Evening star., 1921-06-20
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By the Associated Press.
OLD POINT COMFORT. Va. June
20.-The claim Of aircraft advocates
that battleships no longer form the
nations chief weapon will be brought
to a test this week off the Virginia
Capes Armed with bombs of every
size. flocks of Army and Navy airships
will seek in a series of tests to de-
stroy more than half a dozen former
German warships and to find and
bomb the radio controlled battleship
Iowa.
There will be no attempt to SIM
ulate real battle conditions The
Joint Army and Navy operations were
arranged by the government to get
at the facts as to the accuracy with
which airmen can drop bombs upon
naval craft. The warships of neces-
sity cannot employ their guns to
defend themselves, but Will oe
merely. except in the case OF the
Iowa, anchored targets for the
aviators.
tho effectiveness of bombs that
strike and explode upon the decks OF
armored ships. Previous tests with
placed bombs have not satisfied naval
authorities thS< capital craft would
be in grave danger OF destruction by
air bombs even IL struck
Originated in Controversy.
The unique and one-sided contests
had their origin in the controversy
which followed the declaration before
a congressional committee by Brig:
Gen. Mitchell of the air service that
the development Of military aircraft
was fast making the battleship OBJ
solete. Navy officials, led by former
Secretary Daniels, took prompt ex.
ception to this claim and the verbal
conflict of opinion ragged go Vigor-
ously that the government found II
advisable to attempt the actual
craft, employing its most modern
planes and bombs against obsolete
or former German naval craft.
In preparation for the tests the
ARMY has concentrated At Langley
Field, near here. tho largest mobiliza-
ton Of military aircraft in the history
of aviation in this country. More than
$50 planes of all types. including giant
Martin bombers capable of carrying
the new 2,00O-pound aerial bombs
smaller bombing planes and fast
single-sea pursuit machines win 9
speed of 120 miles an hour. to be used
for scouting and observation work
are Included in the mobilization, as
we'll as a number Of dirigibles.
Scores of Pilots Practice.
Scores Of pilots, gathered from fly.
Ing fields throughout the country
have been practicing daily for weeks
in bombing and observation flights
out to sea and up Chesapeake bay
dropping dummy and live oomn;
against targets over water and iand
Gen. Mitchell will have persona
charge of the Army's end of the test
and will lead the various nlghts o.
military aircraft.
At the Hampton roads station thu
naval aircraft are moSilized, inciudlns
a uumber Of seapiahes OF the ~,
fype. the class that negotiated the mrs
- ansatIantic fight. At Langley Flelt
a humber of Marine Corps, MARTIN
homhers and DH-4s are gathered Il
onerate with the naval planes during
the tests. x,. .,r,,r.
The first test. scheduled Tor tomoEr, r
row. will be directed against the UcilI
MODERN submarine used by the Ger
man navy during the war. Ihe suo
mersihle will be anchored fifty mile!
at Of Cape Charles. Va. in an aWasi
condition with concentric red. whlt'
and blue circles painted on lts oect
to a,stinenisa TIM nsa,bilty ii as Of @ mistake.
,cno f,rst expedition against N
NM will take off in time 80 that IN
Hrst division will arrive at the large
hv Q o'clock. The flight Will cohsls
entirely of naval planes. lnciIoint
| nine F-5-L type macnlhhes' hs torneS,
m,ane division of five Martin bombers
Each Of which will drop SIX oomDs
four NC type seaplanes, eacn OF Whci
will drop four bombs and q Marln' 1a
Corns division Of six DH planes 10 ie
20 two bombs each. All OF the ooin0
will be of the l63-pouno 'yp
VIII Take on From Langley
After the attack by the naval al,
detachment. II the submarine evi,s mas ,aT, NJ
~ from Langley Field. The Arm!
6ieht will consist of twelve big Mar
AZ "hombers, each to launch six oomps
end eleven De Haviland fours, wnici
will drop two bombs each. All OF IN
| is3-pound type. The aircraft VIII oe
liver the attack as the nlsnl Eui
manders choose %a Without no snsaG any feS'f'
| II is expected that by the time IN
sortv-seyen aircraft engaged in tn
test have dropped their 1SS bombs TN.
II-117 will have disappeared beneatf
| the surface of the water. out snouIs
the vessel still be afioat 1t Will D.
made the target of the guns OF oiya
| sion of destroyers on the foliowint
| Say. along with the former GermaI
| s,,hmarines, U-140, U-111 and UB-4S
The second phase Of the tests viii
take place on Tuesday. Omcers o
| both services consider this the mos
| important Of all the experiments, a
IL viii involve the double problem o
| the ability Of aircraft to ma an!
| enemy fleet somewhere in a wide ere:
of the coast and to bomb the enem!
| ships after locating them. On tha
date the radio-controlled battleshil
| Iowa will be somewhere between tn,
Virginia capes and Cape Henlopen
from 50 to 100 miles offshore. Th'
Iowa will be maneuvered by radi'