Wireless-Run Battleship

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1922, Page 4

Wireless-Run Battleship

TURNING AND TWISTING. NAVY’S AIR ATTACK TEST. LONDON, Aug 2. Yesterday’s naval air exercises off the Isle of Wight were memorable for two reasons. In tlie long series of attacks carried out by bombing aeroplanes aginst an old battleship in motion a considerable number of hits was*effected from an enormous height and at close quarters almost every bomb hit. The percentage of bits at B,oooft. maj look small till it is remembered ctlint this is the first time many hits have been made on a target in rapid motion from such an altitude. No two experts agree as to the percentage: but while it was small in the morning for bombing from great heights it was distinctly formidable in the°nfternoon, when it reached 11 per cent, of hits ’with the D.H. machine. The second wonder of the operations was the wireless control of the Agamemnon. Without a human being on hoard she twisted and turned at 15 knots directed from tho destroyer Truant in a fashion that suggested witchcraft; her fires were stoked with oil fuel, and she appeared as though she had a full crew on board. | This is the first time that a. battleship- with no one on board has been handled through a long day a-t so high a speed. In the American tests U) knots was not reached.

Yesterday’s work lias not ended tne capital ship but lias once more shown the importance of the Air Arm and the necessity to provide an ample force of fighting and bombing machines to work with the Fleet. DODGING THE BOAIBS. H.AI.S. Canterbury. Wn put out very early in exquisite weather with a cargo of Allied nava arid air attaches for the bombuig experiments on the old battleship Agamemnon steaming with not'' a soul on hoard lieu*. , She lay about lo miles south of the Isle of Wight, a rather dismal, decrepit looking craft with her gups removed. stripped for heir last, hut not inglorious hour of existence. She was manoeuvred by wireless and burned oil, and the chief marvel of the day was to watch her evolutions. \ small number of destroyers, including one of the war-famous patrol boats, was out near her acting as mark boat or carrying air experts am Air Ministry ollinials. Incidentally they kept the area of water neai the Agamemnon clear of intruders. ie spited at which tho Agamemnon could be manoeuvred without men was lrom 14 to 15 knots. Tlie bombs used against her weto not of a very terrible - character. They weighed 911. each, not a little different from the 2,0001 b bombs dropped in tl.ee United States tests against the OstTriesland. They were arranged to send out dense clouds of "'J! t 0 smoke when they hit the water or the in.

There was .some delay in getting tlie Agamemnon ready. A tug lav alongside her .and the various rather complicated arrangements bad all to be adjusted. This took time. Not till 9.30 clid tlie tug cast off and was the ship readv and everyone clear. The wind had threatened considernhiv. It was blowing with a force of 15 'miles an hour on the sea surface and 30 miles high np. Thu first act was an attack by I D.H 9 400-b.p. machines. They were each to discharge 21 little‘dummy bombs from a. height of g 000 ft iii pairs, so that each machine had to lire 12 pairs. The operation was not of a very spectacular character. The machines were so high up that for a part of the time they were hidden in small patches of cloud which drove swiftly across the hhio sky. Jhe shooting, allowing for height, speed, and wind, was impressive. Two certain hits were scored, though some people thought they saw a third. SAFE FROAI “ARCHIES.” The first five bomlis dropped missed the ship by a considerable distance.. Tli esixth scored a very good hit. hitting her on the I'om-astlu and shrouding her for a few minutes ,in a white smoke. Then a large number of tombs fell wide of her. There is this to remember, that according to the. reports of the joint Army and Navy Board which in the United States examined the Domliing of the old battleships Ostfriosland, lowa, and Alabama. “It is licit necessary to make direct iiits on warships to put them out of action or to sink them, provided the bomb drops sufficiently close to the vessel and tho explosive chargee is sufficiently large to produce » mine effect.” The practice, according to an cxI pert present, was so good that it marked a ncew chapter in history. Tho machines were at such a tremendous height that they would have been safe from anti-aircraft tiro, yet they managed, as lias been seen, to put in several hits. One of the best bombs dropped hit the ship near the stern turret, it was thought by several observers that two or three bombs

bad dropped altogether, as there was so much smoke. The intended number of bombs was not dropped in this attack, as one* of the machines crashed. I believe, before firing any of her 24 bombs. Fortunately those in her escaped uninjured. The next event was the most impressive of the day. DEADLY EFFECT. It was an attack by four Snipe machinas, each carrying 12 dummy bombs. They were to drop bombs at tho closest quarters. They came out from hand Hying beautifully in lozenge shape formation at about 1,000 feet or more. As they neared tho

Agamemnon they circled and dived. This time there was no doubt as to tho happening. They plastered the ship with bombs, bitting her in the deadliest spots. Ono bomb struck her foretop and would have wiped out the fire control party had there been one there. Another struck her on -the fore bridge, and if it had been *a live bomb and there had been it lie usual collection of officers and signalmen not much ol them would have been left.

AH the 48 bombs except four or live hit her and she was so densely covered in smoke that it must have been almost impossible to work her. But of course in this case Agamemnon was not firing back. Things might have been very different if a dozen of her own machine guns had been at work. After another pausei a squadron of six Camels attacked with machine-gun fire. Tt was impossible to ascertain the object of this attack, which was over in a few minutes. The aircraft flew very close, and it ought to have boon impossible for them to miss the vulnerable parts of the ship. The early afternoon was to have seen an attack by four D.H. machines using 24 bombs apiece, but only three put in an appearance, and these were nearly three-quarters of ah hour late. They opened from such a height that they could scarcely bo seen. After several bombs bad been released one hit was scored, but not in a vulnerable place, on the Agamemnon’s extreme stern. Much better shooting followed. Four

more hits, apparently front pairs ot bombs, succeeded on more vulnerable portions. Oiie of tlie interesting points thereabouts was the quick turning and dodging of the Agamemnon. The best episode of the day was an attack by two Handley Page machines with a Vimy. Several runs were made over the Agamemnon, and one good hit was effected on the quarterdeck. During this attack a small flight machine aittractad a great deal of attention by flying immediately above, and behind one of the Handley Pages. In such a position be could have attacked tlicc big aircraft with the deadliest of results. TMrrwVwr dAHR TT?.AAT

DEMON BOAIB TISAAI. British experimental work lias brought into official prominence one “demon” bomb-dropping team. In' an experiment, kept very secret at the time, these “star performers” gave an amazing exhibition of their skill. Passing above tlie ship that was their target at a height of a mile and a half, they launched four small dummy bombs at her. Two, it is said, went down the funnels of the ship, the third lodged in a funnelcasing, while the fourth struck tlie’ deck. __