New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-20
Holds
Battleship Is
Still Supreme
Joint C. Commission ofArmy
and Navy Experts Rules
1t Is Main Factor, in
Spite of Bomb Tests


WASHINGTON, Aug 19.-The bomb
ing tests by army and navy aircraft
against seized German surface vessels
and submarines, held recently off the
Virginia Capes, do not prove that
the battleship is obsolete, the joint
army and navy board declared to-day
in reporting the conclusions reached
from study of the official reports Of
the observers of the experiments.
While finding that aircraft carry
ing high explosives "have adequate Of
fensive power to sink or seriously dam
age any naval vessel at present con-
structed," the board reached the con-
clusion that the battleship is still the
greatest factor of naval strength.
The experiments definitely deter
mined in both the case of bombs
dropped from the air and gunnery at
tack from surface vessels that the pro-
Jectile3 werc superior to the defensive
features Of construction Of the vcs-
sells attacked. Assurance was expressed,
however, that the effectiveness of the
aerial attack would be materially de-
creased under adverse weather condi-
tions.
What the Tests Prove
In summing up, the board found that
the tests proved that the American
navy must be augmented with the fol-
lowing:
Airplane carriers capable of car
rying the planes equipped with
bombs Of great weight.
More efficient sighting and bomb
dropping control apparatus for air
ships.
Pursuit planes attached to the feet
for defensive purposes.
Anti-aircraft armament defense to
meet the development of offensive
weapons from the air.
In treating on the ability Of aircraft
to find naval vessels. the report said:
"Aircraft of any of the three gen
eral classes, lighter than air ships,
combination or singly, have pronounced
ability to search sea areas in their
radii Of action and to locate naval ves-
sells operating in such areas. The high
speed of aircraft and the range Of
visibility obtained by altitude are fac
tors which make these craft especially
valuable in the service of information.
Heavier than air. craft may OBJ
tain the maximum radius Of action for
use in the service of information only
by carrying additional fuel in place of
bombs the radius Of action of heavier
than air types is inadequate for eX
tensive search operations. Therefore,
to conduct an effective attack on naval
vessels it will usually be necessary to
have certain aircraft for searching
and others for connecting the attack
with bombs.
Weather Will Affect Results
Darkness, fog, falling or squally
weather, will greatly reduce the eff
fectiveness Of aircraft in search oper-
ations. Most of these conditions like
wise adversely affect surface vessels
conducting such operations, but not
to the same extent.
"The present dependability of the
personnel and materiel of The army
and navy aircraft appears to be such
as to insure that search operations.
ducted without an undue percentage
Of loss. The further development Of
aircraft will undoubtedly increase
both dependability and radius of ac-
ton"
Of the ability of aircraft to damage
vessels the boards report said:
Aircraft carrying high capacity,
high explosive bombs Of sufficient size,
have adequate offensive power to sink
or seriously damage any naval ves-
sci at present constructed, provided
such projectiles can be placed in the
water close alongside the vessel.
Furthermore, it will be difficult, if not
impossible, to build any type Of ves-
sci of sufficient strength to withstand
the destructive force that can be OBJ
tained with the largest bombs that
airplanes may be able to carry from
shore bases or sheltered harbors.
High capacity, high explosive
bombs hitting the upper works of the
vessel are disastrous to exposed per-
sonnel, serious to light upper works,
para.ively slight to heavy fittings,
such as guns, and negligible to turrets.