The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-06-21
CLAIM OF AIRCRAFT ADVOCATES THAT
BATTLESHIPS NO LONGER NATIONS CHIEF
DEFENSE BROUGHT TO TEST THIS WEEK
(By the Associated Press)

2O.--The claim Of air craft advo.
Gates that battleships no longer form
the nations chief weapon of defense
will be brought to a test this week
off the Virginia Capes. Armed with
bombs of every size flocks of army
and navy air ships will seek in a
series Of tests to destroy more than
half dozen former German warships
and to find and bomb the radio-con-
trolled battleshp Iowa
There will be no atempt to simu-
late real battle conditions. The joint
army and navy operations were ar
ranged by the government to get at
the facts as 10 the accuracy with
which air men can drop bombs upon
naval craft The warships of ne
cessity can not employ their guns
TO defend themselves, but will be
merely, except in the case of the
Iowa. anchored targets for the avi-
ators.
The maneuvers also will determine
the effectiveness of bombs that
strike and explode upon the decks Of
armored ships Previous tests with
placed bombs have not satisfied ma
val authorities that capital craft
would be in grave danger of de-
struction By air bombs even If struck.
The unique and one.sided contests
had their origin In the controversy
which followed the declaration before
congressional committee by Brig
adler General Mitchell, of the air
service. that the development of mil
itary aircraft was fast making the
battleship obsolete. Navy officials led
by former Secretary Daniels. took
prompt exception to this claim and
the verbal conflict of opinion ragged
so vigorously that the government
found ii advisable to attempt the
actual demonstration Of the power Of
aircraft, employing its most modern
planes and bombs against obsolete
Of former German naval craft
In preparation for the tests the
army has concentrated at Langley
Field, near here, the largest mobili-
zation of military aircraft in the
history of aviation in this country
More than $50 planes of all types
including giant Martin bombers ca
pable of carrying the new 1000 pound
aerial bombs. smaller bombing planes
and fast single-seat pursuit machines
with a speed of l20 miles an hour,
| to be used for scouting and obser-
vation work, are included in the mobll.
ization, as well as number of diri-
gibles.
Scores of pilots, gathered from fly
| ing fields throughout the country,
have been practicing daily for weeks
in bombing and observation flights out
to sea and up Chesapeake Bay, drop
ping dummy and live bombs against
targets over water and land. Cen
eral Mitchell will have personal
charge OF the army's end of the
tests and will lead the various flights
Of military aircraft.
At the Hampton Roads station the
naval aircraft are mobilized including
u number Of seaplahes Of the NC-4
type. the clasT that negotiated the
first transatlantic flight. At Lang
ley field number Of marine corps,
Martin bombcrs and DH-4s are gath
cred to operate with the naval planes
during the tests.
First Test Tuesday
The first test. scheduled for Tues
day. will be directed against the T.
III. modern submarine used by the
German navy during the war. The
submersible will he anchored 30
miles east OF Cape Charles. Va, In
an awash condition with concentrc
red. white and blue circles painted
on It's deck TO distinguish II as the
target and avoid the possibility oil
mistake.
The first expedition against the l.
III will take off In time 50 that
the first division will arrive at the
target by nine o'clock. The flight
will consist entirely Of naval planes
including nine F-5-L type machines
each OF which will drop four bombs
torpedo plane division OF five Mar
tin bombers. each OF which will dror
six bombs, four NC type seaplanes
each OF which will drop four bombs
and q Marine Corps division OF sS
III planes t. let go two bombs eRcN
IN the bon.os will be of the le'
pcnnd tyre.
hfscr the ST, cf by Ils' naval =
: detachment Y the submarine has nr'
boon sunk. the army FLYERS will ~ {
/ off from Langley Field. The arm,
flight will consist OF twelve big Martir
} bombers. each to launch six bombs
and II DH-.s which will drop tw'
bombs each. all OF the ieS pount
type. The aircraft will deliver th'
attack as the flight commander
choose without any restrictions ~
| to altitude or spccd.
IL n expected that by the tint
: the q aircrar; engaged In the tes
, have dropped their lsS bombs tGc Z
} III will have disappeared ttneou
: the surface " the water bu, shoul'
; the vessel Siil Lc 9float II VIII b.
4. made the sarget of the guns OF
p division NJ Designer on the follow
, ing day. along with the form Ger
, man submarines, riIO, U-il- an
, uB-is.
. s O'clock Zero Hour
? The second phase OF the tests VII
a take place on June ss. Officers O
a both services consider this the moT
important Of all the experiments, a
p Il will involve the double problem g
e the ability Of aircraft to find an
q enemy rlcs, somcwhrrc In wld
d area OFF INC east ant' to bomb IN
J enemy ships after locating them. O
J that date the radio controlled battle
z ship Iowa will be somewhere betwee
d the virginia Capes and Cape Her
!. lopen. from 80 to 100 miles o'
u shore. The Iowa will be maneuverc
/. by radio from the battleship ohi'
five or six miles distant. The u,
10 .r. will have only an approxifnat