The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1921-08-05
u. S. hInSS''IIp
FITTED AS FOE
OF SUBMARINE:
Can Fly Seventy Miles an Hour
for About 5000 Miles.
PROTECTED FROM AiRPLkNES

Battle Fleet, Eyes, Ears ana, IN
Emergency, an Auxiliary "Business
End"-Represents the Very Last
Word In Aerial Dreadnauoht Design
ing-CompIete Telephone System.
Uncle Sam will soon become the
possessor Of the British-built RIBS,
the largest rigid airship yet construct
ed an any country and a craft that
represents the very "last word" in
aerial dreadnaught" designing.
Trim and smart as the quarterback
of an admiral's flagship, the R-3S, soon
to be designated officially by her
American name, ZR-2, Is claimed to
be the most formidable craft ever to
take the air."
She is expected to be capable Of
5000 miles flight at full speed-70
miles an hour-or $500 miles at
cruising speed" of 60 miles an hour.
Her specifications call for an arm
ament Of IA Lewis guns, one-pound
automatic gun. four bombs Of 500
pounds and eight bombs Of 23O
pounds. The machine guns are dis
tributed at vantage points 50 that any
form Of attack, from land sea or air,
might effectually be combated.
The ships heavy armament serves
as an index to her character. She is
designed to serve, if occasion arises,
as the general headquarters Of a
whole battle fleet, eyes, ears and, In
emergency, an auxiliary business
end"
From the compact convenient skip
per's" cabin, close up under her nose,
to the neat little machine-gunner's
nest" at the very tip Of her stern.
ZR-2s arrangement and construction
spells efficiency and strictly busi-
ness"
Foe Of Submarines.
Without extensive alterations ZR-2
could not accommodate comfortably
party Of 65 persons, as did the Italian
built, semi-rigid airship Roma" at
ter being taken over by the American
government recently. But if a subma-
rine were sighted, ZR-2 could ma
neuver into position, and then the mere
pressing of button in the captains
control cabin would release bomb,
or dozen bombs, if required, to do
in" the enemy undersea boat.
II enemy airplanes became bother
some during this procedure, they
would not find, as was the case with
the German Zeppelins that there was
an unprotected spot under the ZR-2's
lower part aft where they could hover
and pump machine-gun bullets into
her gasoline tanks. To meet just such
contingency there Is the stern ma.
chine-gun nest, one situated some so
yards ahead, on the underpart of the
ships engine cars, which are suspend
ed at her sides.
Protected From Airplanes.
Should the attack come from above,
gunner, protected from the fury Of
high altitude winds in cockpit at
the top of the ship, would probably
be able to do anything necessary with
his one-pound automatic piece.
These represent some of the many
improvements, indicated by eXamina-
ton of wrecked Zeppelins and other
experience, which have been incor-
pOrated In the ZR-2.
Seen in flight, the ZR-2 will be
much like her sister ship, R-34, Of
transatlantic fame. But her shim-
mering sides and clean appearance
conceal a confusion Of anterior work.
ings' that, to one unaccustOmed to
such craft, Is most bewildering.
AS one proceeds along the narrow,
"man-high" corridor, which extends
the entire length of the ship, he sees q
complication of criss-crossed alumni
mum Orders, rows of gasoline and wa
ter tanks, what seems to be, and &C.
tually are, acres of fabric gas bags
and a miscellany Of guy wires, con-
troll valves, pipes, swivels, hinges and
gew-gaws that defy understanding.
But after a guide who knows every
inch of the gigantic bulk has made
explanations the handling of the ship
is seen to be simplicity itself
Thus the skipper" standing at the
wheel in his cabin, just as a sea cap
tain on the bridge, has within reach
miscellany of buttons, switches and
levers electrically controlled, with
which he can release ballast water
debate one or more gas bags, empty
his gasoline tanks, start bomb TO
ward an objective and, of course,
steer the ship upward, downward, to
right or left.
Complete Telephone System.
He can send orders through a tele-
phone system which connects up the
whole ship, for the starting or stop
ping of one or all of the ships six
propelling engines, advise his ma,
chine-gunners of the approach of an
enemy or, through the operator at his
back, send observations by wireless
to a flagship or land base.
Comic. table hunks are provided for
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