Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-13
NAVY NOW READY
TO spot TARGET
Offers to Help Army Bombers
Locate Mount Shasta
for Test.
Continued From First page.)

Continued From First Page)
discover and bomb the old hulk, the
Mount Shasta.
These difficulties are the better APP
preciated since the accomplishment of
such type of activity has been the
common practice for many years of the
Naval Air Service. Our material has
been constructed and our personnel
trained with that end in view. There
fore, the Naval Aviation Service will
be glad either to guide and convoy
the Army bombers to and from the
target, or, IL necessary, even under
take the entire mission of finding and
destroying by bombs said old hulk.
Very sincerely yours,
DAVIS S. INGALLS,
AnnOuncer's Account.
The following account OF the Army's
bombing" attempt was offered today
by the Columbia Broadcasting System,
which had John Mayo as announcer
with the bombers:
The original attempt was made
Tuesday morning. The steel freighter
Mount Shasta, furnished by the United
States Shipping Board from its ships
scheduled for scrapping, was to have
been attacked so or 10 miles at sea of
Old Point Comfort. Va, by detach-
ment of bombing planes from Langley
Field. Va. A heavy fog and rain, to-
gether with rising wind. prevented
he bombers, flying high above the $500
foot ceiling, from executing the
maneuver
The planes returned to shore safely
although the Gen. Schofield, Army ship
escorting the target ship, was disabled
and had to be towed ashore. Lashed
about in the storm with useless boilers
the Gen. Schofleld was rescued by the
tug Moscoutin. Two sailors were serious
ly injured during the operation.
The major flight of bombing planes
was never out of touch of shore through
radio, but smaller fight was for a
long time believed lost"
Five Planes in Group.
According to Mayo, five planes we're
in the group with which he f1ew-three
light bombers. a radio ship and one
other plane. They circled the waiting
target and escort ships for four hours
awaiting the arrival of the major bomb
ing group and finally headed fer shore.
Unable to contact the shore by radio,
Mayo said, they found upon landing
that they had been thought lost at sea.
The landing was forced one at Vir-
ginia Beach. AS they approached shore
the ceiling" became so low as to make
1t inadvisable to attempt to fly to Lang
ley Field.
While over the sea the ships gaso-
line tanks ran low and the pilot
dropped sand ballast, Mayo continued.
The ship, carrying Mayo, set out with
700 gallons of gasoline and arrived at
Virginia Beach with 20 gallons. There
were six men aboard including Mayo,
with Lieuts. George Halloman of
Wright Field and Guy Henderson of
Langley Field plotting the ship.
Inadequate equipment and lack OF
proper practice in bombing ships at
sea were blamed by former Brig. Gen
William Mitchell for the Armys failure
to sink the Mount Shasta, and he sees
In this an additional argument for
unified air force for the Nations de-
Tense.
Declares Equipment Inadequate.
The Army planes that went out with
bombs to smash the Mount Shasta had
equipment. Gen. Mitchell
in q telephone interview with
The Star at his home at Middleburg,
Va. The former assistant chief of the
Army Air Service said that the ships
were not equipped with directional radio
and were without automatic pilots.
The ships the Army used Tuesday in
the bombing attempt are not any better
than the ships he used in 1921, Gen.
Mitchell asserted.
The only ships that will count against
an enemy In a future war are subma-
rines, the general reiterated. A Chi
nese walI' against incoming enemy yes
sells could be built up 400 or 500 miles
at sea. he pointed out. hating surface
shipping.
Army aircraft need practice several
times year in bombing surface craft.
Gen. Mitchell insisted. explaining that
this Is not now done. In 1921 and 1923, |
Sen. Mitchell continued. IL was proven
that aircraft are the only proper ma
tional defense and that the Nation
should have a united air force
The Army's publicity on the Mount
Shasta tests was not handled well, the
general commended, and the ships went
1ut in a northeast storm. The surface
pessel on the sea, II In actual warfare.
Ie maintained, would be "blind-unable
% use its guns-under the same con-
iitions."
Went rs Miles on Course.
Washington learend today that the
Army bombers, sent out to destroy the
Mount Shasta, went OF their course
.ome Is miles north Of the Virginia |
coast, missing by q wide margin their +,
nome port of Langley Field
1t was calculated that the Army !
oombers encountered the coast some
i've miles north of Cape Charles, in
stead OF at Cape Henry. Thas Army,s |
plans. however. locatea the |
Mount Shasta. coating of the Virginia |
capes, and waited in vain for the bomb-
ng show TO Start.
Lieut. Condr s. p Ginder, aviafioA
1fhcer In the Once Of Fleet Training, |
Navy Department, and Lieut. CoFndr !
". r. Browning, armament officer OF