Evening star., 1922-09-28
TORPEDO PLANES
sink BATTLESH|P
Seven Hits Out of Seventeen
Scored Against Arkansas
by Navy Flyers.
OPINION ON TEST DIVIDED
Some Officers Claim Maneuvers Of
Virginia Capes Show Air Attack
Would Succeed.
OPINION ON TEST DIVIDED

| By the Associated Press.
| NORFOLK, Va. September 2S.-.
! Diametrically opposite opinions de-
! veloped among observing, officers as
| the result of the maneuvers or the
Virginia capes this morning, when
squadron Of torpedo planes searched
out three ships Of the Atlantic fleet
and theoretically destroyed one OF
them.
Seven hits were registered out OF
the seventeen torpedoes discharged,
all finding their mark on the Ar
| kansas.
Test Called Success.
| In the opinion Of Rear Admiral
". A. Moffett, chief Of the naval air
service; Commander T. g. Eilysou OF
| the air service. Navy Department. and
commandant OF Langley Field, Va,
| the test was satisfactory In all re-
| spects, demonstrating. they claim.
| that planes equipped with torpedoes
can successfully attack battieships
| from the surface. especially. II pro
tected by smoke screen or fog. On
| the contrary. the opinion generally
was expressed among naval ofhcers
| on the flagship Wyoming that to.
days experiments an;,ve 4n.y erOsGd With,n ina.
| limited radius from their base, and
that tho two squadrons could have
been annihilated before reaching
striking distance Of the dreadnought
had the battleships been projected
by the usual screens OF destroyers.
They also contend that the secondary
batteries Of tho warships under bat
tie conditions, could have blown to
atoms every plane before 1t had an
opportunity to discharge Its destruc-
tive cargo.
Eighteen Planes In Raid.
Eighteen planes participated in the
mimic battle. but one failed TO dis
charge its missile. The test was
staged under ideal weather condi-
ttons.
Promptly at o'clock tho flagship
wyoming. with Admiral j. c. McDon-
aid, commander-in-ch chief OF the bat
tleship force of the Atlantic fleet. on
board. and the superdreadnaughts
Arkansas and North Dakota got un-
der way and headed out to sea. After
steamins three hours the. the ae.It f,eet
miles off the capes and awaited tho
attack by the planes.
At $50 the lookouts on the fag-
ship sighted the naval dirigible CT,
which was followed shortly afterward
by f1otilla of scout planes and 9TH
ers carrying observers.
Admiral Jockeys ships.
At 1913 the first squadron of nine
torpedo planes appeared on the hori-
zon and the battleships put on forced
draught and began maneuvering at
full speed to keep the attacking force
astern. General quarters were
sounded on all of the ships and they
were cleared for action and all Of the
guns trained on the rapidly advanc-
ing enemy" AS the second squad |
ron OF torpedo-laden flyers drew near
Admiral Mcdonald jockeyed his ships !
SO as to avoid the enemy force. keep |
ing one squadron ahead and the 9TH !
er aStern. |
The dreadnaughts went into battle |
with the target ship Arkansas In the |
center OF the line, the distance be-
a broadside. Changing their tactics, |
the planes attacked on the flanks OF |
the fleet and concentrated on tho Ar |
kansas, scoring their first hit on the |
starboard quarter. The angle fire |
KEEP: on, the other two battleships |
The flagship narrowly escaped being |
hit by clever maneuvering on the !
part OF the navisators and the North !!
Dakota also escaped theoretical de- |
struction by a slim margin.
Two Planes Forced Down.
Commander Bartlett of tho attack |
ing force maneuvered his planes !
around Cno "dISnlp6 seeking every I
opportunity to strike g. vital spot and |
frequently succeeded.
The crews of the battlesh!ps handt- |
capped BY the absence of supporting
destroyers wore forced to defend
themselves with their rudders, their |
guns being silent.
Two Of the planes were forced
down after tho test, their gasoline
tanks becoming empty after they had
passed tho capes on their return to
the naval base here. Tho battleship
Delaware was scheduled to take part
in the maneuvers, but instead re-
mained at anchor.