. ina, The aeroplane as "A weapon q
defence is a failure and that not muc'
,r,st ro,ild hA reposed in the anti-air
craft guns II Is mere potshot IT
uanu.lln Is hit TIL. chances in the gun
uer's favor are about as great as II N
were playing roulette. BESIDES, IN
shrapncl fired from these guns has kllle'
ponpie when IT fell back to earth.
predicted il would.
The Zcppelius are not yet hring tor
naJoes. hut they will be doing so
a., u,r lasts another year Somethin
similar to the Whitehead torpedo
beine developed in the Krupp works
tal,a. thirteen seconds for hom
Jronncd from an altitude OF $500 fee
TO reach the earth.
"t.yoryht!ng considered. the Zeppelin
have hit their targets remarkabl
number Of times. But q bomb ina
misses It's mark means great vast
of weight brought all the way acros
,he channel The bomb Will he replace
nv the precise and deadly torpedo, she
from the Zeppelin at an initial velocit
of $50 feet n second.