Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-01
Air Fleets to SuperSede
Marine Craft in So Years
Declares Famous MUent0r

the torpedo attack may easily cover
a distance of hundred miles.
Hours before the fleets are within
sight of each other and while THEN
will be fought out in the effort OF
the opposing forces to bring then
torpedo planes to bear on the capt.
tai ships. The aerial duel decided.
the victorious side will have an enor-
nous advantage in being free to de-
liver it's torpedo attack against Il
fleet whose sole reliance will be it's
ineffective anti-aircraft artillery. In
this way, long before the gun duel
has been entered into by the oppos-
ing fleets, the ultimate outcome OF
the action may have been decided.
Torpedo to Grow.
From this time on the long-range
weapon-the torpedo-will grow ana
the gun, believe, will diminish in
Importance. In attacking ships the
torpedo is the ideal weapon for the
airplane to employ. since it can not
carry guns of sufficient calibre ana
in sufficient numbers to damage arm
ored vessels. and since dropping
bombs from great heights is very
uncertain thing in the face of anti
aircraft guns located almost beneath
the bombing plane.
AS the capital ship is essentially
nothing more than floating gun
scheme of battle will wane. 1t IS
then, and then only, that we may
ask what is the use of building bat
tleships. But in these twenty-odd
years all the ships which we are
building now, or expect to build. Will
have served their purpose.
The second phase of naval develop
ment will be characterized by a grad
ual growth in the aerial arm: the
fighting planes growing constantly
larger to accommodate their increase
of armament until the time is reach
ed when they will be too big to De
carried on their mother ships.
The present rate of aerial progress
should in fifty years produce night
ing planes Of such magnitude and ra-
dius of action that an air-borne navy
will supersede the sloW-movlng wa
ter-borne craft of today.
It will possess the advantages OF
movement in three dimensions, be-
ing unrestricted by sand bars, Pc
nnnsulas or continents. and being ca.
pable of delivering it's attack. with
in a few hours: thousands OF miles
away at any desired point. ~
At this juncture there will reap
pear the same phase of competition
between the gun and aerial torpedo
but under these new conditions,
snce there is no new dimension
from which the torpedo attack may
be delivered, we will have state
Identical to the composition of our
fleets today, where the large gun
platforms are screened by small,
swift craft. The gun at this stage
will be the primary weapon once
more.
Guns to Dominate
The only solution which I see for
the end Of fleets and battle craft
will be discovered when that day
comes when it will be found unprof-
liable for any power to take the Of
fensive. Today 1t is we'll known
that naval forces are of little avail
when pitched against adequate coast
defenses In the, future the same
condition probably will be found and
the aerial fleet will not be able to
withstand the artillery volcano I'M
loosed from ground Qualifications
and the overwhelming number
Of small torpedo-directing planes
swarming UP from their protected
land bases.
The advantage will be with the de-
Tense of the invaded territory in the
same degree that coast defenses
have the same inestimable value
over the present fleets. In other
words, it is impossible for a mobile
gun platform of necessarily Limited
dimesinns and weight-carrying abil-
ity to compete with a gun platform
of unlimited dimensions and capable
of carrying any weight of artillery.
Thus the nations may gradually
abandon their fighting fleets and the
day of disarmament will dawn.
(Convri CHIT 1921 nv limited Press \