Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-11
BY LIEUT.. RAYMOND C. ZETTEL,
Army Air Corps,


Aviation as it exists today may be
divided into four main brancheS-pur-
suit. observation, attack, and lombard
ment-and from playing very small
part In the military scheme it. has be-
come a very important arm of the
service. Even in the early days of the
war several important engagements
were won by the use of the airplane.
Bombardment, from occupying a
practically on-eXiStent part in wars,
has become a very important branch of
the Air Corps, and it is believed by
many that if carried out in sufficient
numbers 1t will win a war. There is
the question of submarine activity, for
instance. Figures show that the sub
marines were never SO successful as
during the late months of the World
War. This exigency must be met, and
by far the most effective and destruc-
tive solution Is in a systematic and
thorough bombardment of their bases.
Its possibilities have never been fully
realized, and it is only lately that the
pilots and bombers have been carefully
trained.
Men Carefully Picked.
The men chosen to take lombard
ment training should be carefully picked
and should be more mature than men
chosen for pursuit work. A lombard
ment team is sent on a mission that
must be completed at all costs and
must run the gauntlet of Archie" fire
and attack by enemy aircraft. Fur
thermore, raids are made at great dis
tanceS, which entails endurance and
physical stamina for the pilot and a
very special sense of direction and abil-
ity to find his way across country by
the aid of his map and compass.
The first use of bombs in warfare was
made by the Italians in their campaign
IN Tripoh in 1912. In that campaign
crude bombs were dropped without
sights, but with very little effect. Just
before the World War more serious
experiments were being carried out by
France, Great Britain, Germany and
the United States, and as a result OF
these fairly effective bombs were at the
disposal of both sides practically from
the beginning of hostilitieS. Bombs
were dropped from aircraft during the
hrst months of the war. Bombing in
these days had its limitations, and very
accurate results were not expected.
The airplanes of the time were un-
derpowered, with the result that they
were not efficient. The weight OF
bombs was therefore quite small, those
uStQ weighing dUOut
20 pounds each. During this period
short distance bombing raids were made
by tin British and French. The tar
gets engaged were all in the vicinity
OF the lines-dumps, rail heads, camps
etc. A few long distance raids were
carried out by the British Royal Naval
Air Service, but were practically dis
continued. On the German side Yep
pelins were sent over to England peri
odically. The Zeppelins did not sue
coed in dropping bombs with any
marked degree of accuracy, but they
nevertheless had their value. The Yep.
pelins were sent over at night, and al
the same time the allies began to de.
velop night bombing from airplanes CT
the Western front.
New Era in 1917.
The period covered in the foregoing
paragraph lasted, roughly, into thu
early Spring of 1917. From that tim'
dates the modern era of bomb drop
ping. BY 1917 a vast amount had beer
learned about bombs and bomb sights
and airplanes had been produced tina
would carry much greater weights, tina
would fly for much greater distances
and that were also highly stable. Long