AVIATION IN WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 12

AVIATION IN WAR.

'JAPAN'S DEFENCE PROBLEM. INTERESTING TESTS. TOEIO, Aug. 16. Naval and military planes yesterday bombarded an abandoned fortress at Hiroshima, on the Inland Sea, The reEults hav-3 not been announced. Thi3 is claimed to be the first time that the effect of bombs on fortifications has been tested. ■■ The Japanese xiir Force advocates the carrying out of a campaign of publicity in support of a large appropriation at the expense of the navy, which, however, is combating the idea, arguing that Japan needs ships before planes. One night' last week two battleships practised with two condemned destroyers as targets, illuminating these with star shells. They fired 80 rounds at a range of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) without registering a single hit. Next day the plane? sank one destroyer, the other becoming a close-range target for the battleship Nagato's 16-inch guns. Advocates of an increased air force point out that all Japan is within flying range of incendiary bombing planes from Vladivostok. They also claim that KiiSisia is the third aviation Power. N : - : ' ■'' ' ' ■ . The following table shows the comparative strengths of the air forces of the leading Powers at June 30 last year:— Pianos. Personnel. France (1,542 service 86,283 (4,009 reserve Britain m ,1.053 82,656 America r.. 1,423 14,848 Italy ..i ~(*,• ( 750 service 11,410 { 750 reserve Japan . .. 1,800 7,836