PATER’S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3103, 3 September 1913, Page 73

PATER’S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

“THE NEXT WAR, IN THE AIR.”

Last week I promised another note on the subject of aerial navigation, a science that is developing fast —for instance, read the Witness last week and this.

In my last Chat I gave the list of German towns having airship depots, or “hangars ” ; the following shows what France has done in making provision for the new warfare arm :—“France has established military aeroplane camps at Toul, Verdun, Chalons-sur-Marne, Bar-le-Duc, and Epinal, and within the year has built great sheds in which to house her airships at Rheims, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Pau, Moisson, and Sartrouville. Other airship sheds have been constructed at Verdun, Belfort, Epinal, Toul, Mezieres; Maubenge, Chalons, and Langres.” Naturally, the manufacture of the various types of aerial flying machines means the organisation of a new industry, so we read ; “The French Government has established factories to produce hydrogen for airships at Paris, Lille, Langres, Montford, Beauval, and La Motte-Breuil. A factory larger than any of these is being built at Chalons. The French army has three very large demountable airship sheds and a portable hydrogen factory for field service.” Reference to the map will show that most of the places named are within easy striking distance of the German frontier. On the other land, the German preparation for the threatened conflict is equally ominous. “ Four Zeppelin-built giant air Dreadnoughts, armed and munitioned as if war were a thing of to-day, keep almost constantly in the air, training their crew in the science of navigation and also ix marksmanship. The naval Z is stationed at Wilhelmshaven, on the North Sea; the Z I is at Koenigsberg, on the Russian frontier; the Z II is at Cologne; and the Z 111 is at Metz-1 ach read to raid the French frontier at a moment’s notice.” And to these Germany is adding nine units—four Zeppelins (rigid type) one Sie-mens-Schuekert (non-rigid), two Parsevals (non-rigid), one Schuette-Lanz (rigid), and one Grcss (semilrigid).” This number, says the writer of the article, will probably be doubled within another 12 months, “during wdiich time she expects to add several hundred war aeroplanes to the 300 it now has in service.” Where are the men coming from to man these fleets of air-fighters? Already Germany has over 400 diploma pilots, the most skilled in Europe. AERIAL SHARPSHOOTING.

I mentioned aerial marksmanship just now. Let me say a few words upon it to show what it means. Recently the Germans sent adrift on Lake Constance a small canvas float. “From an airship three and a-half miles away, and circling in' the air at an altitude of some 5000 ft, a gunner got the exact range with his third shot, which was fired only a few seconds after the first. The target was completely riddled, and, though the exact results were kept a complete secret by official order of the German Government, it is known that the percentage of hits was close to 100.” Another instance: Z 111, already mentioned, at a height of 6000 ft, shot to pieces in 17 minutes a target which, in the form of a silhouette of a village, had been arranged on»the manoeuvring ground a few miles out of Badeux. How is this accuracy obtained? There is the statoscope, which tells to a nicety any change in height above the sea—this 1 referred to last week, —and a “ new Cliss sighting instrument,” which make together bomb-dropping almost an exact science. For three years the French boasted of the efficiency of their cannon when served by aeroplanes. The Germans have gone one better by arming the aircraft, and, as it is much more difficult to hit a rapidly-moving airship, even a Zeppelin—nt looks like a lead-pencil in the air—than for an airship to aim at an object upon the earth and to drop bombs filled with chemicals to generate deathdealing and enveloping gases, it appears as if the Germans have come out on top. “ARMOUR-PLATE FUR AIRSHIPS.” This extract shows to what extent the sky-fliers have developed offensively and defensively:—“The Zeppelin and SchuetteLanz airships, .having a rigid framework, mount formidable guns on their hulls at various points. Two are carried forward, one amidships, one at the stern, and at least one on the top deck. This arrangement permits firing at a land target from any angle and also makes it possible to discharge a Krupp shell that is exploded by a time-fuse and fills the skies with a rain of bullets—an effective defence against an attacking aeroplone. The gun turrets and cars of the airship will carry armour, the secret of whose composition has been kept by the German Government in spile of the spies who have endeavoured to discover its nature. This armourplate is very light and is only a slight fraction of an inch im thickness, but it spreads .ordinary bullets as if they were made of sealing-wax.” To meet this new development, highangle guns' have been invented; but so far it appears as if these are not an effective counter-balance.

