Evening star., 1933-04-23

attacked virtually without WarnlI
from six to eight machine guns eat
per hour. The planes may carry q
caliber machine gun fire over Wit
pilot, he warned.
Animal transport cannot stand up
against the menace Of aerial attack
because Of its terrific effectiveness
against horses, which not only are very
vulnerable, but which are very apt to
stampede If not killed or disabled.
There is an old artillery saying that "a
battery seen is q battery lost" Com
menting on the fact that this saying is
based on the effectivness cf artillery
fire alone. Maj Hibbs points out how
much more applicable may 1t be to
horse drawn unit caught in column on
the road by flight of attack planes"
1T requires little imagination to pic
ture the result" the major said. Even
suppoSing that no casualties result from
the attack. there must certainly be a
demoralizing disorganization which 1t
will take many minutes to rectify. And
who can fancy 9 situation where no
casualties will have resulted when all
OF our drivers, our mounted men and
our animals have been completely ex-
posed to the fire and to accident attend
ant upon the stampede Of such teams
as become terrified by the gunfire and
bombs, both cur own and the enemy's?
(This- is not a wildly imaginative pic
ture conjured up for effect, such as
appear in press and print devoted to
sensationalisnl, but arises from a sad
conviction OF certainty supported by
experience Of fire far less potentially
effective than We may expect from q
flight Of attack planes.) On the other
hand, we may armcr the vital parts of
motors and when attacked the personnel
may seek what little cover they can take
In the short time available to them"
Discussing the recent developments in
attack aviation. Mai. Hibbs pointed out
that attack planes now are equipped
with from four to six (and may be pro-
vided with eight machine guns firing
to the front and at least two flexible
guns firing to the sides and rear. "A
veritable arsenal!" Is his comment.
Guns Sweep Broad Path.
The fixed guns are mounted across
the full wingspread Of the plane so as
to sweep broad path ahead. At pres
ent such guns carry about 800 rounds
Of ammunition each. This expended
the pilot must land to reload his guns
At TOO rounds per minute, the plane
has about rs seconds Of continuous fire
from its fixed guns
: This" Maj. Hibbs said, may seem
to be a short period Of fire, but it must
be recalled that fire will be executed
| in bursts and that at the speeds with
which the plane attacks, these groups
| OF bursts will be of short duration
probably not exceeding to 10 seconds
| - ,f v~1n Axvtv
miles per hour this amount Of am
munition would permit the plane, Il
1t 80 desired, to fire continuously while
1t swept . stretch Of road about 2.60O
yards long,"
In attacking q column, the major
pointed out, q group Of three planes
Will generally attack as q unit, with ar
overlapping effect Of bombs and gun
fire, thus greatly increasing the ef.
fectiveness of the aerial assault.
Night attacks also may be expected
aerial flares being employed to illumi.
nate the targets.
This practice" Maj. Hibhs ssid
will reduce the surprise elect, but it
moral eject will be high, for 1t Is q
nerve-wracktng experience to stand
conspicuously In the spotlight Of q flare
and wait for Q shower Of bombs, espe-
cially when the plane Is not visible and
one stands little chance Of even get
ting a shot at him.
Ground troops, however, may derive
some comfort. in the opinion of Maj
Hibbs, from the knowledge that plane.
are expensive to build and maintair
and that time Is required for theil
manufacture, and that, therefore
ground troops probably Will not be sub.
ject to continuous attack by swarms o1
planes; that the planes are subject tc
attack BY other planes and by ground
fire during their relatively frequent
trips to replace ammunition and
bombs, and that at night they must op-
crate from lighted fields which will
form excellent targets for air attack.
Last Wish Nears Csal.
One Of the last wishes Of Rear Ad.
miral William A. Moffett, chief of the
Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, who was
| lost In the crash of the U. s. S. Akron,
( was that his three sons would wear the
| uniform Of the Navy, with the wings
Of aviation pilots on their breasts.
This fatherly ambition for his sons
was in entire keeping with the character
| Of the man who was more responsible
than any other for the building up of
United States naval aviation to its
present position Of world Leadership
among the purely naval air forces
It was an ambition which Is likely TO
be realized within q few years. TWO Of
the sons now are naval ofncers and
airplane pilots and the youngest now is
preparing for the Naval Academy at the
! Shadman School
Lieut.. George H. Monett, oldest Of
, the three sons. Is on duty with the
squadrons of the fleet at San Diego,
Calf, West Coast shore base Of the
naval flying service. There Is said to
be . possibility that he may be ordered
| to the National Capital in the near fu-
ture for flying duty ct the Anaeostia
Naval Air Station.
The second son, Ensign william A.
No6ett, r.. Nas called home BY the