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III THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PROVES THAT AIRCRAFT DOMINATE SEACRAFT THE stately Atlantic fleet, consisting of eight battleships , several cruisers, many destroyers and auxiliary vessels, hospital ships and tenders, m,oved into the Chesapeake Bay and anchored in the Lynnhaven Roads. The appearance of these great vessels was majestic. The fleet had been assembled to watch and observe the bombing tests, so that all could see what happened. Many considered this trial to be utterly useless, because they reasoned that it was entirely impossible to sink, or even injure, a battleship. That, neither Gould a battleship be hit by an aerial bomb, and, if it were hit, could it be damaged to any great extent. These people little knew the great accuracy of aerial bombing, which at the present time, at battle ranges, is perhaps the most accurate method of hurling missiles. Also 011 account of the tremendous proportional amount of explosives carried in the bombs they constitute the most powerful weapon of their kind ever devised by man. On the other hand, the officers and men of the First Provisional Air Brigade were certain that their efforts 56 Aircraft Dominate Seacraft 57 would be crowned with success. They were eager to have their theories put to the test. The first trial took place on June 2, 192 I, against the ex-German subnlarine U-II7. It was anchored on the target grounds, about seventy-five miles off the Capes, in an awash c.ondition. The day was perfect and the line of the destroyers placed at ten mile intervals across the Chesapeake Bay and from the Capes out to the target ships, looked like little beetles in the molten sea as we sped over them. The first air units to attack this submarine were three flying boats of the Naval Air Service, commanded by Lieutenant Thomas. They flew cl,ose together in a "V" shaped formation, and each dropped one bomb for sighting purposes, as they passed over the target. The practice was perfect and each missile either hit the submarine or struck within a few feet of it. Making a turn, they came back dropping three bombs each, or a total ;of nine bombs. These bombs weighed one hundred and eighty pounds each. The center of impact of this volley struck the submarine squarely, split her in two and down she went. None, except the air people, had expected such a rapid termination of the first experience. Had she been fired at with cannon no such result could have been obtained-she would have been hit above the water line and would have had to fill up with water gradually before she would have gone down. These bombs tore her all to pieces above the water, below the water, and along the water line. Some of the skeptics began to be convinced that there was something to air bombing. Winged Defense It was a very severe jolt for those who still adhered to the old theories. This was not all: The vessel that was directing the target practice, which remained ahout a mile and a half a\vay from the submarine, had her condenser system so badly damaged that she steamed into the Chesapeake Day that night at only three knots an hour. If these small bombs could produce such an under-,vater shock as to affect a warship's condenser system a mile and a half off, what could the big bombs do? The discussions waxed stronger than ever, and the Congressmen, naval officers, press representatives, and guests on the Naval Transport Henderson spent the night in terrific arguments. These arguments, however , were soon to have their answer. A couple of days later, the Army Air Service was given as a target the "ex-German Torpedo Destroyer G-I02." She was one of the large type boats of this class, employed so successfully by the Gern1ans. Our Air Brigade moved out with all its different parts in exactly the same way that it would have attacked any sea force, equipped with airplane carriers and airplanes. First came the pursuit ships, eighteen of them, flying in three flights, so that they could attack, underneath, up abo,ve, or on the same level, any enen1Y pursuit ships ,vhich might contest their progress. They not only had their machine guns, but each plane carried four twentyfive pound bombs to be used against the ship's superstructure , anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, and personnel , so as to sweep the deck clear...

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