Evening star., 1925-03-20
The War Over the Air
By viii Ir,Uin.
Chapter VI-''Can Airplanes Sink Battleships?''

Has the aerial bomb mastery over
the battleship? To answer that Ques-
ton the Navy anchored on the seas last
wear a half-a dozen battleships con-
demned for junking by the Washington
armament treaty. From land bases as
much as a hundred miles away the
Army Air Force sailed forth and
bombed at its sweet will. This should
have settled the question-and didn't.
A lot of Government property which
cost hundreds of millions Of dollars to
build went to the bottom OF the seas,
and still the controversy RACES.
Mainly for one peculiar reason. Those
who should have been judges of this
sporting event were partisans. Imagine
a prize fight which. having no referee,
is supposed to be decided after the
final gong rings by debate between
the seconds of the Battling Bomber and
the Fighting Sailor and you have a
situation somewhat parallel. The
general board of the Navy entered the
test in a mood of religious faith that
the battleship could thrash anything In
he heavens above or on the sea be-
meath or in the waters under the earth
The Air Service flew forth with equa
faith in the ability Of a bombing aero
plane to abste any nuisance whatever
on the surface of the water. And both,
several months later, held to the same
opinions-and tried TO prove them by
the results of the tests.
Let us in getting at what happened
avoid so far as possible figures ano
statistics and stick to general results
Heavy Bombs Effective.
The aeroplanes, making what seems
like a fair perC~ ntage OF hits, found
that an l,t0o-pound !, bomb would scarce
ly sink a battleship. But the 1000
pound bomb, carrying nearly 1000
pounds of high explosive, decidedly
would. The ''pre-Jutland" types oi
ships, designed without the new pro-
lection of blisters and special water
tight compartments, succumbed to from
one to three bombs dropped close along
side. Most spectacular of all was the
demonstration against the old Germa>
battleship OstfriesIand. A bomb, per,
fectly placed, grazed her side, exploded
at the proper distance below the water
1t had the effect of a mine, which until
now has been rated the deadliest dan
ger of the seas. 1t broke her back
sent her to the bottom in a few
minutes.
These, however, were old fashion &c
hulls. The Washington, an uncom-
pleted ship condemned by the treaty
lldd the very KIM Oh post
land blister construction. On her The
Navy experimental in different
manner. Calling off the flyers. they
eS loded alongside three TN1
charges of a half tone-equivalent tc
the load OF the largest aerial bomb
After these explosions the Washing
ton merely listed and leaked: she wa'
shaken, but still in commission. Tht
naval experts reported that stopping
her leaks would have been only par
of the days work for q crew in action
The planes came out again anC
dropped on her decks the cases Of
armor- -piercing bombs loaded not witt
explosives but with sand. This tes
proved that an air bomb from a great
height could penetrate her decI
armor. Thereupon, I'VE need stronger
deck protection" announced the nava
people, mot only against air bomb!
but against plunging gunfire. Thi'
can be installed not only on new
ships, but on those We already have
Controversy Over Results.
Over the effect OF the bombs on tn,
hull of the Washington controvers,
RACES hot and heavy. The explosive
charges" says in effect the report tC
the general board of the Navy, "wer,
placed at the most effective distanc,
from the hull. Two were in contact
The men of the air, on what authorit,
] do not know, declare that none wa.
placed nearer than 25 feet. THE mos
effective point" they add, would b,
tight up against the hull. The fore,
of an underwater explosion decrease
as the square of its distance Clos,
alongside, it would have had the eff
feet of a big mine. At that-two O.
three more charges and she woul,
have been all in"
The conservative faction of tn
Navy hits its adversary at anothe
point. In sinking the old-type battle
ships, they say, the aviators wer