Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-09-18
Airplane Menace
Will Add to
British Taxes

portsmouth, Sept. 1.-THE aerdl
menace to the navy was given a .s(
dress rehearsal recently when uJI
old battleship Agamemnon was all
tackled by four different types Of anil
planes. A total of 2s0 dummy bonsU
were thrown from the air. Out OF Al1
dropped from close quarters, or po-I
blank range, there were only th~y j
misses. At the 5000 feet range th,nl
were nine direct hits and 22S m. !
ses. Nine pound smoke bomhI
were used. If war bombs containis|
high explosives had been used I'll
Agamemnon, experts say. would CT,
tainly have been very badly damage
if not actually sunk. The airplanal
operated from a base 80 miles awsEI
One of the wonders of the demorl
stration was the behavior of the AgaI
memnon herself. She was undd
wireless control, directed from de1
troyer. Without a human being n
board she twisted and turned at
speed varying from six to Is knotl
Her fires were stocked with oil fusj
and She manoeuvered Throughout 4
long day as If she had a full cre5(
aboard.
The attacks at point blank rans
were very spectacular and exciting
Four "snipers" flying at 40 mild
an hour dived at the Agamemnon OIL
after another until they were aboal
$50 feet above the sea, and droppa
bombs in pairs. Each "snipa
swung round almost on it's heel any
was back again to drop two more
Each bomb on exploding emitted 4
cloud of white smoke so that in tv'|
minutes the Agamemnon was wrapped
in smoke from end to end and looked
as IL she were on fire.
The attack gave a vivid impre''
sion of the danger that would bess'l
a battleship that had no means dl
defense against attacks from the alf|
The "snipers" were followed by si|
"camels" machines of similar dimlr.I
utive size, that swooped down on th'|
Agamemnon, and when at heigs'
of 1900 feet started peppering he|
with machine-gun fire.
According to experts. II the tes'
did not prove that a battleship way
entirely at the mercy OF attacks from
the air, 1t did show the necessity OF
providing an ample force Of fghtnss
and bombing machines to defend ''H
feet from such attacks. ,
During the experiments the deck
Of the light cruiser Canterbury, car.
rying foreign naval attaches. nava
experts and newspaper men, becam'
temporarily the floor of an animate
debating society. says the DALI
NEWS. !,
There was one point on whlca
everyone appeared to be agreed'
that the development OF the alrpian.
would not make naval Wanan
cheaper by leading to the aboliuoa
Of the battleship, but would make Y
more expensive by adding to its Gem.
plexity. There was evidence OF INV
necessity Of having more alrpia"e'
for coast defense.
"All this means" said one entnus
last. els that the poor old taxpa!ef
will have to put his hands still oeep
err into his pockets"
That was the general view. NV
subject was covered by a naval OH
GER who said: !,
LAS far as the navy is concerheu
the development Of the airplane y
repetition of the developnen.
Of the submarine. In both CASE
there is quick development and 'heA
a halt. The battleship confronts az
other menace; steps will be taken '"
meet it. go
NO doubt the thickness OF ~,
deck will be increased and persona
will be better protected from atste
from above. No doubt, too, the a
plane, like the submarine will sc0S
An occasional battlesnnw
will be sunk. But to Suggest W
the airplane can make the battleSny
obsolete-I'm afraid the taxpayer ~
look for no relief in that directio"