WAR BALLOONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2110, 8 February 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

WAR BALLOONS.

AERIAL NAVIES SURE TO CO.M K

Speaking before tin' Royal Military Institute of Great Britain .recently on the subject oi Britain’s position as a military power, Major JbulotiRowell said: —"This is no time tor England to remain in n state or satisfaction with what she has. lucre are new elements in the realms or war of which we must soon take serious account. France and Germany have advanced so far in .the doveloment of aeronautics that we must now consider the air ship a new instrument of war. In a very feu years, we shall see these powo-ilul machines in the air under perfect control and in practical and ellectivo operation. Then every government will Obtain them and the navies will lie virtually useless as a first line of defence. ’ . While this is striking prophecy coming from a representative ot the country with the strongest navy alloat it is never i hole vs ft truth that- ft 11 military and naval men are adimttini', and most ot tlie groat .1 owers have already taken important steps towards the construction of a new navy in the air. France and Germany both nave aeronautic corps attached to thou armies, and as much attention is now being given to the equipment of a strong squadron of dirigibles as to the cavalry or infantry branch. Great Britain. Italy and Spain, while not so far advanced, have all apportioned large sums for war balloons, and the work of experimenting and construction is going on rapidly. .BUSY BULL ill NG FLEE IS. Franco has two of the largest war balloons vet made, the T.ebaudy machine and La I’atrie, and a still larger one, the Republique, is now being built. The first-named air ships have been thoroughly tested by the Army, and following the completion of'the Republique it is planned to put into commission, a fleet of air ships each probably larger than anv yet. constructed. . In Germany tho big war dirigible built by Count Zeppelin lias attracted the most attention. His experiments with it- have been watched by the whole world, and in the opinion of disinterested experts his machine is possibly as near perfection as anything yet constructed in the shape ot a military balloon. It woiglis nearly toll tons,'' is able to carry a crew ot ton or twelve men comfortably, besides a large quantity of explosives, guns, and other military equipment. It is almost as large as the ill-fated ship built by Walter Wellman for his proposed flight to the North Bole. During recent trials Count Zeppelin has made several flights, lasting from one hour to four hours, rising to an altitude of 2500 feet, and making eighteen miles an hour against a twelve mile wind. In order to enable Count Zeppelin to continue his experiments on a larger scale tho German Government recently authorised, a lottery, the proceeds of which were to be devoted exclusively to the perfection of military air ships. Besides the large amount raised in this way, the Government made a grant of £30,000, which- is being used along the same lines. Aside from the Government many wealthy individuals in Germany are building and perfecting steerable balloons, one of the foremost in this class being Henri -Deutsch, who has practically abandoned motor cars and spends much of Ids time travelling about in his dirigible balloons. Italy and Spain are thoroughly aroused over the question of aerial navigation, and hundreds of important experiments are going on,there, both with dirigible balloons and aeroplanes. Italy has several war balloons now in use and more, in course of construction. JAPAN ON THE ALERT. So far as military men of other countries have been able to discover, Japan has not yet commenced, to build her aerial navy, but is said to be waiting Jo get the advantage of all other experiments. In some quarters, however, that statement is not taken seriously, and it is asserted that instead of lagging behind tho European countries Japan is nearer perfection .in tho air ship than smother country in the world, and that if occasion should require she would appear with a squadron of dirigibles that would make the air fleets of othe.r countries look like flocks of tov kites.

It was not until six months ago, when -the achievements of German and French aeronauts -began to attract universal attention, that the United States Government regarded the war balloon as a thing worth inquiring about. To-day every officer in tho American army and navy ip deeply interested, and it is expected that Congress -at its next session will make a large appropriation for -the establishment of an -aeronautic corps on a large scale. PRACTISING SHOOTING AT BALLOONS.

Captain T. A. Hiklebrandt, in charge of the aeronautic branch of the German army, in conversation with several aeronauts, -said some very interesting tilings about military ballooning. Formally years in Germany, said he, we have been getting ready for the air squadron, and have devoted a great deal of time and experiment to shooting at captive and free balloons, because- as the airship is developed we must also develop a way of destroying it. But our experience lias shown that the large -type of dirigible is going to bo a very elusive enemy, We find it hard enough to bring down a captive balloon .-from an elevation of about 600 yards, and from tjiis we know how very difficult it is going to -be to hit' a big dirigible, constantly changing -altitude and course, at a much greater altitude.

In our practice with captive balloons we find that it is necessary to observe the work from both sides in order to discover if we are getting the range. We use shells with time fuses, and find that shrapnel is the best, First ;i captive -balloon is elevated to about five hundred metres, and then all the guns in a six-gun battery are trained on it, and fired in a volley, all at the same- time. Generally we bring down the captive in about six or seven volleys, and this requires ordinarily ten '.'o twelve minutes’ firing. Tlie shrapnel, of course, tears largo holes in the gas bag and deflates it. With a dirigible balloon that co-uld be tnndo to circle about or rise quickly to a !*i-eat elevation it would ip quite a different stqrv. While shooting at a caplivo balloon anchored at bii attitude of six hundred yard’s is hard enough; jt ivonld be far more difficult to hit a steerable balloon darting about at an altitude of one thousand or fifteen- hundred vnrds. Of course, it is not possible to experiment with a dirigible containing pilots, so the best we have been able to do is to have these large balloons towed by ’;i .steamship ut -sea, and wo shoot at them while moving iii that way, The balloon is towed past the batteries oil shore, and while ive generally hit them after considerable firing, some of them have escaped. DROPPING DEADLY RAJN. iii actual warfi/r,:- it. would be muc-li more difficult, because,’ ol eOJiiSp, t]p» aeronauts would understand ' ’ about what our guns wore able to do, and would keep pretty well out of range, and still bo able to perform their work iff reconnoitring or dropping explosives.' Jn practice worlc during times of peace the gunners tiavp the proper elevation, while in war the balloons would be sweeping down from tlie clouds without any warning. Then it would be necessary to decide v.-iiich batteries were best located and equipped fur the attack and to get the guns ready. By the thui- that was done the balloon would have accomplished its work, or might have reached a point so directly oyop the guns that they could not shoot at them at all. Infantry fire would not bother the balloons to any extent, so all that would bo necessary for complete sifoty oil the part of the aeronaut would be for him to rise about fifteen huml-

troops of tlie enemy. There he could red yards and keep directly over tho examine the enemy’s position, drop explosives upon him, and substantially have his own way without great, danger of being bit. SPECIAL GUN NEEDED.

I am now speaking of conditions as they are to-day, but it is altogether likely that with the development of the war balloon will como a corresponding development of guns to reach it, within a certain altitude, but from anything 1 can conceive now, the balloon in future warfare is bound to have tlie. better of the argument, because it will he very difficult with any gun possible to he made to gel accurate range and do effective work on a balloon beyond a certain altitude.

Count Zeppelin's new war dirigible is equipped to do service as a wireless telegraph station, and the operator in it can receive ami send dispatches from a great height• above the earth. It can drift out over (lie enemy, see what lie is doing, and report the matter to headquarters from its position in the clouds. This .is very important, and if such a balloon ns that should be hit and destroyed, it would have done its service, ami the loss would not amount to much in comparison with the work it had per.:’.Mined.

It is my belief that in the future the large type of dirigibles will be very valuable as scouts and many will no doubt be built and equipped cxpready for that service.