The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-10-09

: <NhR ShhS eAhh ~AV VI
the Navy"
Through tho courtesy of til
War Department ta0o flights we5v
made by staff representative Of
Universal Service during the recent
tests IN lo,oer Chesapeake boy to
demonstrate the effectiveness Of
airplane bombs against battle
ship. Each day as the tests pro-
crossed the correspondent sent out
over Universal Service aoires brief
dispatches giving the results. Here
the complete picture is given as it
Was observed from the clouds and
lookout stations, coupled pith conf
ment from high officials which
might properly be called captions
for the picture.)
BY RANDOLPH c. SHAW.
Staff Correspondent Universal Service.
"IERE the shades of the Phoe-
w nician war galley COM
manders, Of Nelson, Of
Perry and other great admirals Of
history lowering over Chesapeake
bay a few days ago?
Perhaps it was their ghostly
aura and not the traces of phos-
phorus bombs the writer observed
as he flew in the darkness over
the hulk of the old battleship Ala
bama, on which army aviators had
been hurting high explosives, gas,
phosphorus and the other deadly
agents Of modern warfare.
At any rate, 1t was not difficult
to imagine the tears of the old sea
dogs falling in the mist and fog
which postponed the death-blow to
the old battleship Alabama.
KNELL OF BATTLESHIPS.
Battered and in a sinking con-
dition from two days bombardment
with air missiles Of comparatively
light explosive power. the one-time
pride Of the navy thus gained.
through the weather conditions, a
brief respite from the certain de-
struction by the ton and two-ton
bombs.
But 1t was a larger question than
the fate Of the Alabama which the
shades of departed sea heroes had
reason to bemoan.
"The knell of the battleship has
been tolledr'
It was another admiral speaking,
but this time in flesh and blood
Rear Admiral Fullam, retired, one
Of the country's leading writer's on
naval affairs.
THE most impressive and the sad
dest sight of my career" he OBJ
served to Brigadicr General Mitchell,
assistant army aviation chief. as
the two watched four deadly phos-
phorous bombs strike the Alabama
and envelop her in binding flames.
You have demonstrated that the
air holds a menace to the capital
ships against which there is no ap-
parent Defense" he added.
TAKES FUN OUT
or NAVY"
Then turning to the writer, Ad-
niral Fullam said: e..
THAT takes all the fun out Of the
navy. Sinking ships by bombing is
not very dissimilar from that fate
which has always been a possibility
with any war craft. But when they
begin rendering a ship helpless by
gas, smoke screens and PHOSPHORUS
fire without a chance to hit back,
that Is something else again.
Submarines were bad enough. but
at least they were part Of the sea,
and there was always a chance to
pot one before he bot you.
Yes, this new air game takes all
the fun out OF the navy"
Not as frank In their spoken
thoughts as Admiral Fullam were the
members Of the navy board of OBJ.
servers. but their facial expressions
when bomb after bomb found it's
mark on the old battleship were
more eloquent than words.
Even to one who had not heard
Of the bitter controversy which has
been winged by the adherents of Gen.
eral Mitchell on one side and the
navy Supporters on the other the
situation would have been revealed
at a glance.
BOMBS TEAR UP DECK.
Through the three days Of the
LoubinR operations the navy and