The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1922-09-25
280 BOMBS ARE
THROWN IN TEST
Aerial Menace to Navy Is
Given Full Dress
Rehearsal


On n full dress rehearsal recently
when the old bnttlcship hgamcmnOn
wuR attacked by four different
types or airplanes. A total OF ESQ
dummy bombs were thrown from
the air. Out OF ~ dropped three
misses. Al the 5000 feet range
there were nine direct hits and 223
miBsoH. Nine pound smoke bombs
were used II war bombs contain
Ing high explosives had been used
the Agamcmnon. experts say. would
certainly have been very badly dam
aged II no, actually sunk. The air
planes operated from base 80
mIlon away.
One OF tho wonders OF tho dem
on1tra,ion was the behavior OF the
kgamcmnon herself. Sho was un-
der wireless control. directed from
a destroyer. without a human be.
Ing on board she twisted and turn
cd at n speed varying from six TO
10 knots. Her fircD were stocked
with oil fuel and she mnneouyerod
throughout u long day ~ II she
had u full crew aboard.
The attacks at point blank range
were very spectacular and exciting.
Four "snlpers" flying at i2o miles
an hour dlyod at the Agamcmnon
one after another until they were
about 100 feet above the sea. and
dropped bombs Ia pairs. Each
"sniper" swung round almost on
It's heel and was back again to drop
two more. Each bomb on cxplod-
Ing emitted a cloud Of white smoke
20 that In two minutes the Again cm-
non was wrapped In smoke from
end to end and looked as II she
were on fire.
Tho attack gave vivid impress
sion OF the danger that would be-
re, a battleshlp that had no means
of defense against attacks from
the AFR.
The "snlpors" were followed by
ak "camcls''-machines OF similar
dlminutiyc size-that swooped down
on the Ayamemnon. and when at
a height OF 1900 feet started pep.
pering her with machine-gun fire.
According 10 experts. II the ties,
did not prove that a battlcship was
entirely at the mercy OF attacks from
the air. Il did show the necessity
OF providing an ample force OF
fighting ana bombing machines to
defend the fleet from such attacks.
During the experiments the deck
OF the iigh, cruiser Canterbury. car
rying foreign naval attaches, naval
experts and newspaper men. became
temporarily the floor OF an animated
debating society. says the Daily
News.
utIf was W. "e', /"
everyone appeared TO be agreed; that
the development OF the airplane
would not make naval warfare cheap.
or leading to the abolition Of the bat
tleship. but would make II more cx-
pensive by adding to Its completely.
There was evidence OF tho necessity
OF having more airplanes for coast
defense.
IAN this MEANS" said one enthus.
last. "is that the poor old taxpayer
will have to put his hands still deep
er into his pockets"
That was the general view. The
subject was covered by q naval OF.
ficcr who said:
AS far as the navy 10 concerned
tho development OF the airplane is
merely repetition OF the develop
mcnt OF the submarine. In both
cases there Is quick development and
then halt. Tho battloship con-
fronts another menace; steps will
be taken to meet Il.
"No doubt tho thickness OF the
deck will be increased and personnel
will bo hotter protected from attack
from above. No doubt. too, the air
plane. like the submarine will score
successes, An occasional battleship
will be sunk, But to suggest that
the airplane can make tho battleship
obsolete--I'm afraid the taxpayer
can look for no relief in that diree-
tion."