New-York tribune., 1921-09-24
Flyers, in Test,
Prove Value of
Smoke Screen
New Type Aircraft Bombs.
Dropped on Battleship
Alabama, Envelop Decks
in Heavy Gas Clouds
Three Hits i'm First Salvo
Phosphorus Mis- siles In
flict Burns on Nearly All
of Grew of Dummies
From a Staff Correspondent

ON BOARD THE UNITED STATES
ARMY MINE PLANTER MILLS OFF
TANGIER ISLAND, Chesapeake Bay
Sept. 23.--Army service flyers from
Langley Field, Va, during series of
tests upon the obsolete battleship Ala.
bama lasting all of to-day effectively
demonstrated several new types of
airplane bombs designed to strengthen
both the offensive and defensive for
the airmen.
In this kind of warfare the opera
tions to-day constituted only the ex-
perimental phase of the tests. Their
purpose was to determine the effects
OF various auxiliary agents in air
attack.
The first salvo was fred soon after
10 a. m. ABOUT fifteen ffty-pound
smoke bombs were showered upon the
Target area within a few minutes by
Two army Martin bombers. A number
OF these did not detonate, but six.
three of which were direct hits. ex-
pioced. Heavy clouds Of thick smoke
streamed up from the exploded bombs
completely enveloping the flyers and
shutting them from sight in fog for
almost half an hour.
Chemical warfare service officers and
army flyers in the observing party were
]ubliant over the result Of the smoke
bomb attack. They declared the air
men were completely protected from
possible anti-aircraft gunfre, and that
the success of this new defensive ele-
ment IN aerial attack goes long way
toward perfecting offensive warfare
from the air.
New Tear Gas Used
The first attack was immediately fol-
lowed by second small flight of Mar
tins with twenty-five-pound phos-
phorus bombs. which struck the decks
ana superstructure with deadly effect.
Ihen came an attack with new tear gas
bombs. which were prepared at the
aberdeen proving grounds, MARYLAND.
for possible use by Federal troops
during the miners uprising in Minpo
County, w. Va. They contained only a
lo per cent solution of the gas, but
several hours later, when observers
went aboard the Alabama. thew ware
forced back with burning ewes in
search of gas masks.
Inc program was reopened earIv in
the afternoon by two Martin bombing
planes, each carrying four 1OO-pound
phosphorus bombs. The first of these
clrcled about for several minutes and
Ihen, nylng at an altitude of about
bombs. 90 Aooi
Four binding bursts of fame shot
up from the decks and mainmast Of the
Alabama, followed by as MANY heavy
explosions in rapid succession. Tho
ship, except for the top of the fore
mast, was completely hidden by the
whlte phosphorus clouds. One Of
these bombs fell directly into the
crows nest atop the mainmast, and had
Inc hre control officers been at their
post in actual battle they would un-
doubtedly have all been killed. The
second struck the main deck beside the
forward gun turret, while the third
and fourth hit close to the stacks amid
ships.
This salvo alone, it was declared.
would have completely blinded any
antl-alrcraft crews and probably put
one OF the two principal gun turrets
out OF action. The PHOSPHORUS flames.
IL was pointed out, will eat through
virtually any material, and another
possible result would have been that
the bombs in this way would penetrate
the upper decks and expose the vital
mechanical and other parts of ship.
Followed by Flames
A fifth phosphorus bomb dropped
alongside the starboard bow and q
slxth under the stern. Two more
struck the after gun turret. These
were all followed by flames and dense
white smoke.
An inspection of the Alabama later
by army and navy officers and foreign
tcontinued On pane ssyen,