Evening star., 1943-04-12
Armor-P Bomb
To Sink Batt|eship
Developed by Navy
Admiral BIondy Tells
Detroit Club of
Latest in Ordnance
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
DETROIT, April 12-An armor-
piercing bomb that can drive
through the protective decks of a
battleship and explode in her in
terror was described today by Rear
Admiral w. H. P. Blandy, chief OF
the Nays Bureau of Ordnance.
1t is the answer, he said, to the
problem of sinking the heavily
mored battleships and is especially
designed for the job.
But, he continued in an address
prepared for the Detroit Economic
Club, to attain that ability to drive
through half a foot of armor plate,
explosive power must be sacrificed
To get through heavy armor. a
bomb. like shell fired from a gun, >
he said, must be especially de-
signed for the job.
The principal features (of the
new bomb are a delayed-action
. fuse, very thick wall and heavy
nose. and consequently small
bursting charge.
Speeding Ships Escape.
? 1T must have plenty of striking
velocity. The latter can be
achieved only by dropping from
high altitude or by diving at ex-
:tremely high speed In either case,
accuracy is difficult to achieve
= He asserted that high-altitude
bombing has proven almost use
less against ships maneuvering in
the open sea at high speed and
declared the best method for attack
ing Well-armed ships is dive bomb
ing.
"Of course Admiral Blandy
added, you must have planes spe-
clally built for it, or they won't stand
the terrific stresses of the pull-out
The planes push over at attitudes
high enough to afford fair protection
from the ships guns, take advantage
OF cloud cover or brilliant sun if
available. and come down like bat
out of hell at an angle as steep as
70 degrees in the final dive"
Admiral Blandy asserted that
light-case bombs with their higher
explosive charge cannot sink bat
tleship but can cause severe dam
age to communication equipment.
exposed stations, lighter anti-air
craft batteries and can pierce light
upper decks, starting fires. The
same bombs, he continued, can sink
lighter types of naval vessels and.
of course, transports and cargo
ships"
Intricate TorpedOes.
Despite the new armor- piercing
bomb, he said, TO sink ships. its
always better to let water into them
instead OF air That's where the
torpedo comes in handy
- He told of the torpedoes being
made of 5000 parts and intricate
assemblies which can withstand
dropping from a plane at high
speed, and guide the tin fish on
its course at predetermined depths
depending on the type of vessel at
tackled.
AL lldN Nlt>, iit Sdld. ISSOSlllLS
the serious menace of the torpedo
plane and see to 1t that its efforts
are not ignored
The ordnance chief told also of
advances made in armament of sur
face ships, notably in fire control
devices which mechanically deter
mine the aiming point and eleva-
ton of the big guns.
Admiral Blandy termed the bat
tleships big guns the most powerful
naval weapon. but added Il did not
say the most useful In that
class he placed the airplane bombs
and torpedoes submarine torpedoes,
depth charges and anti-aircraft
guns
. Our battleship big gun" Admiral
Blandy continued, has thus tar
seen little day action in this war.
You can blame the Japs for that
They are not inclined to engage in
a battleShiD fight "