The Washington times., 1923-09-04
PART Y OFF
FOR TEST
At SEA
Old War Craft, New Jersey and
Virginia, to Be Targets in
+, Great ManeuyeEs.
e nv HARRY WARD.
BY HARRY WARD.
International News Service.

international News Service
ABOARD ARMY TRANSPORT
SAN MIHIEL, OFF FORTRESS
MONROE, Va, Sept. 4.-Bearine
q distinguished company OF Gov
eminent officials, army and navy
officers, foreign military attaches
and the usual complement Of
newspaper men and photograph
ers, the army. transport San
Mihiel is enroute to point OF
Cape Hatteras where tomorrow
the old battleships Virginia and
New Jersey will be sunk by army
airplane bombers.
Members Of the Party.
Included in the party are Gen.
John J. Pershing, Assistant Secre-
tary of war Dwight Davis. Maj.
Gen. Eli Heimick. Admiral Shoe
maker. Senator L. Heisler Ball.
eighteen other members Of Con-
gress. the military attaches OF
France. Great Britain. Spain. Po-
land. Argentina. Italy. japan and
Brazil. and several hundred army
and navy officers.
If the carefully lai1 plans of the
Army Air Service do not n1iscarry
the two obsolete battleships win
find their last resting place In
fifty fathoms Of water at a point
south of Diamond Shoals Light ship
before eunset tomorrow. While the
bombing takes place the Navy De
partmenr will have q fleet OF 1--WE
destroyers stationed at equal inter-
walls between the tar sets and the
shore as a patrol to protect naviga-
ticn and effect rescues in the event
OF forced landing by any of the
planes.
The second bo1nbardment group
at Langley Field VIII, conduct the
warfare against the two ships, the
sinking of these vessels being the
elimination of summer maneuvers.
A special airdrome has been estab-
iished on Cape Hatteras and opera
lions will be controlled from that
point.
Purposes Of the Test.
According to officials Of the Army
Air Service. one Of the main pur-
poses of the bombing is to obtain
data as to the most effective alti-
tude from which proper accuracy
can be obtained. If such an alti-
tude can be determined, officials
said, 1t will serve as a basis Tor
plans Of aerial bombing In actual
warfare, and also Of the defensive
measures which viii be employed to
protect the objective.
Contingent on satisfactory weather
conditions, the program calls for the
first attack to be conducted at an
altitude Of 10000 feet by a flight
Of seven airplanes.
This will be followed by q second
attack at an altitude of 5000 feet,
while the third attack will be at an
altitude of 5000 feet. Each Of these
preliminary flights viii carry two
1,100-pound bombs, two 1000 pound
bombs and thirty 100-pound bombs,
all loaded and fused.
II the two battleships are afloat
after this bombardment they will
be attacked as follows: Against the
first ship the attack will be by a
flight of seven Martin bombers,
each loaded with two 1,lo0-pound
bombs.
This flight will attack in column,
dropping both bombs at once. The
planes will follow one another at
close intervals. Seven other Martin
bombers, each loaded with a 1000
pound bomb, will act az a support
in this attack, but will not drop
their bombs unless directed to do so.
Attack on Second Ship.
The second battleship will be at.
tackled by seven Martin bombers
each = loaded with a 2,000.pound
bomb. These bombs will all be
dropped at once in pattern
around the ship and the attack will
also be supported by another squad
ron OF Martin machines.
Smoke screens will be laid by air
planes preliminary to the attack on