DEATH FROM SKIES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 130, 25 January 1932, Page 6

DEATH FROM SKIES

PICTURESQUE AND AAVESOME SIDE OF WAR. WHEN THE NAVY FIGHTS.

High in the tropical sky an aeroplane hangs motionless like a bird of prey. Suddenly it drops from its height of 12,000 feet, striking seaward at the rate of 300 miles an hour. Its target is an aeroplane-carrier heavily stacked with aei'oplanes. The diving aeroplane is an American bomber carrying a 10001b bomb, twice the weight of those carried by the usual two-seater. The carrier reels beneath the force of the explosion, and suffers terrible damage as the bomb hits it. All round the mimic war is in progress. To the north-west 90 aeropianes are sweeping over transports surrounded hy an imposing array of battleships. To the south-west more aeroplanes are crippling another convoy, writes W. E. Brillack, the New York journalist. The day had begun with a single aeroplane rising to the sky as dawn broke over the green jungles of Panama. and flooded the still waters of the Pacific with splendid light. Moving upwards and out of sight in the morning light the aeroplane symbolised the new era of naval warfare. The tiny aeroplane was a unit of the "Blue" fleet of the United States Navy engaged in mimic warfare against the "Black" fleet, supposedly the force of a Pacific Power bent on destroying the Panama Canal and fche yet-to-be-built Nicaraguan Canal. The manoeuvres sought to learn the relative importanee of naval craft — battleships, cruisers, destroyers, air-craft-carriers, submarines and dirigibles. The "Blue'z admiral was successful His aeroplanes. found and bombed the enemy and fought a lively guerills warfare while the "Black" admiral maintained a losing battle for four . days. Out of this mimic war emerge certain theories which may change the strategy and tactics of future naval wars. First, the aeroplane proved its worth; without the light, swift, deathdealing weapon of the air the "Blue'" admiral could not have prevented the weighty "Black" armada from destroying the canal defences. Secondly, the battleship is regarded , by high authorities as still the backbone of the navy. Aeroplanes might destroy the cofivoy and hold command of the air, but they could not win the sea against "the richly armourplated battleship. The "Blue" admiral won because hc commanded a swift, mobile machine of cruisers, destroyers, aircraft-carriers. submarines and aeroplanes able to re main at sea without refuelling. But the airship problem is not yel solved. The new navy dirigible, the Akron, will carry five fighting aeroplanes. These, it is hoped,* will defend the airship against its midget enemies, the aeroplanes; further, that her great speed will enable her to flee down the wind and, like the Olympian god, take'refuge in a cloud.