Deadliness of Aircraft

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7271, 26 September 1933, Page 7

Deadliness of Aircraft

Lesson of Mimic Bailie k the Firth of Forth

BRITISH AIRMEN OUTWIT

THE FLEET

United Press Association—By Electric Telegrapli— Copyright. Received Monday, 9.40 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 25.

The Daily Telegraph's naval correspondent says that valuable lessons were learnt in the North Sea war between a naval base defended only by aeroplanes and a combined raid by ships and aeroplanes, this being the first manoeuvres of the Navy in which the R.A.F. co-operated. ■When the attackers tried to bombard Elie, of the Eirth of Forth, the IVarspite was hit by six aerial torpedoes and the Malaya by oue, the Renown being the only capital ship escaping aerial torpedoes. The attacking planes dived steeply from several thousand feet and Rattened out only 20 feet from the water in order to discharge their missiles. Forty-eight bombs were also dropped upon the very vulnerable, exposed landing decks of the aircraft-carriers Furious and Courageous. Though the conditions were abnormally favourable to the defenders, the attack showed the deadliness of aircraft against warships. Other expert witnesses of the manoeuvres state that the defending Air Force is convinced that the whole of the attacking ships'ought to be at the bottom of the sea, and consider that the Navy’s seaplanes could not upset the attack upon the Fleet. The verdict of prominent naval men has not yet been announced, but it is understood that the naval men’s attitude will bo that had the ships really come to shell the coast of Scotland, they would have come at night, instead of in daytime, attacking at dawn and steaming away on a zigzag course. T e instant attack of the manoeuvres did not allow of these precautions.