Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-11-02
Fire Torpedoes
From Seap1anes

that 1t will not be essential that the
senplane get dangerously near the tar
get. and still greater problem. that
Of dropping torpedo from distance
higher than forty or fifty feet from
the surface of the water. These weak
nesses are recognized. and the airmen
are trying to overcome them.
Flew Ninety Miles to Rendezvous.
In the attack on the Arkansas the
seaplanes carrying 'torpedoes flew
from the naval base at Hampton
Roads, distance Of 90 miles. to the
scene of the operations. The tor
pedoes were slung under the sea.
planes. each seaplane carrying one.
The Arkansas. accompanied by two
other battleships, the Wyoming and
the North Dakota, were under way,
steaming ut IT knots IN hour.
The problem for the seaplanes was
to get to the target. launch the torpe-
does to register hits and get away
again. The comparative success Of
this was demonstrated In the tally.
which showed that Of seventeen tor
pedoes launched nine hit the target.
The Arkansas was able to dodge three
of the torpedocs by quick maneuver-
ing, although one Of these went on
and, by accident. hit the North Da.
kota. ...
The torpedoes, of course, were dunn
niles, but in every other way except as
to explosive charge they were Of the
navy standard type. weighing about
1000 pounds.
The planes. from an altitude Of
about 1000 feet. swooped down to
within 10 feet Of the water and when
about 1000 yards from the target let
60 the torpedoes. II was easy enough,
from the bridge Of the Arkansas. to
see these drop. When they were let
go the planes would get up again and
duck out of the way. turning of and
making for the base.
The torpedo would land In the water
with a great splash and then 20 out
of sight. 1t required minute ind q
half or two minutes for the torpedo
to recover itself In the water and then
make for the target. Its course was
easily discernible. as 1t Travelled be-
meath the water Mt depth Of Is feet.
1t left ripping wake US 1t made its
way nearer and nearer.
Nine Torpedoes Found Target.
Observers, stationed all over the
bnttleship, reported by telephone 10
the bridge, where the navigator shifted
the position of the vessel. sometimes
In time to dodge the torpedo. In spite
Of this. however. nine Of the torpedoes
hit. regarded generally as remark.
ably high score.
OF course the conditions of the test
were largely In favor Of the seaplanes.
The weather was Ideal and there was
no opposition, excepting, Of course, the
ability of the battleship to dodge the
oncoming torpedoes. In battle. natu.
rully. the seaplanes would have had q
far less easy time. But conditions on
both sides would have been reversed.
The operations conducted with the
Arkansas US the center of attack
demonstrated what Is regarded among
navy officers ay highly Important
that the torpedo attack and the neces
sary maneuvering to avoid such nm
onslaught threw the battleshlp forma
tion into such confusion as to de
stroy the firing program. RAPID
maneuvering WINS necessary to avoid
the torpedoes, with the result that the
guns were swinging back and forth
to an extent where firing program
could have been carried out only with
the utmost difficulty. part Of the time
not ut all.
Rear Admiral W. A. Moffitt. chief Of
the bureau of naval aeronautics, who
observed the operations from tht
bridge Of the Arkansas. battleahiI
aboard which he was ut one time the
executive officer. commented on the
confusion caused by the torpedo at
tack. He regarded this as one Of the
essential results Of the maneuvers.
New to the Service.
! An interesting detail Of the whole
performance was the firing of tor
pedo ut an angle Of 90 degrees, dis
tinctly new In the service. In the pre-