Evening star., 1925-07-30
HUNDREDSO OF HITS
SCORED ON TARGET
Anti-Aircraft Tests With Dir
igibIe Shenandoah Proved
Effective.

Tests of the effectiveness of anti-air
craft guns of the battleship Texas
against a target towed by the air
cruiser Shenandoah were marked with
considerable success, according to a
report of the firing made public yes
terday at the Navy Department. Hun
dreds of hits were made, and it was
indicated that the Shenandoah might
be available for similar tests with
Army gunners at Fort Tilden, Long
Island, about August IL.
The report was made public by Rear
Admiral c. +. Hughes, director of
feet training. who witnessed the tests.
He declared the experiments were inn
portant because the sleeve target tow
ed by the airship was much larger
than ever used before, being visible
to the gun pointers and yet much
smaller than any aircraft.
Speed 33 Miles an Hour.
THE firing was on the Southern
drill grounds. approximately 40 miles
east of Cape Henry" Admiral Hughes
said. The target was sausage shaped,
10 feet in diameter at the hoop. 1t
was As feet long. The firing was from
three-inch guns on the Texas, not
more than six of which fired at any
time. The ammunition was shrapnel.
The speed of - target 0as 3S miles
~ Il.Ai.-- -.e,l attitudes meas
urea s..,,,on 400 and 4 1900 feet.
Six hundred and thirty-five rounds
were fired. The practices were based
on the fact that to drop bombs on
ship a plane must be coming directly
at that ship.
"In the first two runs the target
approached from the beam, starboard
and port, and six guns fired, the range
changing from approximately 1000
yards to 2 1000. An examination of this
target after it had been dropped
showed 39 holes. one of which was a
direct hit by the shell before it eX-
ploded.
ION Friday. July "a, three runs were
made, four guns firing on each run.
An examination of the target used in
the last three runs showed it had 763
holes, II of which were made by the
unexploded shell in direct flight. the
remainder being made by fragments of
the exploded shrapnel. Owing to the
shape of the target, two holes is equal
to one hit.
Smaller Than Aircraft.
THE sleeve towed was much larger
than has ever been towed before; it
was the first time that an anti-air-
craft target has been used that was
easily visible to the control party and
gun pointers and yet is of much
smaller area than any aircraft.
1T is hoped that the Shenandoah
may be made available to tow a tar
get for the Army in connection with
their extensive anti-aircraft firing at
Fort Tilden, Long Island"
Weather permitting, the Shenan-
doah will go from Lakehurst tomor-
row to Lynnhaven Roads, Va. for it's
final maneuverS with the, battleship
Texas, which is to be laid up at Nor
folk August 1 for extensive repairs
and overhauling. The maneuvers be-
tween the two craft have been carried
on for several weeks; and it is eX-
pected that during August the Shen-
andoah will be occupied with other
tests, possibly with other units of the
fleet in the Atlantic.
The Shenandoah does not expect to
use the mooring mast OF the aircraft
tender Patoka on the trip beginning
tomorrow and may be out for two
days working out a direction finding
and communication problem with the
Texas.