Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-06-20


(by the Associated Press, 1.-The
claim of aircraft advocates that
battleships no longer form the ma
TONS chief weapon of defense will
be brought to test this week off
the Virginia Capes. Armed with
bombs of every size, flooks of army
and navy ships will seek a series Of
tests to destroy more than half
dozen German warships and to
find and bomb the radio-controlled /
battleship Iowa.
There will be no attempt to sim
ulate real battle conditions. The
FONT army and navy operations
were arranged by the government
to get at the facts as to the accur-
acy with which air men can drop
bombs upon naval craft. The war
ships OF necessity can not employ
their guns to defend themselves,
but will be merely, except in the
case of the Iowa, anchored tar
gets for the aYiators
The maneuvers also will deter
mine the effectiveness of bombs
that strike and explode upon the
decks of armored ships. Previous
tests with placed bombs have not
BaLlSllBu
ltal craft would be in grave dam
ger of destruction by air bombs
even if struck.
Origin OF Contests.
The unique and one-sided con-
tests had their origin in the con-
troversy which followed the declar-
alton before q congressional COM
mittee by Brigadler General Mitch
ell. of the air service, that the de- +
yeiopment of military aircraft was
fast making the battleship obso-
lete. Navy officials, led by former
Secretary Daniels, took prompt
exception to this claim and the
verbal conflict of opinion RACED so
vigorously that the government
found it advisable to attempt the
actual demonstration of the pow
err of aircraft, employing its most
modern planes and bombs against
obsolete or former German naval
craft.
In preparation for the tests the
army has concentrated at Langley |
Field. near here, the largest mo-
bilization of military aircraft in the
history of aviation in this country
More than $50 planes of all types
including giant Martin bombers
capable of carrying the new 1000
Mound aerial bombs, smaller bombs
In Names and fast single-seat pur-
mit machines with speed of 12O !
p,iles an hour, to be used for |
81 uting and observation work, are
S,.oirda5 IN the mobilization, as |
we'll as a number OF dirigibles'
First Test Tuesday.
The first test, scheduled Tor
Tuesday, will be directed against
The U-11 :, modern submarine USED
by the German navy during the
war. The submersible will be an
chored fifty miles east OF cape
Charles, Va, in awash condltion
with concentric red, white and blue
circles painted on its deck to DIS
kinguish it as the target and avoid
the possibility Of a mistake.
The second phase of the tests
will take place on June 70. OH
rers of both services consider this
tba most important of all the e%-
neriments, as it will involve the
double problem OF the ability OF
aircraft to find any enemy fleet
somewhere in wide area OF the
coast and to bomb the enemy ships
after locating them. On that date
he radio controlled battleship
iowa will be somewhere be between
The Virginia Capes and Cape Hen
Iopen. from fifty to one hundred
Miles off-shore. The Iowa Will be
Unanswered by radio from the pat
Teship Ohio. five or six miles dis
tant. The flyers will have only an
snnroximate idea of the location
NJ the Iowa and will be required
In take off at a given signal, search
he wide area involved and, II they
lind the vessel bomb it with dunn
NV bombs and get back to lana
safaIy. The control officer on the
0hio will be allowed to maneuver
he Iowa as he pleases during the
honbing, Stimulating as far as pos
sble the moves battleship might
no expected to make in war to es-
sane aerial attack. The conditions
'nvolved are that the Iowa snail
continue to steam in the general
direction of the shore and the at
lacking planes stay at an altltuoe
NJ at least 1000 feet. Eight O'CLOCK
IN the morning will be Zero hour"
Test Against the Iowa.
Tn the test against the Iowa all
VALUABLE naval aircraft will be
nsed. Including at least four dlrlg-
niles, Under present plants the
army will not use any land planes
IN this test, but the naval detach-
noant will include four Martin
homhers assigned to the marine
corns It is expected that more
'hap 90 aircraft will take part in
he search for and bombing OF the
iowa Dummy bombs ranging from
e3O to 1000 pounls each Will be
ased. The army personnel lnVolVeo
will fly seaplanes.
live bombs will not be used In
the experiment as the navy WISHES
N nreserve the Iowa, the only ra-
gio controlled battleship in exist
.nce. for target practice with the
Atlantic fleet next fall. The prob
em in the air tests is designed 10
rurnish reliable data on the prop
,hle number Of hits to be expect
ID from air craft operating against
battleship at sea. Data on the
lama pc to be expected from a later
tack on the former German pat
leship Ostfriesland, a modern YES
Sel.
Third of the Series.
The third of the series of bomb
ng tests will take place on July IL
with the former German destroy
n G-102 as their target. The army
will make the first attack, using
welve Martin bombiers and eleven ,
DH-4 machines and $50 bombs
ninety-four of which will be