The New York herald., 1921-02-07
EAGER FOR TEST OF
AIR DUEL WITH SHIP
Army and Navy Circles Want
Controversy Settled by
Experiment.
THE IOWA MAY BE USED
Some Maintain Action Would
Be Inconclusive, Lacking
Defence Guns.
THE IOWA MAY BE USED

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-Army ana
navy circles are clamoring for the
proposition that the controversy as to
the relative superiority OF battleships
and aircraft be settled through actual
tests.
There is strong likelihood. naval
officers said to-day, that the Old battle-
ship Iowa, already fitted with radio
control gear and capable OF speed o.
more than ten knots and OF being
manoeuvred with no one on boaS6
will be used as target for aeria\
bombs after experiments now being
conducted on the control device are
completed.
Another suggestion going the rounds
of the Navy Department now Is that
large lighters be towed at high speed be-
hind destroyers or cruisers and used as
targets Many officers believe that no
test OF the ability of the aviators 10 MT
naval vessels would be conclusive unless
the target were moving at least twenty
knots an hour. pointing out that al
modern cruisers, battle cruisers. battle
ships and destroyers and the proposed
airplane carriers have more speed than
this II the lighters were used. 1t was
said a constructive area equal OF that
of the capital surface ship would be al
lowed the aviators around the lighter IN
which all hits would be counted.
Believe Hits Unlikely.
No test event under these conditions
would be entirely conclusive. many
naval officers maintain, because all or
the elements of defence would be lack
ing, including anti-aircraft guns and
protective aircraft. II was generally
conceded. however, that such expert
ments would give good idea OF the
ability OF the aviators to actually hit
vessel moving on the water.
IT am so confident" said one high
naval officer to-day, that neither army
nor navy aviators can hit the Iowa
when she is under way that l would
be perfectly willing to be on board her
when they bomb her. providing that they
were kept at the altitude they would
be compelled to maintain in battle"
Army aviators maintain that any sur
face vessel in existence to-day can be
destroyed by airplane attack. citing the
tests on the old battleship Indiana with
dummy bombs as proof Of their ability
to hit the target. Navy officers assert
that it is one thing to hit a battleship
anchored in a bay and another to hit
the same ship moving at sixteen to
twenty knots an hour far out at sea-
Challenge to Navy.
Brig. Gen. William Mitchell. assistant
chief of tha air service. recently told
Congress committee that developments
in aircraft had spelled the doom OF the
present day dreadnought. Other air
service officers are understood to have
issued a virtual challenge to the Navy
Department to permit them to prove
their contentious. The Navy Department
is a firm believer in the superiority of
the capital ship and, naval officers be-
lieve. will accept the challenge in the
hope of settling the controversy, at least
for the time being.
General Mitchell has asked his supe-
riors In the War Department to send a
formal request to Secretary Daniels that
two torpedo boats. two supply vessels
and one battleship be designated for the
tests. Naval officers express the belief
that such request. even If made. would
be refused because of the large amount
of material involved and the cost of
fitting the Ave vessels with distant radio
control apparatus.