The Adair County news., 1922-11-14
Newest Development in Navy Air
Service Proves Succe$s il
Series of Tests.
STIRS UP TACTICAL Offldr.iS
In Experiments at Hampton Roads a
Hit Amidships Was Scored by MisA
siIe Fired at an Angle
of 90 Degrees.

ing of tOrpedOeS from SeapIdnes, thei
success of which has Just been demon /,
strated in a series of remarkable tests
off the Virginia capes, with the dread
naught Arkansas as target, is caus-
ing no end of concern among the tao
teal officers aboard these monster
fighting ships.
While the feet officers are consid-
ering methods of defense against such
torpedo attacks, which admittedly pre-
sents many obstacles, work in perfect
ing offensive tactics is going ahead
at the naval air station at the HampI
ton Roads naval base. The tests just
completed have been valuable not TO
he flyers alone, but TO those ofneers
whose duty it is TO keep in action
what they believe probably always
will be the backbone of naval warfare
the battleship.
The success of firing tOrpedoes from
seaplanes admittedly has brought the
science of naval warfare into new
phase, with the result that, while bat
tleships will continue to be essential
to supremacy at sea, that lighting
force which Is superior in the air will
be dominant. It is the problem now
of Admiral Jones and other high
officers of the fleet, who control naval
aviation as well as surface craft, to
coordinate the two for the best re-
suits ..
The development of firing torpedoes
from aircraft has been the work of
year and half, largely fn the hands
of Lieut.. ii. T. Bartlett, and it has
been conducted at various stations
along the Atlantic coast, Hampton
Roads, Yorktown, Pensacola and New
port. One of the problems has been
the perfection of a launching gear so
that the torpedo, carried under the
seaplane, may be let go at the proper
time; another has been the manufac-
ture OF a torpedo which when dropped
into the water at from twenty to fifty
feet viii withstand the jar, recover IT
self and function properly; still an
other has been the training of pilots
and the working out of tactics for
attack.
The tests just completed with the
battIeship Arkansas as the target
showed that these obstacles have been
overcome to a large extent, although
it must be said that this kind of tor
pedo firing is as yet not fully ,devel-
sOped. The tests have demonstrated
that there are many things yet to
sOvercOme--fOr instance, the necessity
for better type OF seaplane, to pro-
vide greater speed and endurance; a
longer range for firing torpe6Oes, so
THAT ii will not be essential that the
,seaplane get dangerously near the tar
get. and sill greater problem, that
of dropping "a 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
aseaplanes carrying tsrpedoes flew
from the naval base at Hampton
Roads, distance of 80 miles, to the
scene of the operations. The tor
pedoes were -siung 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 at IL knots an 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
rhis 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 torpedOes by quick maHeuver-
ing. although one of these went on
an,.. by accident. hit the North Da-
k0ta.
he tOrpedoes. of course, were dim
mics, but In every other way except as
to explosive charge they We're of the
navy standard, type. weighing abovt !
1,6O0 pounds
The planes, from an altitude OF |
about 1900 feet, swooped down to |
within 40 feet of the water and when |
about 1000 yards from the target let |
go the tsrpedoes. Ii was easy enough. |
from the bridge Of the Arkansas, te
see these drop. Wien they We're let
go the planes would get up again and
duck out of the way, turning off and
making for the base.
The torpedo would land in the water
with a great splash and then go out
of sight. 1t required a minute and
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 it travelled be
meath the water at a depth of Is feet.
1t left ripping wake as it made its I
way nearer and nearer.
Nine Torpedoes Found Target.
Observers, stationed all over the
battleship, reported by telephone TO
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