Evening star., 1925-02-16
DEADLY WAR GAS
DESCRIBED BY FRIES
Will Be so Times as Vital in
Next Strife, Aircraft
ProberS Told.

Brig. Gen. Fries, chief of the
Chemical Warfare Service, told the
House aircraft committee today that
gas attacks in the next war would be
so times more important" than in
25 to 100 tons of gas bombs would be
dropped, to the confusion of the at
tackled area.
From 10 to 20 tons of gas bombs
to the square mile, dropped from the
air. he said. would entirely destroy
everything within that area.
Cites Value Of Bomb.
Asked as to the effect of aerial gas
bombing on battleship. Gen. Fries
said he believed explosive bombs
would cause enough damage without
using gas, which. however, would
prove a valua BILE adjunct. Phosphorus
or poison gas bombs, he asserted,
would drive the crew from the deck
of ship. and, if the ships ventilating
system were damaged by shellhre,
also cause injury inside the vessel
The general told the committed
that the Chemical Warfare Service
had developed smoke screen gas
which could be be laid down by
swiftly moving planes, and thus en-
able large bombing planes to ap-
proach very closely the surface area
Such gas would be very effective, he
declared, in shielding an attacking
squadron from searchlights at night
Under the present policy of the
War and Navy Departments, the
Army Air Service is. tied to the i'm.
mediate vicinity of the fixed coast de.
r
lombard the shore line or land troops
before it can attack, Mai. Thomas D
Milling, in charge of the Army All
Service Tactical School at Langle.
Field, Va, told the committee.
Maj. Milling, who has been flying
for IA years and is one of the oldes
pilots in the service, gave the com.
mittee word picture of how present
day aircraft would attack and sinh
an enemy fleet approaching Ameri
can shores. He said he wanted t.
clear up the idea that one or tive
bombing planes would go out for bat
tie and be at the mercy of anita
craft fire or enemy pursuit ships.
Under the present plan three form.
of aviation closely co-ordinated woult
be used-pursuit, attack and bonn
bardment. AS soon as the intelli
gence was flashed to an airplane bas,
| by patrolling dirigibles that fee
| was approaching shore these three
branches of aviation would take tn,
air, Maj. Milling said.
Describes Tactics.
In the enemy fleet undoubtedl,
would be an aircraft carrier, and tn
first duty of the American pursui
planes would be to draw into the al
the enemy pursuit planes and eithe
destroy them or lead them away from
the fleet. Immediately, the attacl
planes carrying gas bombs, smok
screens and small explosives, woul
swoop down on the battle craft, de
stroying the small upper armament
forcing the crews to don gas mask
and obscuring the approach by smok
| of the heavy bombardment plane
| carrying 1000 pound bombs.
Thus, declared Maj. Milling, the wa
would be paved for the big bomber
to sink the battleships or put ther
out of commission, and 1t would no
be necessary for them TO operat
from an altitude of 10, 600 feet or more
as has been contended, because tn
pursuit planes and anti-aircraft de
fenses would have been destroyed
Milling explained.
DlSa8rceS WIN "lbur.
Representative Perkins OF New Jer
sey, the committee examiner. rea
extracts from Secretary Wilbur
testimony to the effect that the rang
1 of aircraft always will be short an
that during the war they carried ou
| sporadic raids, infiicting only damag 6
to morale in the majority of case
Maj. Milling disagreed with tn
Navy Secretary's belief, and declare
he "minimizes" the great part play
ed by airplanes in the late war.
/ At the same time, however, Ma
Milling declared, I'VE can't hark bac
to the World War" to determine tn
performance of airplanes today. be
cause at that time in bombardmen
work, for example, 25-pound bomb
were the largest used. Today, II
continued, bombs weighing from 10
to 1000 pounds would be employe
against targets. and he declare
there is no limit to the size of them.
| At the Air Service Tactical Schoc
4 Maj. Milling said the types Of target
have been listed together with tn
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