Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-06-19

IOiu VI one or our TUtH HIkHt WIN thc
army bombers from Langley Field. This
coming "air versus water" tests later in
the month, wherein the army fiers will
seek to destroy old battIeships by drop
ping explosives. To-day the same writer
gives a graphic account of what the
navy's airmen are doing toward the same
end His report on the perfection OF the
torpedoplane and the accuracy of those
missiles is one of the most important
contributions to aviation news this year.
BY DONALD MCREGoR.
HAMPTON ROADS. Va, Saturday,
~ line from here, twenty-five miles
away as the crow hie'. ,s .., the
~ lazy James River. now dotted with
idle shipping, and then beyond over the
swampy, rolling country filled with pine
trees and underbrush so typical Of this sec
ton Of virginia-is the quaint village Of
Yorktown, made famous in history as the
scene of the final American victory in the
Revolutionary War.
Within sight of the shaft that marks the
spot where CORVALLIS, in October, 1881, sur
rendered his sword to washington there is
in progress to-day the perfection Of a COM
pletely new instrument of war which may, II
necessary again bring an enemy nation to
submission
This new tool of war is torpedo firing
airplane, capable of sending through the
water a mighty tube of deadly explosive
which, striking under the heavy armor, digs
into the very vitals of ship and then, with
a tremendous detonation, sends her to the
bottom Of the sea.
Whatever the final outcome of the now
furious controversy over the question or
whether the battleshp or the airplane Will
be supreme in the next war, If the day OF
wars is not yet over, an issue Ringing almost
entirely on the ability Of military fiers to
drop effective bombs from the sky, the fact
remains that the airplane has scored point
in its own behalf through its demonstrated
usefulness in the firing of torpedoes'
How the Airplane Starts
Torpedo in It's Deadly Flight
In general way. the firing of the torpedo
is accomplished by the airplane when 1t
swoops down in front Of the target. The
torpedo, which is of the commonly known
Whitehead type, self propelled and accurate
ir its fixed course, is sent forward under
conditions much the same as If 1t were dis
charged from submarine or torpedo boat
There are numerous advantages in the
use of aircraft for the firing Of torpedoes
While, of course 1t will not mean that tor
pedo boats or submarines will become obso-
lete, due to the fact that they always have
had and always will have In modern times
specific duties to perform. yet the airrlane
materially widens the field for the use Of
torpedoes, which proved to be SO effective in
the last war.
The airplane, operating as 1t does far
above the surface of the water will have
a greater vision than any other craft en-
gagged in the firing of torpedoes and there
fore wider field of activity The speed Of
the airplane is far in excess of any surface
or subsurface craft which means that the
distance for patrol will be greater than
heretofore in torpedo work.
The airplane, furthermore, able to fly at
extremely high attitudes and capable of
quick maneuvrng, Is better able to defend
itself against attack
Vivid Imagination Is unnecessary to pic
ture torpedo firing airplane in action.
Driving toward an enemy at ninety or
hundred miles an hour 1t would swoop
down from the sky directly in front Of the
ba NJ ha nff oaiT,
In the clouds. The powerful engine of death.
first sinking slightly into the water as a
result of the fall, would regain Its shallow
under water level again and travel on
straight in the line of fire.
Airplanes would be Of particular value,
officers of the navy recognize, for the firing
of torpedoes when necessary in surprise at
tacks. With their tremendous speed they
could go long distance in a few hours. In
darkness perhaps, and then. at dawn, come
down for the onslaught from their attitudes
Of from 10000 or $4,000 feet. to which they
had gone to deaden the roar Of their motors
Simply by shutting off the engine. for the
sake of quiet, they could glide down, going
5000 feet forward for every 1000 feet Of
altitude and then launch the torpedo. In
night attacks flares could be used to reveal
the target.
The development Of torpedo firing from
airplanes is taking place at the Yorktown
branch Of the naval air station of Hampton
Roads. There, while a handful of blue
jackets is busy knocking mortar off old
bricks and yanking nails out of rough lum-
Der that has seen service before 4 tiny
nroup of navy aviators Ia ffviuu nver tha
deep water of the York River working out
the various phases of the continuance.
The station at which the experiments
now are in progress has been operating only
since last February. although. of course,