Evening star., 1928-05-04
75 PLANES STAGE
MIMIC WARFA ARE
Legislators Watch Thrilling
Air Maneuvers at Lang
ley Field.
BY FREDERICK r.. NEELY,

LANGLEY FIELD, Hampton. Va,
May 4.--The cream of the Army air
force today passed In review at a
gigantic demonstration held here not
for the purpose of showing that the air
plane could wipe cut an enemy force
unassisted but as a revelation to the
other branches of the service of tactics
employed In fighting high above the
earth as well as operating against OBJ
jectives on the ground. 1t was hailed
as a demonstration Of ineStimable value
to the national deferse. in that all other
branches of military warfare had a
clear insight into just what the Army
Air Corps can do.
Nearly 100 modern military fight
iEg planes we're concentrated at the
field, about rs OF them being engaged
In the operation While large dele
CATION from the Senate and House,
which few here yesterday afternoon
from Boiling Field at Washington, and
high officers of the Infantry. Cavalry
and Artillery. looked on. the Air Corps,
from the viewpoint of military aviation,
presented the finest exhibition of aerial
tactics ever given In peace time.
Revealing years OF training supreme
skill in plotting and maneuvering. the
aerial fighters battled against one an
other thousands of feet above the earth
and then Joined hands In showing the
rest OF the Army how they would op-
crate against enemy forces on the
ground The congressional delegation
was viSibly impressed many of them
for the first time obtaining direct evi-
dence as 10 the meaning of the words
aerial fighting force"
To Attack Ground Targets.
Half OF the demonstration was given
this morning and later this afternoon
the most spectacular event of the pro-
grem will be held. II will consist of
united attack against ground targets by
the three principal branches of military
aviation. bombing. pursuit and attack
planes. They will be augmented by
speedy smoke screen laying planes.
The demonstration opened this morn
ing with an exhibition OF how a squad
ron Of bombing planes would be at
acked by enemy pursuit planes. Twenty
three double engined bombers took off
In groups of three and met high above
the airdrome, where they divided into
three flights Of seven planes each. A
flight was arranged In V-shape and the
two odd bombers closed In behind, form
ing perfect diamond.
They closed up in q tight formation,
flying wing to wing. and presenting a
spectacular sight Ofiioers at the field
declared the formation which Is sur
rounded by great hazard owing TO the
close order in which they must maneu-
YER was the best ever executed by the
bombardment group located here.
AS the bombers put on altitude 20
-. f..fs
Field, Mich, lined up on the airdrome
in one big W" took of together and
we're high In the air before a minute
had elapsed from the time Maj. Thomas
G. Lanphier gave the signal to depart.
II was a striking demonstration Of the
speed with which an aerial pursuit unit
could leave the ground and prepare for
an attack on an enemy.
Pursuit Planes Dive.
In the meantime the bombers had
reached an altitude Of about 1000 feet
but the pursuit planes, divided into six
flights OF three planes each. with two
hanging on behind as cleanup men,"
we're reaching the 800O-ioot altitude
level. The bombers sailed majestically
across the field and suddenly. with ale
most the speed Of lightning, the for
nation of pursuit craft charged down
upon them The roar from their wide
open engines was deafening. and they
appeared to be headed for sure de-
struction as they persisted In flying
right TO the center of the big bombing
group. About 7S yards away from their
target however. they 2oomed at n tre-
mendous speed and climbed back TO
their original altitude.
"d0od-by bombersl" exclaimed one
observer as the pursuit planes dashed
down upon them. Prom another quar-
ter OF The group. however the expla-
nation was advanced that l02 machine
gums In the bombing group we're point
ed al the pursuit planes AS they dived
down at more than $50 miles an hour
Furthermore, the pursuit planes we're
In formation and the pilots had 10
keep one eye open for the planes nearest
them. an the slightest detection from
the course would have meant whole
sale collision II was not overlooked
either that the bombers would be pro-
teeted by their own pursuit planes
However the demonstration was not
given 10 show that pursuit planes could
shoot down formation OF bombers,
but the flying Was undertaken 10 point
out the tactics employed,
Following the first attack the pursuit
planes went down again, this time
splitting IN half, one attacking from
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