AMERICA IX THE AIR 



347 



wish, and consequently have the power 

 of initiative. 



As we lost so few airplanes from anti- 

 aircraft fire during the war, it is entirely 

 safe to say that we will lose very few as 

 the result of any action from the ships 

 themselves. 



The def-ense of the vessels with anti- 

 aircraft artillery and machine-guns will 

 not be as efficient as the same defense 

 on land would be. because these guns 

 are placed on a movable platform when 

 on the ship. 



The effect of a bomb on an armored 

 battleship is terrific. Xot only does it 

 cause great material damage, but it shat- 

 ters all the navigating appliances, kills a 

 great many of the personnel, knocks out 

 all lighting systems, and stands a good 

 chance of blowing the structure com- 

 pletely to pieces (see pp. 340 and 342). 



The probability of hitting the battleship 

 is very much greater than is the case with 

 gunfire at a range of over 20,000 yards. 

 In fact, it is estimated that at 40,000 

 yards the great guns will only make 1 per 

 cent of hits against a battleship, and, as 

 the life of the largest guns is only about 

 200 rounds, they will only make about 

 two hits during the whole time they are 

 in existence. Even to do this, an organi- 

 zation of airplanes has to be furnished to 

 observe the fire and tell the gun crew 

 where their shots are falling. 



These airplanes, if of a bombardment 

 type, would make many more hits than 

 do the cannon. In fact, good bombard- 

 ment airplanes will make from 30 to 40 

 per cent of hits, at least, which will affect 

 in varying degrees the ability of a battle- 

 ship to exist. 



BATTLESHIPS MAY BECOME LIKE ARMORED 

 KNIGHTS OE OLD 



Before the coming of an air force the 

 development of war vessels on the water 

 had been in increasing armor, increasing 

 gun-power, and increasing speed. The 

 increase in armor, of course, increased 

 the weight and diminished the speed of 

 these leviathans. 



Compared to an airplane, these great 

 vessels are very much like the knights in 

 the middle ages, encased in their heavy 

 armor, in which they could scarcely 

 move, as compared to the light-armored 



foot soldier, equipped with a musket. If 

 the weapons which the air force now 

 has for attacking battleships are so effi- 

 cient, and these weapons consist only of 

 bombs that were developed for use on 

 land, one can expect remarkable results 

 when this problem is studied and arma- 

 ment devised especially for the attack of 

 shipping. 



As the airplanes undoubtedly will be 

 able in future wars to control the surface 

 of the water, an air force will be the key 

 to the command of the sea. 



Submarines undoubtedly will have a 

 great value ; but, on account of their slow 

 speed and expense, they will gradually 

 give way to an air force, as the latter de- 

 velops in its radius of action and power. 



The present battleship, with its acces- 

 sories, costs about $45,000,000, and for 

 this amount of money about 1,000 bom- 

 bardment airplanes can be constructed, 

 each one of which can carry a bomb suffi- 

 cient to sink a battleship. The airplanes 

 require a personnel of only two or three 

 men, whereas the battleships require 800 

 or over. 



These are only some of the compari- 

 sons that interest the nations today, in 

 culling the lessons from the last war. 



As the airplane engines increase in re- 

 liability, the forced landings will become 

 less and less, so that airplanes can act 

 over water with almost as much security 

 as they can act over land. 



Furthermore, vessels of very high 

 speed can be equipped to form movable 

 airdromes, or airplane carriers, as they 

 are called ; and as these are not weighted 

 down with armor or heavy guns, and as 

 everything can be stream-lined on them 

 in a way that has never been done with 

 battleships, a corresponding increase of 

 speed is possible. 



The same airplanes that are used over 

 the land can be used over the water, both 

 as a means of coast defense from land 

 bases and from airplane carriers. 



A NON-STOP FLIGHT OF 4,000 MILKS 



So far, only airplanes, or heavier-than- 

 air craft, have been discussed. Lighter- 

 than-air craft, or airships, as we call them 

 today, have taken on an increased interest 

 because of their economical application 

 to commerce. The rigid airship as con- 