But what is to happen to ships now that aerial fighting has taken on new phases? As far as we are concerned we are told: “The new British cruisers, however, are to be fitted with heavilyarmoured and curved upper decks, and with steel nmhrella-like coverings for funnels. The cruisers will also carry guns that can be elevated to an angle of 80 degrees and that will have an effective range of 9000 yards. At a distance of four and a-half miles one of these guns can send a 31-pound shrapnel shell to a height of 13.000 ft. Thus the men in the hostile airships and aeroplanes will find the air not without danger to themselves.”

This new fighting arm has naturally led to the increase for war purposes. “The French aerial war budget for 1911 was

£248.000; for 1912. £800,000; and for 1913, it is £1,700,000.;’ The German expenditure this year ifi laid down as £1,800,000, brought up to £2,150,000 by national subscriptions, \vhat is ours? As far as we know, but a fraction of this amount; let us assume, however, that much is being done that is not being proclaimed. “THE COMING AIR-CLASH.” Though I am near the end of my tether, I must find room for two or three paragraphs which, based on the actual army manoeuvres made by France, Germany, and Great Britain, show the course events will probably take when the next war breaks out.

Coincident with the declai-ation of war, which may be made late in the afternoon, the best-prepared nation will send its air fleets raiding across its borders; by midnight it might menace the enemy’s capital, threaten its various points of mobilisation, and attack fortresses, depots of supply, and naval bases. The commander at home will be kept informed by wireless of the amount of damage clone and progress made by the enemy.

In the meantime other airships will prepare the way for the army of invasion. As soon as the army moves aerial scouts will be out in front, not only to guard against possible surprise and gain information os to the enemy’s plans, but to make direct attack if it be thought wise to do so.

Military movements will not wait up an weather conditions. Airships engaged ;n commercial enterprises may time their flights according to the winds, but it will not be so in times of war, when human life is the cheapest commodity at the nation’s command. Military fliers, when it is necessary, will accept any risk, and where hundreds arc sent out, even during a tempest, a few may be expected to succeed. The issue of a battle may depend upon a single scrap of information obtained by nn air scout. This will bring about the most desperate game of “tag” the world has ever known. Men will fight, in the air to make their way back to their own forces, and they will fight to prevent the enemy’s scouts from escaping with the information which may have been gathered.

Navies of the air are so new that it would be foolish at this time to attempt to detinue their full powers and absolute limitations. It is certain, however, that there will be fighting in the air between hostile scats and that naval tactics will be followed. The largest airship will have other aircraft more or less at its mercy, just as the Dreadnought of the sea is more thaji a match for any cruiser.

There is a very great similarity between the navies of the air and the sea. A fleet of Dreadnoughts would bo at a great disadvantage without cruisers and torpedoboats to scout and perform other services of much value. But in this day of heavy armour and long-range guns a fleet of cruisers could not hope to meet hostile Dreadnoughts with success. Sb it is in the. air. The airship is n Dreadnought capable of working greet destruction upon an enemy. And while, in a sense, it acts as a scout as well as a fighting machine, it must have its own scouts in the form of swift-flying aeroplanes. Independent of the airship, the aeroplane will be of value as a scout to flash out a few miles in advance of an army to observe the lay of the land and make certain that the enemy dors not succeed in an attempt at a surprise. It will be more of a firefly than a mosquito; more of a news-gatherer thin a fighter. It is not our intention to predict war for to-morrow. As to when or whether tile clash is to come, you may judge for yourself. But you should know that it will be when some War Lord, with his mind fevered by a dream of empire, believes that he is best prepared for the decisive blow. When his day comes, he will send his air fleets out, and the first attack upon the enemy will be made from the sky. Readers who take an interest in aerial flight should get Pearson for July, lo read the complete article and to get the two pages containing a glossary of aviation terms suitably illustrated. The same issue, too, lias an article, “How and Why I Flew Across the Alps,” by the young Peruvian airman who accomplished the feat.