The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-08-17
GERMAN "FLYiNG DEATH"
Torpedo Launched from Zeppelin is
Controlled by Wireless

| COntroIIeu ny wireless
The London Daily Nails correspon-
dent at Rotterdam describing the lat
est German war device, the areial
torepdo, says: THE aerial torpedo
| invented by a Swedish officer and
sold to the Krupps may have been
the basis of the Germans new air
weapon but certainly it is not the fin
| ished article The Swedish inven-
| ton resembles large shell fitted
| with a turbine engine driven by gas
pressure; the German air torpedo is
more like an airship fitted with pro-
| pellers driven by electricity and con-
| trolled from Zeppelin by wireless.
The German AERIAL torpedo can, theo
| retically, remain il the air for three
| hours and can be controlled from a
| distance of two miles. Both weap-
ons are discharged from a tube like
| marine torpedo, but in the case of
| the German invention two propellers
and two lifting screws are automatic
ally started at the moment of the dis
charge
"In shape, this torpedo of the air,
which is about seven feet long, re-
sembles the submarine weapon. 1t is
composed of two cases, the outer of
thin chrome nickel and the inner of
pelins. About a sixth of the space at
the rear is occupied by an electric &C
cummulator at the. bottom of an cleo
trio motor generator secured at the
top. The machine is controlled by
waves acting on the iTelefunken sys-
TEN of wireless and it is claimed that
of to a distance of two miles it can
be steered at will.
"The air torpedo is inflated with
gas and compressed gas, but as it is
heavier than air, two lifting screws
work under the body to keep the tor
pedo in the air, while the motive pow
err is supplied by two propellers. Both
screws and propellers are connected
with the same shaft, which runs
through the body of the torpedo.
w lltll vi PtuO aiNti hsihS
through the air, hovers over the sell
ected target it is made to assume a
vertical position. the lifting horizont
al screws and propellers are stopped,
and the torepdo dives to the ground, |
carrying a large quantity of high ex-
plosive charge at its nose. The |
charge explodes on contact like the
ordinary shell, and it is said that in
two torpedoes there is sufficient ex-
plosive to destroy the tower of Lon
don.
Originally these air torpedoes
were destined to be carried exclusive
ly by Zeppelins, but owing to GER
tain improvements it has been found |
they can be manipulated from war
ships. According to my Information |
Germany proposes to use torpedoes
of the air against the German fleet,
and for that purpose small swift craft !
armed only with aerial torpedoes are
building are have already been bulk.
So far this flying death has not been |
employed against the allies, but
learn ~ Is W pt lIlcu plODdDis oNci
London this summer.
Some months ago I limited that
the Germans were working on an i'm
proved Zeppelin weapon, and this
aerial torpedo is the result OF many |
experiments in the works at Essen
Undoubtedly this is the secret inven
ton of which we have heard so many
whispers that the Germans have held
in reserve for the British fleet.
Against moving ships, however, it
will not prove so formidable weap-
on as against fixed target.
"Of the German automatic guns
can as yet write little. The idea is to
increase the rapidity of the fire OF
big guns by an automatic feeding of
shells. In other words, the Germans
are seeking to construct big gun
that can pour out shells as a Maxim
pours ont bullets. AS the Maxim has
the rife. so say the Ger
mans, the automatic gun will domin-
ate the Maxim, for in this war of APP
Piled mechanics, there is no check
to destruction"