The New York herald., 1921-06-23
TWO FLIERS PERISH
ASPLANES CRASH IN
BOMB FIGHT AT SEA
800 Pounds INT Tear Wa
ters Where Airmen Sink
in Chesapeake Bay.
NO TRACE OF DEAD
Craft Rising After Drop
ping Bomb Cuts Off
Tail OF Mate.
ARMY'S LEADING PILOTS
Capt. H. Il. Douglas and Lieut..
NJ. j. Plumb Victims of I'm
usual Tragedy.
ARMY'S LEADING PILOTS

WITH THE ATLANTIC FLEET, OFF THE
VIRGINIA CAPEs, June 22.-While Amer
lean destroyers were sinking two Ger
man submarines off the Cape Charles
Lightship to-day, two of the best
known fliers of the Army Air Service
were drowned after a collision of their
airplanes in the course of a bombing
battleship San Marcos, formerly the
Texas, off Tangier Island. The dead
aviators were Capt Howard T. Doug
las and Lieut.. Maril j. Plumb.
Soon after the planes and the two
officers had sunk from sight and be-
fore any efforts could be made to res
cue them, another plane which had
taken part in the bombing dropped a
bomb containing 500 pounds of INT,
which fell near where the machines
went down.
The terrific explosion of the bomb,
aviation officers said, would make diff
cult the recovery Of the bodies or the
planes in which the two fliers fell. 1t
Is thought, however. that both men
were dead before the bomb hit the
water.
How Accident Occurred.
Reports received here said the acct
dent which cost the lives of Douglas
and Plumb vas one of the most peculiar
on record. Plumb, flying a fast single
seated seaplane. was dropping bombs
and Douglas. in a similar machine. was
observing the raid from above. Plum5's
machine had just dropped n bomb and
was climbing upward as is the custom
afber releasing a bomb. when 1t struck
Capt. Douglass machine. cutting off It's
tpil. Both ships fell into the hay and
disappeared together with their pilots,
neither OF whom was seen again after
they had sunk.
Douglas. whose home was In Coyina,
Cal, was one OF the best known of
army fliers.
Plumb. whose home was in Fond du
Lac. was recognized as one OF the
armys most expert fliers
Weather conditions were splendid for
the tests. Although the sea. which had
been comparatively calm for the aerial
attack on the U-1l7, was rough. there
was a bright sun when the battleships
with the transport Henderson made their
way from the anchorage to a point
about twenty miles beyond, where the
submarines were at anchor.
Nineteen Direct Hits Made.
The observation vessels were In posi-
tion about 5000 yards from the subma-
rines when the destroyers. five OF them
in column. steamed into view over the
horizon. They started firing when they
were 5000 yards from the target-using
five inch guns--and continued until they
were abreast OF the target. at 5000
yards. Their course was oblique. The
U-140 was the first TO be sunk. The
Dickcrson alone fired on her. using
thirty-nine shots Of a possible forty,
and Of these the board of observers.
headed by Capt. Luke McNamee OF the
battleship Nevada recorded that nine
teen were direct hits.
The first shot was fired at IL :04
O'Clock. and the submarine. broken,
twisted, with the coming tower shot off.
sank in exactly 1 hour % minutes and
80 seconds. The U-140. which was built
In 1916. and measured 302 feet In length.
went down by the stern, with her nose
sticking straight in the air. She had
been one OF the finest OF the German
submarines. with a cruising radius OF
lsO 900 miles. She was capable of carry
ing a crew of elghty-three men and
cost Germany more than a million dol
lars.
While the board of observers were
setting down the details OF the effect
of the firing on the U-140 the deetroyers
were circiing about. preparing to make
the attack on the UI3-14s. When the
signal came they formed In line again.
with the same procedure. but this time
the Sickard did the firing.
Coming Tower Torn Away.
The third shot. from approximately
5000 yards. hit the stern OF the UB-its.
while the sixth tore away part OF the
coming tower Just before she sank. the
destroyer Barney carrying the Board
of Observers, went to see what had
happened. setting Il down that twenty Of
the forty shots fred had been direct
hits. They. too. we're at ranges OF from
5000 to 1000 yards. Each of the de-
stroyers was allowed forty shots.
II required exactly 20 minutes and .
seconds for the UB-1is TO sink. She
went down with an even Keel, the con-
ming tower being the last TO disappear
but she rolled from side to side as she
filled with water. The UB-14S was
smaller than the U-i4o. measuring but
is1 feet and having cruising radius
OF 5000 miles. comparatively half the
size.
officers and men aboard the destroy
ers of the fleet were In high glee to-
night over the results OF the sinkings.
obviously since there had been much
debate even among themselves as to
their ability to destroy the submarines
under the circumstances. The range
prescribed was o long one and there was
little of the target to be observed. the
submarines being awash Upon tho
theory that the destroyers probably
would be unable to sink the German
craft the naval authorities provided that
if they remained afoat after the eighty
shots the North Dakota was 10 sink
them with depth charges.