Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-27
RADIO OPERATED
iowa MUST DODGE
BOMBS OF AIRMEN

Washington, June 26--The old bat
tleship Iowa operated and maneuvred
by radio impulses will attempt to
elude navy and army airmen off the
Atlantic coast Tuesday in an effort to
demonstrate that aviation has not
yet reached the point where the de
Tense Of the coast may be left entirely
in its hands. The fiiers will attempt
to locate the Iowa and rain a show err
Of dummy bombs on her decks.
The Iowa experiment will be he
second of series of tests conducted
Jointly by the navy and war depart
mentS to test the, usefulness Of avia-
ton against naval vessels and to pro-
vide both airmen and naval construc-
tors with data otherwise unobtaina-
BILE on which to base innovation in
the design of aircraft and surface
vessels. In the first of these tests,
conducted last week one former Ger
man submarine was sent to the bot
tom by aerial bombs in sixteen min
Ltes and two others were sunk by de-
stroyer gunfire.
The Iowa and the battleship Oh. g.,
control ship, will be stationed more
than one hundred miles off the coast
between Hatteras and Delaware cape
tomorrow. At dawn, Tuesday, Cap
tain F. L. Chadwick of the Ohio viii
break the seal of an envelope con-
tanning secret instructions from the
navy department and at Zero hour
the Iowa viii be headed in the gen
eral direction of the mainland. The
Ohio, exercising complete control
ever the Iowa by radio, will be aboIt
five miles away.
At the instant the Iowa heads for
the beach squadrons of fast scouting
seaplanes manned by navy and army
personnel will take from the waters
Of Hampton Roads and form long
scouting lines parallel to the coast,
sweeping for miles out to sea in
search of the enemy fleet"
Back at Hampton Roads and at the
naval air base at Yorktown, Va,
squadrons of light and heavy bonn
bardment planes, including a number
of huge marine corps Martin bombers,
will be tuned up ready to hop off the 4
instant contact with the enemy is re-
ported by the aerial scouting forces.
No restrictions will be placed on
Captain Chadwick as to the manner
in which he may maneuver the Iowa
during the test, except that he must
keep the ship within one hundred
miles of shore between Hatteras and
Cape Henlopen, and headed in the
II of
be allowed to stop, back and ziz-zag
the vessel as he pleases with the idea
of Stimulating as far as possible the
probable moves of an enemy vessel or
fleet approaching the coast in time
or war in the face of an aerial de-
tense.
AS soon as the air forces have
sighted the Iowa, radio signals will
be sent to the bombardment planes
back at the base, giving the location
of 'the enemy" and simultaneously
the scouting forces will dash to attack
the Iowa and drop small bombs on
her with the object of clearing away
all personnel above the protected |
decks.
When the bombing squadrons ar
rive they will hurl dummy bombs !,
filed with concrete instead of powder, |
weighing up to half a ton at the YES
sci. AS each division of planes ex-
nauts its bombs it will return to it's
base. More than fifty aircraft of va
rious types will be USED in the prob |
lem. The only restrictions placed on
the airmen are that they must at all |
times maintain maximum speed and
re main at an altitude Of at least four
thousand feet. This altitude was de- |!
cidcd on as the safety limit for planes |
operating against a battleship capa- |
BILE of setting up an anti aircraft bar
rage.
a party Of members of congress. |
army and navy officers and officials |
and press representatives will view
the Iowa test from the transport
Determination Of the damage done
by large aerial bombs against a bat
tleship will be obtained in a later at
tack on the former German battleship
which will be anchored