The Washington times., 1924-01-09
Tells
HOW EYES Of
NAVY WORK
Admiral Explains Functions OF
DirigibIe and Scout Craft
in Wartime.

Il { r.
in Wartime.
HosO torpedo and bombing planes
hGrGsS the enemy's pGVGl battle line
tUGs told By, Admiral Moffett IN the
second Of a series of articles suTit-
ten erclaIsively for The Washing
ton Times yesterday. Today the
chief Of the atGVGl BSreGu 6f Aero
nGutics, IN third article, discusses
"the eyes of the 7tGUy."
By REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM
A. MOFFETT, U. 8. n,
Chief Of the Bureau Of AeronAatles.
Navy Department.
| (CoDyFight 1924, By cosmopolitaa News
servios,)
The development Of aviation
as an integral part Of the feet
has given to the surface vessels
an Invaluable means Of obtaining
information concerning the move
ments Of the enemy. By this we
mean the use Of aircraft as
scouts. Aircraft scouts are Of
two kinds, planes and airships.
The first are used from three
possible bases, shore bases, air
craft carriers with the fleet, and
individual planes operating from
the vessels of the feet. The sec
ond, airships, operate from q
shore base, where there are moor
ing, repair and refueling facili-
ties. Because Of the long dis
tance operating range Of airships
of the rigid type, like the u. s. s.
Shenandoah, this necessity to
base on shore is not serious
handicap to operations with the
feet at sea.
Have Distinct Functions.
These two types Of scouting air.
craft, scouting planes and rigid air.
ships, have distinctive functions.
based on their respective abilities.
The scouting plane with its higher
speed, coupled with the fact that 1t
returns to the aircraft carrier or its
individual ship after the accomplish.
ment of each mission, is best suited
for short notice scouting missions Of
/ ACA@tAtNlJ OAOAS AtAh6VS 0AOAA a. SACCR~
ing our fleet informed Of the move
ments of an enemy fleet in it's,
vicinity and reporting flights of the
enemy's planes.
The rigid airship, because Of its
long range and endurance, is best
suited for scouting missions over
long distances, such as following the
movements Of the enemy while hun
dredS Of miles away. The use Of
the non.inflammable and non-explo-
sive gas helium as a lifting medium
Tor these ships greatly increases the
chance Of their being shot down by
the enemy. They are armed with
machine guns as q protection against
attacks by enemy pursuit planes.
and their gas capacity is divided
into many different cells. so that
they would not be greatly affected
by q number Of punctures, by enemy
fire OF the gas containers.
Great Aid to Germans,
The Zeppelins attached to the
German high seas fleet during the
recent war were of great value to
that fleet, and frequently were able
to tell the Germans of the ap-
proach Of the British vessels in
time for the Germans to either
make adequate preparation for bat.
tie or execute q timely retreat.
The use Of rigid airships as bomb
ers OF cities is not their true func-
ton, and the loss OF the hydrogen
filled Zeppelins during attacks on
London and Paris was to be ex.
pected. The rigid airship operating
with the fleet has a very definite
G
against enemy naval bases. This
is especially true when they are
filled with helium. Their two ad.
vantages for this work are. first.
their ability to rapidly reach alti.
tudes out of the range of both
anti-aircraft fire and Of attacking
planes. Their ability to hover
greatly increases their effectiveness
as bombers.
Besides the operation of scouting
aircraft with the fleet, there Is q
very useful field for scouting air
craft against submarines and in
convoy of transports, supply ships
and other vessels. In this work, as
developed by navy planes during
the war, the planes carried bombs,
so that when a submarine was
sighted the plane could attack it.
Besides attacking the submarine, in
FORMATION was sent, by radio, to
destroyers and submarine chasers,
so that the destruction of the sub.
marine was provided for as far as
practicable.
All Have Radio.
All scouting planes and rigid air.
ships, as well as other types of air.
| craft operating with the fleet, or in.
dependently, are equipped with
radio, so that information that they
may obtain can be sent Immediate
~ to the surface vessels or shore
bases.
Besides the aircraft carrier with
the fleet carrying among other
types scouting planes, the individual
vessels of the fleet are equipped
with planes together with catapultS
on their decks to launch them into
the air. Scouting planes have a
very definite place in scout
cruiser, as the scouting range of
the cruiser is vastly Increased by
the planes. In submarines the
planes are carried. in a dismounted
condition in q container on the
deck of the submarine, and when
the submarine comes to the sur
face and the use of the plane IL
desired, 1t Is taken out of the
| conainer, assembled and flown. The
use OF the plane is connection with
the submarine, has the effact of CIV