New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-25
Planes Blind
" arsEnip p,Drop
Flood Of Fire
Second Day of Army Tests
Against Old Alabama
Is Filled With Thrills
and Elates the Experts
Flames Hurled From Sky
Raiding Flyers Pour Down
Bombs as Thick Smoke
Screen Protects Them
From a Staff Correspondent

ABOARD THE U. S. ARMY MINE
PLANTER MILLS, OFF TANGIER ISL
AND, CHESAPEAKE BAY, Sept. Cd
Pursuit planes, diving while emptying
machine guns upon the decks of the old
battleship Alabama, the thunderous
crash of recently perfected bombs
dropped from giant Martin bombers and
aerial circus stunts by the attacking
squadrons from Langley Field fur
nished dozens of highly realistic thrill.
to-day on the second day of the army
bombing tests.
The flyers were again favored with
almost ideal weather for their opera
tions, while a fresh northeasterly
breeze held steadily all day. The sea
was fairly smooth and the visibility
high.
Late last night small fight of
planes unexpectedly renewed the attack
with the use Of high powered fare
bombs, which brought OFT the lines of
the target in bold relief, at the same
time obscuring the flyers above Half a
dozen 300-pound phosphorus bombs
were chen showered upon the vessel,
several striking her decks almost
simultaneously. Flames shot UP about
the masts from stem to stern, eating
away the plank upper decks.
The attack was continued just before
lO:3n this morning, when a squadron
of nine De Havilands carrying four
5o-pound smoke bombs winged their
way the seventy miles from Langley
Field Elvinr 0ytran,o}v louy
showered their cargoes all about the
Several minutes after striking great
clouds OF grayish white smoke rose
and hid all but the bow of the ship
and covered second approaching
squadron of planes of the SE-5 type.
Defenders Would Be Helpless
The smoke screen, it was declared
by naval experts, would have prevent
ed the personnel of the ship from see
ing the planes, and have rendered anti
aircraft defences aboard useless.
Protected by the screen, Sopworth
machines carried out the actual attack
with 25-pound Cooper demolition
bombs and machine gun fire.
After clrcllng about the target for q
few minutes the planes riding down
the wind swerved sharply and in turn
dived toward the battleship, raining
machine gun bullets upon her decks
When but a few feet above the mast
heads they let go with the 25-pound
bombs.
Many of the bombs exploded under
the sides and stern of the Alabama.
weakening the hull plates.
Of the twenty-eight dropped. four
teen were direct hits. These did CON
siderable local damage to stacks, tur-
rets, masts and decks. The worst havoc
wrought upon the vessel was the work
OF the next squadron, which was com
posed Of four Martin bombing planes.
Each of these carried four 30O-pound
demolition bombs. These planes came
Mitchell, assistant chief of the ARMY
Air Service, had made a reconnaissance
flight over the target area in a small
pursuit plane.
The first pair of the demolition
bombs dropped struck close under the
starboard side of the Alabama with a
| terrific detonation that shook the OBJ
serving ships, though they were more
than thousands yards away.
Whole Deck Is Ripped
The next pair fell about fifty feet
OFT the stern. Two more fell under the
starboard side, and after several more
proved to be duds one of the planes
made direct hit with pair of the
bombs on the main deck just forward
of the main turret
The double explosion ripped open the
entire forward deck, raising armor plate
and all the smaller forward superstruc-
lures on end. The interior Of the vessel
was completely exposed and it was
stated that had the ship been in action
the powder and ammunition magazines
undoubtedly would have exploded and
completely wrecked the vessel.