The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-30

Espana engagement, the type of bombs used and attending circuin- stances.
 Navy line officers, who consider the battleship the backbone ot national defense, were quick to point out that the Espana was old and obsolete and that, according to rec ords here, she carried no deck armor. They doubted that her anti aircraft guns were modern.
 It was believed, however, that the success of Loyalist planes against even so old a ship would revive the controversy that has ragged inter- mittently for IS years since Briga- dier General William Mitchell first put forward the claim that surface ships would be helpless against at tacks from the air.
 Naval authorities throughout the world generally have held that the battleship is the backbone of naval defense and that the arplane, how ever, destructive, is essentially an auxiliary arm.
 A concensus of the views of the navy general staffs of all the inl- portant naval powers last summer bore out this conclusion.
 Naval officers recalled that prior to the outbreak of the Spanish war, the nearest approach to an airplane attack upon battleships under war time conditions occurred in Santiago harbor, Chile, in 1880. The crews of a number of Chilean ships re- volted and attempted to put to sea Loyalist Chilean planes flew out over the warships and after drop ping 8 few bombs frightened the crews into surrender.
 In that instance the warship crews made no attempt to defend themselves with anti-aircraft fire. None of the warships was seriously damaged. Chilean aviators said later they had not attempted to hit the ships with their bombs.
 During the talo-Ethiopian war which brought on naval crisis III the Mediterranean between Great Britain and Italy, the greatest threat to the British fleet was the presence of large numbers of Italian bombing planes at points near the ship lanes
 No hostile act occurred, but naval officers here knew of the great con- cern with which British naval off, cers regarded the persence of SC many bombing planes within strik- ing distance of the fleet. Event ually the fleet was withdrawn from the Mediterranean.
 During the last IS years Severa! old or dismantled warships, lowed as targets, have been sunk by air. craft bombing by the various naval powers.
 These included two uncompleted battleships which the United States was building at the time the Wash- ington disarmament conference was called. These vessels, without arm- ament, were lowed out to sea be- yond the Virginia Capes. They were sunk after three days of almost continuous air attack. The results have been 8 bone of contention be- tween air enthusiasts and packers of the battleship.
 The controversy has centered around whether the planes could have seriously damaged the ships had the latter been under power and able to defend themselves.
 Aboard the Espana were some $40 officers and men, and the Espana had to meet the planes at tack its old pre-war deck afmor 1 1-2 inches thick, two 3-inch anti aircraft guns ant. smaller guns.
 The coast guard men reported that they saw a tremendous bomb strike the after end of the battleship and explode. The Espanc began to list and settled in the water, they re- ported, and sank one hour after the bomb struck.
 The Velasca, nearby, steamed to the dying ships aid and according to reports took off officers. Unot- ficial reports, not confirmed here, were that the officers were believed to include Germans and Italians.
 Fishing boats made off from the shore, the reports said to rescue the crew.
 It was expected that the old Es- pana, once the Alfonso XIII, would enter history as the first battleship to be sunk by an airplane. Its loss is a severe blow to the Nationalists. It is not only their only battleship. but one of few big ships in their navy.
 Record, Says Admiralty
 London, April 90 ---(UP)-- The sinking of the Espana is the first time in history that a battleship has been sunk by an airplane. as tar as it's records show, the admiralty said today.
 It wa pointed out. however. that tine incident docs not establish the vlilnerat ity O. modern battleships to aircfa fire The Espana was an outdated ship wiih deck aFmor only 1 lea int ss lh'ek, whereas modern tattleshil arc iborateiy protected against afrin ilD1ths.
 
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