New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-22

irrespective of the results of the
bombing of the former German battle
ship Ostfriesland, the sinking Of the
German cruiser Frankfurt by navy and
army air craft, using medium sized
bombs alone, has clinched the evidence
that unarmored ships of all classes
destroyers, light cruisers, golfers, sup
ply ships, repair ships, ammunition
ships, etc:-are helpless against de-
termined attack by air craft. In other
words, a feet which does not control
the air above itself will inevitably lose
all auxiliary vessels, including it's pro-
tective screen of destroyers and light
cruisers. Even if its battleships remain
af1oat unscathed, they will be helpless
without their supporting forces, which
are needed to protect them from sub
marine attack and to supply them with
coal, oil, provisions, ammunition and
other necessaries in operations over
seas. A battleship force, however pow
erful as such, must, when so stripped
of support, remain at home! 1t be-
comes an impotent factor in naval
warfare!
Sea PosUer in the Future
Sea power in the future may be no
less important than in the past, but it
cannot be exerted through the medium
of surface ships alone. The awful
record of submarines in the World
War and an intelligent consideration
of the results obtained in these bomb
ing tests suffice to prove beyond ques-
ton that sea power in the future will
be dependent upon air power and sub
marine power, as we'll as upon sur
face feet. The victorious navy in
future wars must, at all times, control
the air, the surface and the sub
surface of the sea. A three-plane navy
is demanded. Conservatism at the Navy
Department during the last three years
has discouraged the development of
submarines and air forces. II has fought
unremlttingly for an enormous sur
face f1eet-a helpless, one-plane navy
-pegrudgingly and patronizingly yield
ing to the upper and lower planes a
mere widows mite of money from the
hundreds of millions of naval appro-
priations!
accurate Bombing
The accuracy of the navy and army
bombers in their attack upon the
Frankfurt deserves all praise. There
were not more than a half dozen wild
shots in total of seventy eight-ffty-
seven 300pound and twenty-one 600
pound bombs. 1t must be noted that
the explosive in these bombs is only
one-half the total weight-about $50
pounds for the light and 300 pounds
for the heavy bombs. The effect of
these comparatively small bombs was
called for. We may easily imagine
what would have been the result had
bombs Of 1000 and 1000 pounds been
employed against the Frankfurt. r.
Of the fifty-seven small bombs there
were six direct hits. Four of these,
however, did not explode, due to de-
fective fuses. 1t is more than prob
able that these six bombs alone would
have sufticed to put the Frankfurt out
OF action owing to casualties to per-
sonnet, etc, even had she not sunk.
There appeared to be six direct hits
with the larger bombs, which produced
widespread destruction. More than
of all the bombs fell
within the length of the ship and many
were so close that water was splashed
upon the ships deck. The explosion of
these bombs in the water near the ship
unquestionably contributed largely to
her sinking by opening her seams. Her
armor belt of 21a-inch steel, ten feet
wide, from bow te stern, three feet be-
low and seven feet above the water