El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-14
West Texas Man LnUentor Of The Famous depth Bomb
Most Effective Weapon Against The German U Boat
Virgil c. BrannOn Gives Story Of How He Supplied Navy
And Shows Drawings OF The Weapon-Eas Received No
Compensation From Government For His Ingenuity

TEE HONOR OF winning the war not
! only goes mainly to America, but
the credit for the invention OF the
SERIAL depth bomb which turned the
| allies by proving TO be an effective
] weapon against German submarines,
/ goes TO a native Texan. the writer.
Moreover, the depth bomb is large
! y an Fl Paso product, as much OF the
work done incident to the construc-
I ton Of the model submitted to the
naval consulting board was done in
81 Paso machine shops. The rest was
done in solitude in and near Fort
Stockton, where reside.
This new weapon Is one which
proved IN action to be tnfallible under
any and all conditions on water and
under water and viii absolutely de-
stroy and demolish anything on land
or water that has ever been con-
structed- It has all OF the merits OF
the Indian arrow for accuracy It's
wind vanes viii carry It accurately
70 any depth and the greater the
depth the better.
The bomb can be dropped in
straight line from any height from an
airplsne in numbers and has more
destructive power than the modern
torpedo and many advantages over It
more destructive power than any high
power gun IN existence.
II Is the first weapon invented that
viii 90 under water and destroy
U-boats and their crews. Il can be
used and was used IN connection with
airplanes and fast boats. II IS com
paratively safe TO handlei as much
so as II IS possible for any weapon
that contains q great amount OF high
explosives TO be.
Story Never Told Before.
The story OF this aerial depth bomb
and the circumstances surrounding
it has never been told before. due to
the fact that during the war I was
under restrictions placed on me and
other inventors BY the federal trade
commission In the face Of claims
made by other inventors, some OF
them British, and OF writer's un-
familiar with the inside facts, have
kept the silence enjoined on me Now
that the war Is over, the restrictions
are removed. and ! an at liberty TO
tell that story.
nv motives IN telling II are three |
fold. One Is that hope to set right |
the mistaken notion that prevails in I
some places that the sub-destroying ]
invention is not an American inven- /
ton Another is that wish to point /
out the unfair treatment which /
American inventors received at the /
hands OF the administration which i
the federal trade COM /
zation OF the products Of the genius L
Of American inventors without ac-
cording to them either the reward
or credit due them.
Ny third reason Is that woven into
the history Of my depth bomb IS
story which ought TO be known, OF
German intrigue and infideiity which
involved my family and for q time
threatened to undermine It's good
name by dragging It into the net OF
German spy.
Invention Given to Government.
On March Is. 1917, I presented my
perfected invention TO the United
States government On this date /
sent by registered mail to Thomas A
Edison q drawing and specifications
D. the aerial depth bomb When my
letter reached West Orange, n. J.
lIr. Edison's home. the great inventor
rad been called either to New York or
70 Washington on business. but he
lad left instructions with his secrs-
airy that when the designs Of ny in
-ention arrived TO return them TO me
Fith instructions to forward them 10
he secretary OF the naval consulting