The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-01-08
BY REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM 8.
MOFFETT. u. S, n.
Chief Of the Bureau OF AorOn@uttcas
Navy Department.
Copyright. 1924. by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)

41UEeSA
copyright, 1924, by Cosmopolitan
News Service)
One Of the most recent appllca-
lions Of aircraft to naval warfare
has been the development of rhe
torpedo launching plane. A Sim
liar use of aircraft, though of
much longer use, is that Of the
bombing plane. The possibilities
of these two forms of aircraft in
naval warfare are very great, and
in fact, constitute the most dan
gerous threat that aviation is
making today against the older
forms Of naval craft. But the
torpedo and bombing planes are
not in a position to supplant the
battleship or render it obsolete.
Rather these types of aircraft
have taken their place with the
submarine and destroyers, as
agents of attack that the battle
ship must take into account.
The primary function OF bombing
and torpedo planes is to harass
the enemy's battle line, disabling
or sinking individual units and
rendering the attack of the battle
ships Of our own forces more likely
to succeed. by throwing the enemy
into confusion and Gripping his Of
fensive and defensive tactics. Be-
sides this primary function, torpedo
and bombing planes shave a very
important use in attacking isolat-
ed enemy units and the enemy
forces in harbor. protected from the
attack Of the surface fleet by mine
fields, and land batteries. Bombing
planes moreover, are not limited
in their operation to attacks against
units Of the enemy's fleet, but can
attack his shore bases and fortif;-
cations. A successful bombing at
tack on the enemy's repair bases,
would leave him in a most precar-
ious position as his disabled ships
would not be able to reft for sea
duty.
Smoke Screen Would Protect.
Torpedo and bombing planes.
operating at sea with tho fleet,
would, when necessary, be protect.
ed In their operations against the
enemy by a smoke screen. laid by
other aircraft or by the destroyers
Of the fleet. Besides acting as q
protection for the attacking planes,
the smoke screen, by rendering the
planes invisible to the enemy until
the last moment of attack, would
greatly increase the probability of
hits. A squadron Of attacking
planes with a smoke screen be-
tween them and the enemy, would
advance to the attack through
the screen, speeding into the sight
Of the enemy at 100 miles an hour
or more, and after discharging their
missiles, If necessary, at close range
would have a fair chance to retire
to the cover Of the smoke screen
in a short time, rendering the
chance Of their being hit by the
enemy reasonably small.
Torpedo and bombing planes
would ordinarily operate from one
OF two bases, a shore station or an
aircraft carrier with the fleet. The
effective range of such planes op-
Grating from a shore base would
be usually relatively small, and
would serve chiefly as a mean of
aircraft carriers with the fleet, how
ever. renders the chance Of this ex-
tremely remote, as. besides the at.
lacking planes, the carriers would
have scout planes. These would not
only be OF assistance to the sur
face vessels in assisting them to To-
cate and establish contact with the
enemy, but would also greatly in.