IS WAR IN THE A R POSSIBLE?

North Otago Times, 22 May 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

IS WAR IN THE A R POSSIBLE?

A STRIKING BOOK ABOUT AN IMPORTANT MODERN PROBLEM.

In England most people still refuse to believe that the airship is, or for long will be, a formidable cngino of war. The War .Departments of France and Germany hold a different opinion, however, and they have made considerable progress towards the provision of aerial fleets. A clear and interesting account of the state of affairs to-day in this direction is contained in "Aerial Warfare," a new book just published by Mr. John Lane. 'Mr. R. P. Hearne, the. author, has no doubts whatever Regarding the value of the- airship oven now in war, The - point is that if a machine can be made which is capablo of travelling a few hundred miles and carrying nn armament of guns, bombs, shells, etc, together with eight or ten mon, then war by aitship is feasible. This the dirigible balloon can do. Here are the records : IGO miles, Paris to Verdun (French military airship Patrie), October, 1807.

' 200 miles, Lake Constance circuit (Count Zeppelin), October, 1807. 270 miles, Fricdrichshafen to Lucerne a n u back ( Count Ze PP° lin )' July, 1908. 860 miles, Fricdrichshafen to Mayence and back to Echterdingcn (Count Zeppelin), August, 1908. Tho French dirigible Ropublique, launched last July, can carry nine men, travel at thirty-five miles an hour, has a range of 800 miles, and a lifting capacity of 30001b. The lifting capacity of Count Zeppelin's ships is considerably more; twenty men have been carried; and the- estimated range is 800 miles. Consequently, with dirigibles alone war in the air is practicable. But there is now the aeroplane to take into account.

"From the military point of view there seems to be a great future before the heavier-than-nir flying machine.

"The aeroplane may soon be capable of speeds up to eighty or even a hundred miles an hour. A highspeed ocroplane will probably be able to face wi'nds up to sixty and seventy miles an hour. At any moment epoch-making discoveries may be made which will give new scope to flying machines as distinct from dirigible balloons."

"To my mind," says Mr. Hearne, "both types of vessels will be needed in an aerial navy. The aeroplanes, with their high speeds and small bulk, will run little risk from gunfire, and so will be able to carry out daring reconnaisanccs, and even raids.

"For despatch work they will be invaluable, and they may be employed by navies as well as by land forces.

"The dirigibles, on the other hand, will be used for observation purposes by commanding officers, and they will also carry out night attacks and make long voyages. Armed with guns and explosives, they will be the main attacking forces in the air," A war in the air would not be, as some suppose, a series of battles between armies of a quarter of a million of men in a great multitude of ships. There would undoubtedly be fights between a few flying machines or swift cruiser-dirigibles against an attacking force of dirigible Dreadnoughts. But the function of the airship will be to destroy land and sea forces, fortifications, and cities, and this operation, it is said, can bo carried out by a force of only half a dozen big dirigible balloons. • In reality a n aerial fleet will be as complex as a marine navy.

Even now we might set out the list in this wisc-(l) Balloons, (roe and captive; (2) kites; (3) dirigible balloons ; (4) aeroplanes; (5) holiocopleres; (fi) combined balloons and aeroplanes. Their ordinary functions nil i« as follows:—Ordinary balloons for observation, useful lo field forces ; kites well suited to naval work because of their small size ; dirigibles for attack on towns, forts, and Itets I aeroplanes for reconnaisance and despatch work, and for the destruction of dirigibles, The armament, carried principally by the weight-lifting dirigible balloons, is likely to consist of"Ouns actuated by compressed air or other gases. Rifles worked by similar means; bomb-throwing devices ; explosive bombs and shells to bo cast' by hand; petrol, petrol gas, and petroleum, bombs and igniters, poisonous gas bombs. Aerial torpedoes, aerial mines, drifting bi>mbs, javelins, and detonating darts, for use against other airships and balloons; fire-tipped arrows for similar purposes." Imagine, now, a country invaded by even a small fleet of airships so armed.

"The airship will almost invariably be able to get in tin first blow.

"Within a few hours after the declaration of war attacks could have been made and their effects gauged, and the initial effects would give" the attacking force "the confidence of victors."

Supposing the capital city of the enemy to be only two hundred miles away, it could be reached the same day that war was declared. Many of the cities might find themselves bombarded within two hours of the declaration. "Picture a great capital in the feverish excitement incident upon a declaration of war, picture the enthusiasm (of the populace, the streets crowded with the frenzied people as they clustered round the newspaper offices and public buildings, or cheered regiments on their way to the points of departure.

"And then imagine, amid all this excitement and enthusiasm, a fiock of strange bodies appearing suddenly in the sky. "'Airships!' What an *wful meaning the word would convey to the crowd suddenly struck dumb in their martial rejoicings!" Immediately the .destruction would commence, and there would be no power of defence. "Ere the populace could find ?;ords the airships, with a few well-direct-ed shells, would have wrecked the Parliament House, . .

"The few soldiers wquld be quite unable to prevent the enemy from wrecking the Sovereign's palace, the national treasury, exploding the gasworks, destroying the electric light and water supplies, the railway stations, tho War Office, and the various other important ppints which would be so well known to those on board the vessels," This destruction of the principal city could be carried out by quite a small fleet, Apparently two or three large dirigibles could do it. But the attack would not be confined to one city. "N'or does the terrible tale end here. Similar raids could be made all over the.provinces, destroying the great manufacturing townß, the collieries, and all internal communications."-?. F. M., in the London "Mail."