New-York tribune., 1921-06-30
Score
Only 2 Hits on
Iowa i'm Motion
Salvo Dropped by Squadron
of Five Planes at Height
of 5000 Feet Arouses
Enthusiasm of Experts
Blirnps Find Battleship
Target Sighted Off Virginia
Capes i'm Less Than Two
Hours After Zero Hour
From a staft Correspondent


NORFOLK, Va, June 29.-In the most
spectacular bombing practice at sea
ever held, with twenty-five planes tax
ing part and about eighty bombs
dropped, one group of five heavy bomb
ers dropped a salvo SO accurately
was the target, as to arouse the en-
thusiasm of both Army and Navy avia-
ton experts watching the tests, Two
hits were scored.
minutes less than two hours by Army
dirigibles to-day when about fifty miles
off shore and ninety miles north and
east of Cape Henry.
Operated without a soul on board,
by wireless from the battleship Ohio,
which proceeded FIVE miles astern, the
Iowa was unanswered cleverly as the
planes, singly and in squadrons, made
their attacks. Astern of the Ohio came
the Pennsylvania, with Vice-Admiral
Jones, in command Of the feet, aboard.
Immediately behind the Iowa, at dis
tance of about 1000 yards, was the
Nevada, on which we're stationed the
official observers. Off to port or, as Mr..
Daniels would have it, to the left, was
the Henderson, loaded down with Sen
ators, Representatives, naval and air
attaches of foreign nations, army, navy
and marine officers, motion picture and
newspaper men, maintaining distance
of from 1900 to 1900 yards. Destroy
ers and mine sweepers completed the
hotilla.
Salvo Fired at 5000 Feet
The bombs dropped were dummies,
made of concrete, but of the precise
size and weight of explosive bombs, SO
that the time of their fall would be
the same. The height at which the
airplanes were required to keep was
1000 feet, but the sensational salvo
was dropped from height estimated
in excess of 5000 feet, or about q
mile.
Experts watching the test declined to
venture an opinion as to what would
have been the effect of the salvo had
the bombs been explosive.
1t was desired to use dummy bombs
to-day for two reasons. One is that the
navy wants the Iowa for big gun prac-
tice, using the same radio control that
was used to-day, and affording for the
first time target practice at a maneuver-
ing ship. The other reason is that when
real bombs are used if there is hit at
any time, the practice is thereupon sus-
pended until experts can go aboard and
estimate the damage.
Surprising as it may seem to lay
man, concrete bomb, even weighing
one thousand pounds, and dropped from
| the height of mile, will not seriously
damage battleship. 1t would break
through some of the superstructure, but
the protective deck and reach any of
the ships vitals.
Conservatives Claim Yindication
The fact that not single sure di-
rect hit was scored to-day was hailed
by what has been termed the conserva-
tive group of naval officers as more OF
less Of vindication. They pointed out
that evegy one of the seventy bombs
serted that many Of the planes would
have been destroyed by gunfire if they
had maneuvered as they did to-day
This contention would not apply, how
ever, to the squadron which dropped
the salvo which aroused so much en-
thusiasm.
The bombing itself was the second
phase of to-day's practice. The first
was the location by the aircraft of the
Iowa. Her game was to make shore
from some point not more than one
hundred nor less than fifty miles a,
sea, and between Cape Henlopen, at
Delaware Bay, and Cape Hatteras. The
! two capes are about two hundred miles
roughly, apart. The start was to be
at time to be set according to weather
| conditions and termed zero hour.
The first aircraft sighted was ar
army Blimp, at 9:57, just an hour and
| fifty-seven minutes after the zero hour
| A few minutes later second army
biimp appeared. 1t was they who
notified all the airplanes by wireless
!, Of the location Of the Iowa,
When you think of writing,
! Think of WHITING. --Advt.