The St. Charles herald., 1922-11-25
Fire aTorpedoes
From Seaplares

that i. viii not be essent b that the
seaplane get dangerously Hear the tar
get, and a still 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
seaplanes carrying torpedoes flew
from the naval base at Hampton
Roads, q distance Of 80 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 at II 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
this was demonstrated In the tally
which showed that of seventeen tor
nedoes launched nine hit the target.
The Arkansas was able to dodge three
Of the torpedoes by quick maneuver-
ina. although one Of these went on
and. by accident, hit the North Da-
kota.
The torpedoes, Of course, were dunn
mics. but In every other way except as
to explosive charge they were OF the
navy standard type, weighing about
1900 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
20 the torpedoes. It was easy enough,
from the bridge Of the Arkansas, to
see these drop. When they were let
70 the planes would get up again and
duck out Of the way, turning on and
making for the base.
The torpedo would land In the water
with a great splash and then 60 out
Of sight. It required minute and 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 it travelled be
meath the water at depth OF IL feet
| It left a rippling wake as It made its
way nearer and nearer.
Nine Torpedoes Found Target.
Observers, stationed all over th'
battleship, reported by telephone q
. the bridge, where the navigator shifte'
the position Of the vessel, sometime
| IN time to dodge the torpedo. In spit
, OF this, however, nine OF the torpedoe
hit regarded generally as a remari
ably high score. -
OF course the conditions Of the tes
: were largely In favor Of the seaplane'
The weather was ideal and there wa
! no opposition, excepting, Of course, tn
/ ability OF the battleship to dodge In
/ oncoming torpedoes. In battle. matt
I rally, the seaplanes would have had
!. far less easy time. But conditions Q
/ both sides would have been reverse
A. The operations conducted with u
! Arkansas as the center OF attac
: demonstrated what is regarded amor
!. navy officers as highly important
: that the torpedo attack and the nece
! sary maneuvering to avoid such
onslaught threw the battleship form
fion into such confusion as to q
+ stroy the firing program. Rap
| maneuvering was necessary to avo
| the torpedoes, with the result that u
| guns were swinging back and Tor
| 70 an extent where firing progra
| could have been carried out only WI
the utmost difficulty, part Of the til
not at all.
| Rear Admiral w. A. Mofiitt, chief
| the bureau OF naval aeronautics, W
/ observed the operations from I
| bridge Of the Arkansas, battlesf
| aboard which he was at one time I
executive officer. commented on
confusion caused by the torpedo
tack. He regarded this as one OF
essential results Of the maneuvers.
New to the Service.
III An interesting detail Of the VII
performance was the firing Of a
nedo at an angle of 80 degrees, 9
tinctly new in the service. In the .