The Washington herald., 1921-06-19
U-111 Was One of Three
Picked for Attack by
Destroyers.
AVIATORS PREPARE
TO FIGHT WARSHIPs
Battle Off Virginia Capes
Will Open Tuesday
Morning.

The submarine U-lll, one OF tne
former German ships selected for
destruction in the airpiane against
warships tests, sank yesterday en-
route to the scene of the mimic
war starting Tuesday morning
News of the German submarines
capisizing three miles of Cape
Henry Light came while the navy
was making final arrangements for
Tuesdays festivities The U-111
was one of the three submarines
to be put down by destroyer gun
fire on Wednesday. The U-117 will
be the target of the airplane bombs
Tuesday.
The U-111 was being towed from
Portsmouth. N. H., to the test
ground" nifty miles OF the Virgins
capes. Yesterday afternoons re-
ports told how she had been fllins
all the way down. She sank in
thirty-five feet OF water but later
was beached in Lynnhaven Roads.
Wrecking pumps were put to
work on her. but with little success.
Transport Sails Tsnsrrsw.
At 10 o'clock tomorrow morning
the transport Henderson will sail
from Washington with its army OF
observers. On board will be the
Official board of observers, members
of the Cabinet. mepbers of Con-
gress, attaches Of foreign embassies
and newspaper correspondents.
While Secretary Of the Navy
DENLY himself will not be able to
witness this frst test his frst as
sistant, Theodore Roosevelt, jr..
will be. "on the bridge" Mr.. Roose-
welt was among the FIRST Of the
navy representatives to admit the
Possibility of the ships being sunk
and TO point out that their hands
are tied.
Tea ships t. he sssk.
while these tests will be of in
calculable value / want to point
deed IL the airplane bombers were
not able to sink the ships" he
stated. 1T is great difference be-
tween shooting at a man who can
shoot back and one who can not"
In this series of test. a total of
ten former German ships will be
destroyed. OF chief interest will be
the second of the tests. in which the
old battleship Iowa, controlled by
radio under a full head of steam,
will present a moving target to the
airmen. That comes on the 29th of
June.
Depth Bombs Final Resort.
In later tests old German destroy
ers will be attacked by aircraft and
by gunfire, while the former cruiser
Frankfurt and the former battleship
ostfriesland will be subjected to
combination attacks. In each case
placed by the U. S. Battleship North
Dakota, will be the final resort in
case all other methods of attack
fail.
Operations of the aircraft, both
army and navy, will be directed by
Capt A. w. johnson, U. 8. N, aboard
the Shawmut at the Target. At in
tervals of 10 miles from the Thimble
Shoals light destroyers will be sta
toned to give aid IL necessary to
the airplanes, all of whose opera
tions will be from a shore base.
The theory of all these maneuvers
is that the battleships are contem-
plating an attack upon the coast OF
the United States.
Nay Filters Strike First.
Navy and Marine aviators using
a lighter type of bombs will be
given the first chance to sink all
the targets in question. II they fail
the army aviators carrying much
heavier bombs. will be- turned loose.
Brig. Gen. Mitchell, who started all
the controversy about a battle
ships ability to stay afioat before
such bombs, is in chrge of the army
fiiers.
The Official Board of Observers,
headed by Capt. Luke McNamee, of
the U. s. s. Nevada, will visit the
targets after each hit" collecting
data carefully on the damage
caused.
Movie photographers will be per-
mitted to operate at will from the
deck of the Henderson and at times
will be taken up on the army and
navy dirigibles.