The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-22
SIX ONE TON BOMBS
SINK A BATTLESHIP
Continued rom FIRST Page.

roremast about fifty feet from the star
board side. and as the smoke cleared
away II was Observed that the after
portion Of the deck was awash. BY this
time there was developing list to port.
Two minutes later this grew into an
exceedingly heavy list. and on the star
board side. toward the bow. the dread
nought was lifting well out of the water.
The bombing had consumed thirteen
minutes.
Those aboard the vessels of the feet
had their marine glasses on the ship
waiting for the final plunge. The waves
| splashed against the side. The stern was
awash The bow was lifting higher and
higher. She was turning slowly over to
the port side. exposing first more and
then more of the bottom. Nobody spoke.
| Overhead could be heard the steady
hum of the Martins that were lowering
around like buzzards. Gen. Mitchell, in
O. two scatter airplane, with the pennant
| of the leader streaming out from behind.
! few to within hundred feet OF the
sinking ship. Twoablimps that had been
watching the operations from safe
distance now ventured near to have a
look on their own account. Above all
of them the Handley-Page, loaded with
a seventh one tor bomb. was Tying back
and forth.
The Ostfriesland was turning slowly,
and at ~ 80 was on her beam ends.
She started under the waves with rush
soon after and the official time OF the
sinking was fixed at 12:4o.
| AS the bottom turned up large holes
were exposed from which there was
gush of water. These had been caused
by bombs that Fit close to the bow. The
stern being submerged did not reveal the
damage. although It was evident that 1t
had been much greater there.
Great ship Dies Hard.
The ostfriesland dipped her two masts
into the water and then her three fun
nes. In agony she twisted and plunged.
| leaving only the bow to the sunlight.
The sea swished around her. It was
probable that she was standing on end,
having hit bottom with the stern. The
| bow remained in view for a minute or
two and then slipped under the water.
| The tension aboard the observation ships
| had ended
| Just as the bow disappeared the Hand
ley-Page dropped its 1000 pound bomb
into the whirlpool. 1t was salute to
the craft which, operating with the first
squadron, had figured prominently In the
battle of Jutland. had been credited with
sinking the British cruiser Black Prince
and which had made port after being
struck by two torpedoes
All around the spot where the dread
nought went down there was a rush OF
water. It spread in ripples for q dame
ter OF 100 feet or moro. This developed
presently into a great bubbling up from
beneath the surface. continuing for fully
| twenty minutes 1t was. caused by the
filling OF the watert!ght compartments.
Of which the Ostfriesland had eighty
five.
| The Shawrnut. mother ship of the air
| forces of the Atlantic Fleet, which car
| ried the board of observers, steamed
slowly to the spot where the German
| had gone down. She found nothing but
the bubbles. The dreadnought had gone
down in fifty fathoms.
AS soon as the ship had disappeared
the airpanes departed. all except that
OF General Mitchell, who flew around
| the marine transport Henderson. aboard
which were the chief guests. He flew
very low and had his goggles ana he'll
met off. The people on the deck gave
him a great cheer He had made good
with his side OF the argument that air
planes would he able TO sink capital
ships.
stiII Some Use for Battleshfps. i
The dropping OF the five 1000 pound
| bombs began at 3 :35 o'clock this morn
ing. registering three hits on the deck.
One of these. on the forecastle. dug n
great hole into the two upper decks and
the hull but did not penetrate the protec-
tive deck. The two other hits fell near
the tunnels. also digging into the upper
works. but In no way putting the dread
nought out OF action.
SO anxious were the army fliers who
dropped these 1000 pound bombs. as
well MS those Weighing 1000 pounds.
that they had 10 be called off by
the shawmut after two hits had been
scored. That had been the rule---two hits.
Two more bombs were dropped. however
before the filters could be stopped. A
group OF navy seaboata also with 1000
pound bombs did not fire.
Thus ended the long continued argu-
ment of the ability Of airplanes to sink
capital ships IA at present constructed
but II was evident from the comment
OF navy officers aboard the vessels oil
the fleet that they are not convinced
that the battleship will be displaced M
the foremost fighting unit. They ex.
piained that even IL the ability OF air.
Gro IL to sink vessels with bombs IL con.
elusive. battleships will be ,ecessar,
TO protect airplane carriers such as will
be needed for aircraft in operations fsi