Evening star., 1925-11-23
AIRCRAFT FIRE
IS DECLARED BEST
More Effective Than Other
Artillery, Maj. Gen. Coe
Says, in Report.
nv the Associated Press.

Rv the Associated Press.
\ years experience with anti-air-
craft firing has demonstrated that
his form Of fire is more effective upon
bombing planes than that of other
classes of artillery against their nor
NAL targets" Maj Gen. +. W. Coe,
chief of Coast Artillery, asserted in
ms annual report, made public today.
Gen. COe referred to the special
anu-airCratt training ordered by the
War Department and conducted at
Fort Tilden. y Y. with the assistance
OF air personnel from Mitchell Field.
with a view to die ermining the de-
gree of efficiency which may be eX-
peCted from anu-airCraft guns and
maChine-gun lire against air targets. "
The ability of SearChlights operating
on data obtained by listening devices
10 illuminate a target continuously
while in range Of the guns formed a
part of the problem. Gen. Goes judg-
lnent AS To the effectiveness to be ex-
pected from the auti-aircraft batteries
was based not only on this special
test, but upon tirings during the year
by other Coast Artillery units.
Urges Interior Stations
The report pointed out that up to
this Year no method had been found
10 furnish training to the personnel
OF the il antl-airCraft artillery reCi-
lnentS of the Organized Reserve allo-
Gated to the central part of the coun-
Try. The distance to the SeaCoast
antlairCraft batteries prevented send
ing officers, as no funds for transpor-
tatlon We're available. Only three anti
aircraft regiments are maintained in
Fhe regular establishment. all located
I on the coasts, but during the last
these regiments We're sent into the in
terror and arrangements also We're
made for reserve training with Ma
ton Guard regiments at Fort Sill,
Okla, and Camp Sparta. Wis.
This arrangement is not SatiSfaC-
tory Gen. Coe said, and proper
training can be given to these units
and the three National Guard regi-
ments similarly situated in the in
teliOr) only by organizing and station
ing a regular anti-aircraft regiment at
some point in that region"
New Guns Needed
The report said that all anti-air-
craft regiments should be supplied
with the new 50-Caliber machine
gun in place of the present 30-cali-
her equipment "aS soon as funds
can be made availa BILE" and that
Gsimilar steps should be taken to re-
place the model 1918 3-inch anti
aircraft guns with the new model
1928 E-weapOn on mobile trailer
mounts. which "embOdieS many i'm
provements" and will be approved
for manufacture when minor de
fects, developed in tests at Fort
Monroe. Va. have been corrected.
The urgent need for sound-locating
devices to detect airplanes at night
was being met through Ordnance
Department experimental designs.
Gen. Coe added. and this develop
ment would be pushed as fast as
funds permitted
Il wish especially to urge the ne
cesSity for increased activity in de-
velopment of our anti-airCraft serv-
ice Gen. Coe insisted. Other
Coast Artillery developments are
either refinements or extensions of
we'll tried-out ideas. The anti-air-
craft service Is. however. at a point
where original Investigations and eX-
tended trials of new designs and
methods are imperative"