National Affairs: Tests

In the light blue ether above Fort Tilden, Rockaway Point anti-air defense base of Manhattan, soared, twisted, wobbled a deep blue cone of canvas, 15 ft. long, tapering in diameter from 5 ft. to 4 ft. Ahead, linked to the sky-target by a few scant hundred feet of rope, flew Air Lieut. Archie Smith in a Martin Bomber. From below anti-aircraft gunners launched torrents of gun fire, exploded thousands of pounds of powder into billions of cubic feet of gas. Sweated, toiled, emitted words peculiar to gunners.

Eighteen times, with the undeviating regularity of a sentry pacing his beat, Lieut. Smith towed his special high visibility target over their heads, he neither twisted, dived nor dodged. He flew at an average altitude of only 1,500 ft., the target trailing 300 ft. below. Cooly, Army anti-aircrafting gunners ignored all but four of his perambulations, loosed upon the target a total of 8,000 shots during those, scored five hits. Dauntlessly they loosed 8,000 more missiles, each costing $25, upon a second target, towed by another Air Service Lieutenant, scored 14 hits.

Present were a dozen or more Generals and Admirals.

At the conclusion of the tests Major General Johnson Hagood, intered the word “satisfied,” declared that anti-aircraft firing was now immensely more efficient than during the War (when French artillery authorities reckoned 10,000 shots to a hit), remarked that the effectiveness of anti-aircraft artillery is not judged by the number of enemy planes it may bring down but by its effect upon the morale of the enemy, forcing him to fly so high that he loses his effectiveness against his own target. Since the targets were only one-quarter the size of actual airplanes, it was felt that the land batteries did well to hit them at all.

From the opposing school of thought (those who believe anti-aircraft guns to be impotent) poured billows of scorn. It was pointed out that the targets had been dangled and dandled within a mere eight or nine feet of the guns, while an enemy fleet would never think of attacking at less than 10,000 feet. It was recalled that enemy planes would be carefully disguised as to color, and that dark blue is said to possess the highest possible air-target visibility. Nineteen successes in 16,000 trials were contrasted unfavorably with the chances for a zero in roulette.

From Congressman F. H. La Guardia of New York, one time World War aviator, never backward at speech, came vituperation unequivocal and pungent. Congressman La Guardia had watched the tests from the air. Said he: “A waste of the taxpayers’ money . . . the cost of the test will equal the cost of three up-to-date planes . . . Anti-aircraft defense from the ground is as inefficient today as it was during the War -. . Put the money into the air service and the people of the Atlantic and Pacific .would sleep in peace regardless of what emergency this country might be confronted with . . . the pomp, glamor, relays of military channels . . . maps, bugles and bells . . . with the resulting low percentage of hits, reminds one of a child chasing a bird . . . trying to put salt on its tail.

From Brigadier General Fechet, Chief of the Army Air Service, who had also observed the test from the air, came not even a tight-lipped comment. He kept silent.

In Washington deposed Air Chief, now Colonel William E. Mitchell, entered the office of General Fechet, issued therefrom a broadside against those opposed to expansion of the Air Service. He characterized the test as a “kindergarten performance.” “. . . The towing airplanes were trying to hit the muzzles of the guns with the targets. The next Congress will demand that all cards be laid on the table, to see what is vital to the defense of the nation. . . The air people will be just as aggressive in the next Congress as in the last. . . .We are now on the eve of an entire readjustment of the national defense.”

Colonel Mitchell who was transferred from the post of Assistant Chief of the Army Air Service (TIME Mar. 16) has made repeated and open criticism of his superior offices, in connection with his demands for a United Air Force.

Subsequent continued tests at Fort Tilden resulted, after the firing of 180 rounds, in barely missing the towing plane of Lieut. William T. Atkinson, although the target trailed 2100 ft. behind it. Said he, after towing his target ten times across the firing area, “We could see the shells burst high to the right and in front of our plane.” Said another flight lieutenant: “We’re used to that.”

Night gun tests, conducted with circling stabbing searchlights of 2,000,000 candle power, against targets lowered (by request of the land gunners) from 8000 to 5000 ft., resulted in the firing of 360 shells, in only two hits on one target.