Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-06-21

] lnnl hhttleNhlls no Ionscr FORM the
nations chief weapon 81 defense viii
lie brought Ia test neat week off the
I Virginia capcs. Armed with bombs
Of every size. flocks az army and navy
Lirships viii seek In series Of tests
To destroy more than hnlf n dozen for.
m"r German warshlps and 10 find and
bomb the radio controlled battlcship
, Iowa.
There viii be M attempt 10 simulate
real battle conditions. The joint army
and navy operations were arranged by
the government Ia gct az the facts IN
! Ia IN. accuracy with which air men
| can drop bombs upon naval craft. The
warships nf Necessity cannot employ
their guns 10 defend themselves but
viii be merely. except IN the case ~
the Iowa. anchored targcta for the ayia-
/ tors.
The mnncauvers also will determine
the effectiveness II bombs that strike
and explode upon the decks ~ anchor.
cd ships. Previous tests with placed
bombs have not satisfied naval author
D
IN grave danger uf destruction by air
bombs even u struck.
The unique and onc.sidcd contsts had
their origin In the controversy which
followed the declaration before Con.
gress!onal committee by lirigahicr Glen.
vYal Mitchell, 81 the air service. that
the development 1T military aircraft
was fast making the battleship obsolete.
Navy officials let by Former Secretary
Daniels. took prompt exception tn this
claim and the verbal conflict of opin.
ion ragged ~ vigorously that the gov.
crnmcnt found IL advisable To attempt
the Hctual demonstration of the pdNyer
ut aircraft. employing Us most modern
planes and hnmhs against obsolete az
former German naval craft
In preparation Tor the tests the army
has concentrated az Langley Field
near here the largest mobilization of
military aircraft IN the history ~ nvia.
ton In this country. More than $50
planes ~ all types including giant
I Martin hombors capable of carrying
the new 1000 I'ound aerial ibombs.
smaller bombing planes and fast single
seat pursuit machines with a speed of
l.0 miles an hour. To bc used for scout
ing and observation work. are includ
ed IN the mobilization as well Ms nom
Der oi dirigiblcs.
Scores Of pilots. gathered from flying
fields throughoo, the country. have
been pacticing daily for weeks In
bombing and observation flights out
% sea up Chesapeake bay, dropping
n.
over water aud land. General Mitchell
will have personal charge of the army's
end Of the tests and viii lead the vari.
cus Tights Of military aircraft.
naval' aircraft are mobilizcd. including
u number Of scapanes of the N.C.+
type. the class that negotiated the
transatlantic flight. At Langley field
a number OF marine corps Martin
humbers and DH-i's are gathered To-
operate with the naval planes DURING
The first test. scheduled for Tuesday
viii be directed against the u.ll1. n
viii be anchored 80 miles east of Cape
Charles Va, In "A wash condition with
painted on It's deck to distinguish II
a. u mistake,
The first expedition against the U.li7
nine O'Clock. Tn. flight viii consist
entirely Of naval planes. including nine
tb.l. type machines. each of which
will drop four bombs. "A torpedo plane
division of five Martin bombcrs. each
or which viii drop six bombs. four Ne
tyne scanlanos each NJ which will drop
four bombs and u Marine Corps Divis.
ion uf six oil planes ,o Let 10 two
bombs each All IL the bombs viii be-
Of IN" 1863 pound type.
After the attack by the naval air de.
tathmcnt. u the submarine has not
been sunk. the army flyers will take
off from Langley Field. The army
flight will consist of twelve biz Martin
buinhcrs, each Ia launch six bombs and
~ DH.ts which win drop two bombs
each. all ~ the lG3 pound type. The
aircraft will deliver the attack az the
Hight commanders choose without any
restrictions ~ to altitude or speed.
u is expected that by the time the
o. aircraft engaged In the test have
dropped their iSs bombs this r.ii7 viii
have disappeared beneath the surface
at the water hut should the vessel still
be- afluat II will ls made the target III
the guns IL u division 81 ,i-rtroy,rs on
the following day. along with the formers
German submarines. U.iiO, UNI and
UB.iS.
The second phase of the tests will
take place ON June ~. Officers of both
services consider this the most import.
ant ~ all the experiments. as II will
Involve the double problem ~ the abili-
~ ~ aircraft to lind any enemy fleet
somewhere IN n wide area off the coast
and to bomb the enemy ships after 10.
eating them. ON that date the radio
controlled battlcship Iowa win he some.
where between the Virginia capes and
Cape llcniopen. from 80 to 100 mics
OFF shore. The Iowa win b. maneuver.
ed 10y radio from the battlcshipe Ohio.
five or six miles distant. The flyers
will have only an approximate idea
II the location Of the Iowa and will he
required tn take off NJ given signal.
search the Wide area involved and.
II they find the vessel bomb II with
dummy bombs and get back 10 land
safely. The control officer on the Ohio
will be- allowed To- maneuvcr the Iowa
rs he plcascs during the bombing. stim.
ulnting as far M possible the moves
of a hatilcship might he expected To
make I'm war Ia escape aerial attack.
The conditions involved are that the
Iowa shall continue To steam In the gen.
cral direction ~ the shore and the at.
tncking planes stay nj an altitude of nj
least 1000 feet. Eight o'clock In the
morning will BE- zero hour"
In the test against the Iowa all avail