THE FLEET AT PRACTICE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 23 August 1935, Page 9

THE FLEET AT PRACTICE

ROBOT AIR TARGET USED WIRELESS-CONTROLLED 'PLANES SHOOTING EFFICIENCY. LONDON, July 17. It is perhaps unwise for anyone who is not an expert to comment on the shooting practice of the Fleet. It is only ’ possible to describe what w'ps plainly visible. Everyone who was with the Fleet off the Isle of Wight was looking forward to seeing two wirelessly-controlled aeroplanes being shot down in flames. We had an excellent grandstand on the flight-deck of the aircraft carrier Courageous, and it was this ship, somewhat famed for its anti-aircraft shooting, that was expected to give the coup de grace (says a correspondent). The Nelson, Rodney, Barham, Valiant, Hood, Renown, Courageous and Furious, with attendant destroyers—the Sturdy and Stronghold—were formed up in. a crescent stretching over a mile or two. Presently, out of the distance came the mysterious robot, controlled by someone on board the cruiser Achilles, from which it had been catapulted. By then, however, we bad had tlie bad news that one of the robots had sunk into the sea shortly after launching. The “Queen Bee,” as it is called, had boen developed, at the instigation of the Admiralty, by tlie Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, in co-operation with the Naval Signal Department. It is the result of many years' work, the control system used having been developed from that employed in the control of naval target ships. Compared with a finely-finished and perfected aeroplane for ordinary work, it is not an expensive machine, and when one considers the cost of firing a salvo of loin guns the destruction of these robot air targets is not a costly business.

FIRED UPON BY" THE RODNEY. Unfortunate]} 7 , at the time of the shooting practice, the cloudfe were low, and it was evidently considered unwise to raise the manless aeroplane higher than about a thousand feet. It appeared to fly well, wheeling and turning and rising and falling, in response to the distant controller. At one time, however, as it flew a few hundred feet above the Courageous, its propeller was working feebly. Everyone watched it anxiously, and wondered if it would stall. Suddenly the engine seemed to correct itself and the propeller took on a healthy roar. Round r and round the robot flew, at times being almost lost in the low clouds, and again reappearing. Against the wind it seemed to struggle at a pace of not much more than 50 miles an hour.

Then the Rodney opened fire in what. wa*s officially idescribed as a long-range shoot. The range must have been over a mile and the height a thousand feet. At first the bursts of black smoke were wide of their mark. Other shots followed, and one or two would have been dangerously near a human pilot, hut there was no apparent hit. LOST UNDER THE WAVES.

The guns of the Rodney ceased fire and the apparently unscathed robot, circled on. Two or three minutes later it came again into a position where resistance might have been expeeted. but no gun sounded. The robot began to lose height. On it went, but gradually sinking. Then its floats bit the water, and it sped forward some yards in a shower of spray. It rode the water gallantly for a few seconds only, and turned on, its side. A wing was visible for half a minute, and then every trace of the machine was gone. By this time a destroyer was making for the point at which it came to water, but nothing could have been found to tell what had happened. That- it sank so rapidly points to the fact that the floats were pierced with shrapnel; that the force of the engine gradually weakened but did not stop in the air points to the probability that the oil tanks were also pierced. Though there was no spectacular hit the shots had done their work. With the other robot already beneath the waves or out of action, spectators were prevented from seeing an attack by the massed guns of the line. A FLOATING TARGET. Earlier on there was an Bin concentration .shoot of ten salvos from each ship of the First Cruiser Squadron (the London, Australia. Devonshire, and Shropshire). The target was the Centurion, another robot controlled by wireless from the destroyer Shikari. Far off across the waters we could see the unmanned ship steaming at 12 knots, the little destroyer following a mile in the rear. Through glasses it was possible to see that the target was several times straddled, and later wo were informed the Centurion had been bit fifty times.

Instead of high explosives, the shells are filled with sand, so that on impact there is no explosion, but the shells pass through the sides of the ship, leaving a hole a foot or so in diameter. These are roughly repaired after every shooting practice, and the Centurion to-day is a ship of/ hundreds of putcl) GS • FIFTEEN-INCH PRACTICE.

Then came a 15in concentration shoot by the Barham, Valiant, Hood, and Kenown —ships which were jjn alignment with our aircraft carrier. The target in the dim distance was being towed by the Curacoa; at 20 knots. With the battleships so close at hand the broadsides made an impressive and terrifying sight. For several minutes the appalling din continued and golden flames leapt far out from the long, imposing muzzles of the great guns. . It was a matter of seconds before the fountains made by the falling shells could be seen through, glasses. It was reported that the first two salvos registered several direct hits. The third and fourth were equally successful, but one shot cut the towing rope and the diminishing speed of tho target threw the shooting out. Before corrections could be made the firing ceased. Still, we had seen enough to realise the unpleasantness of a big naval engagement, but tlie limited anti-aircraft shooting told us little or nothing.