The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-28


club, were the guests of the
Minneapolis Civic & Commerce
association during the regatta of
the American Power Boat asSO-
citation on the Mississippi.
BY Henry Woodhouse.
A new Importance has been added
to aeronautics during the past month
through the admission on the part
of the British naval authorities thai
it is impossible to conduct naval
operations against the U-boat bases
and through the finding that the
latest Italian triplanes permit the
conducting of major aerial opera
tons against the U-bOat bases.
1t is. roughly, between $50 and 500
miles from Great Britain to kiel
Wilhelmshaven and Heligoland. 1t
is less than 100 miles from the main
| allied aerOnautiC bases to Zeebrugge
and Ostend, which are important u
boat and destroyer bases. 1t is less
than 300 miles from the allies aerOn-
auto centers to Essen and Dussel-
dorf.
The allies now have huge war
lplanes and torpedo planes capable of
carrying from two to three tons OF
explosives or tOTpcdOes. The gigantic
lCapToni torpedo planes permit aerial
operations from any point Of the al
lied bases TO any German naval or
military base and return-with sub
Stantial reserve fuel.
The Curtiss triplane air cruiser,
while handicapped by the heavy fly
ing boat hull. is also a good posi-
lbility. The twin-mOtored Handy
Page biplane and the new three
motored Gallaudet seaplane, are
among other possibilities for long
distance aerial raids.
Marvellous Giant Caproni Warplane.
Italy leads in types of bombing
and gun carrying airplanes.
The following are some OF the most
important types of Italian airplanes,
the types which, if built by the
thousands, will make it possible for
the allies to conduct the major aerial
operations against Germany which
are to ensure her downfall.
!. The 800 h. p. Caproni triplane.
This remarkable warplane is equip
ped with three 500 h. p. Fiat motors.
The details about this machine are
kept secret, but ii is known that the
machine, as a whole, follows the
characteristics of the CaprOni war
planes. This machine, judged by the
smaller types, must carry about five
tons of explosives and fuel for II
hours, at a speed of about so miles
an hour.
2. The 600 horsepower Bombing
Type Caproni TTiplane. This ma
chine is triplane, with two
fuselages, equipped with three Fiat
or Isotta- FrasChini motors, two in
front fitted with one propeller re-
tspectively. and one in the rear, also
fitted with one propeller. Each OF
ie inHnnannanf
others, so that if two of the engines
should stop, the machine could still
keep in the air with the power of one
motor. This machine carries use
full load of 4,4O0 pounds, which per-
mits carrying fuel for six hours, a
lcrew Of three people, three guns and
l2,750 pounds Of bombs. 1t has a
speed Of close to so miles an hour,
and is capable of climbing $3.50 feet
lin 1S minutes; $500 feet in q
minutes and 10000 feet in 81
minutes.
9. The 500 horsepower Bombing
Type Caproni Biplane. This type of
machine is most remarkable for its
speed which is 80 miles per hour. 1t
lis equipped with three Fiat or IsOtta-
F'raschini motors of 200 horsepower,
and three propellers, two tractors
and one pusher; it carries a military
load of 5000 pounds, including fuel
for four hours, crew Of three, three
Fiat guns and 1.15O pounds of bombs.
lit can climb $3.50 in 6 minutes, 30
seconds; $500 feet in IA minutes, IS
seconds; 10000 feet in 35 minutes,
80 seconds; 1900 feet in 40 minutes.
Curtiss Triplane and Gallaudet Sea.
-. plane.
The huge Curtiss triplane air
cruiser built for the British govern
ment is a good possibility as a long
distance bomb carrier, for aerial
operations against Germany. For
such a purpose the boat hull can be
eliminated, and it's weight carrying
ability increased thereby. Having
multiple power plants it can make
the flight from an allied base to Kiel
lor Berlin or Essen with a good mar
gin of flying ability.
The big Curtiss triplanes, with a
few changes in construction, will
make a most efficient torpedo plane,
capable of carrying a magazine OF
ltorpedoes.
The new three-motored Gallaudet
lseaplane also comes in the class OF
long distance raiding machines and
is suitable for either bomb dropping
or torpedo launching. A number of
other large machines are under con-
temptation or being designed by
different American manufacturers,
but the details are not yet avail
able.
Long Distance Bombing Raids.
Long distance bombing raids are
by no means a novelty, but they
have always been conducted with
only a few airplanes Of limited carry
ing capacity, which carried only q
few hundred pounds of bombs be-
sides the fuel needed for the jour
ney.
Among the historic bombing raids
for several reasons is the raid on
Karlsruhe, on June is, 1915. 1t was
conducted by % twin-motored eau
dron machines in charge OF Captain
de Kerillis and dropped close to so
large bombs on Karlsruhe. Three of
had TO land and were captured, but
the damage to Karlsruhe was seri-
GUS.
Ii the very first bombardment of
Sofia on April 81, 1915, a single
aviator started from Saloniki, few to
Sonia, dropped four bombs, and
proclamations announcing the cap
jture of Trebizond and returned to
Ealonilxf. This exploit was repeated
by single aviatOrs from time to time.
then on Sept. Is, 1916, it was re-
peated by four aviatOrs who left
Salonilgi at $3.50 and arrived over
Sofia at $40. They dropped their
bombs. many OF which were effec-
tive. and returned. They had cross
cd the Balkan mountains at 5000