ÆERIAL WARFARE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 157, 27 March 1908, Page 5

ÆERIAL WARFARE.

GERMAN GUNS'.TO ENGAGE AIRSHIPS. .While Germany is-dovoting herself to tho cohstrubtion of military airships, of .which she will shortly possess five, she is also engaged in devising means by which she may protect' herself against' tho airships v of a Hostile power. For this purpose (writes tho Berlin- correspondent of the " Standard ") guns of a peculiar type are being manufactured ,at the.'Krupp works, Essen, for the purpose of disabling hostile airships manoeuvring'. at a great height. It will be possible to fire these guns either vertically or at an extremely high elevation, and they will bo loaded' with projectiles of an equally pecu- : designed to inflict the greatest possible damage on the balloon'which supports the hull of the hostile airship. ,Some of tho,.projectiles will have jagged chains attached to them, experiments having shown that the best results-can thereby be obtained in firing at balloons. ' Germany ,possesses two systems of wireless telegraphy which are admirably, suited for use. on,airships._ The apparatus invented by tlio German engineer Hcinicke is of comparatively minute size, both the' transmitting and receiving apparatus being in tho same small ease, which weighs only 401b. Tho radius of ; communication is 30 miles. , Horr von Lepel, has invented another process, and his apparatus is also small and of trilling weight. Moreover, it lias a radius of communication of 100 "miles, and it has even transmitted' messages over a distance of nearly 150 miles. The great firm of Seiiuens and Sclmckcrt have established an airship department, and already they have more orders than' they can fulfil. Two now companies are also being formed for the construction and equipment of airships. »,