New-York tribune., 1920-11-26
Our First Line of Defense
Aviation Has Succeeded The Navy
in This Role
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

in This Role
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In this very interesting ex-
change of ideas with Quarterback it
is we'll to bear in mind that the word
"defenses," as applied to dreadnoughts
against aircraft, is relative, not abso-
lutte. The defense" of q dreadnought
against Whitehead torpedo is it's con-
struction. If submarine discharges
torpedo which strikes the dread
nought amidships and below the water
line, several airtight compartments Of
the ship, if left uninjured, may keep
her atoat. And then again they may
not, as was shown by several sinkings
of British warships during the war.
The additional defenses of dread
nought against attacking aircraft arc
her anti aircraft guns. How pitifully
short Of adequate defense these anti
aircraft guns are was constantly proved
during the war. The authorities in
charge Of London home defense found
that the land guns were practically
worthless against raiding aeroplanes.
1T IS the opinion of men experienced
in war flying that anti-aircraft guns
are futile, costly and unmilitary form
of defense. The only absolute defense
against aircraft is-arcraft But does
this go far enough?
rt r1oo oil
vision is admirable. The navy is no
longer our first line Of defense. Avia-
tion is; and we have not as yet de-
veloped aviation; it's surface is barely
scratched.
Picture an armada Of dreadnoughts
with transports coming to attack us,
moving at a maximum speed of thirty
miles an hour across the ocean Each
transport carries 1000 men, and each
dreadnought cost S3O,00O,O0O Our
aeroplane scouts, patrolling tn ocean
at 200 miles an hour, sight the armada
fifty miles away. With radio, or wire
less telephone, our torpedo earring
aircraft are directed to meet the
formidable armada. These torpedo
carrying aeroplanes cost $4,000 in
stead Of $30,000,0O0 each. Each aero
plane carries two men instead of 1000.
Each aeroplane carries beneath its
body 2,400- pound torpedo, fashioned
to propel itself when launched from
the aeroplane, and to discharge itself
like any submarine torpedo against the
MNtaCI1nn l,of Jaf
has the dreadnought against this small
but powerful scorpion? It's anti-air-
craft guns?
Consider the difficulty Of detecting
the torpedo carrying aeropane at the
range Of one mile! 1t flies low over
the surface Only its thin-edged wings
form a visible line, in the center of
which is its heart, target less than
six feet square. 1t lodges, twists and
turns. At a speed of 100 miles an hour
it changes its position at the rate of
14G feet each second!
From a dozen different directions a
simultaneous attack is made. Over
head, far out of accurate range of the
anti-aircraft guns, other aeroplanes are
dropping deadly bombs upon the decks
of the dreadnought. The ships gum
ners are in for a busy day.
Assume all twelve of the attacking
torpedoplanes are stopped by miracu-
lous shots. The gunners must destroy
900 to balance the loss of $50 900 900
dreadnought. And even so, they have
destroyed but 1000 airmen as against
1000 lost on one transport!
If this picture seems overdrawn, con-
slider the chances of successfully re-
pulsng an air attack made in the dusk
Of rrcning' At 800 yards the aeroplanc
points its nose directly at its target.
The torpedo is released by the pull of
lever and starts on its way, while the
aircraft scars away again into the OBJ
scurity Of night.
From the viewpoint of economy, of
swiftness and of deadlness, which
defense is more worthy of cultivation
by the United States, which is seeking
instruments of defense, not otfense
one $4,000 600 dreadnought or 1000
torpedo carrying aircraft costing the
same amount? L. L. D.
New York, Nov. %, 1920