THE FLYING TORPEDO.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 6307, 3 November 1915, Page 4

THE FLYING TORPEDO.

GERMANY'S NEW WEAPON

p®mans here are impressed by- our •it r an Inventions Board, I with Lord Fisher as ohaimnan; and observant Dutchmen tell me that at last! the British are trying to meet the enemy on something like level terns (writes the Rotterdam correspondent of an English paper). "So long as you were content tq follow Germany in her war inventions and appliances," said a clever Dutch engineer, "you had little chance of victory because Germany is never content with the thing she has: she is always striving to go one better. Everybody now realises that this is a war of machines, and now that .so mucli inventive fertility is being used tor war purposes there is practically no .limit to the ingenious aindl destructive appliances with which the inventor mav equip the soldier. "For several years Germany has been taking some of our best .scientists and engineers, both chemical and technical, wlnle Dutch scientists contribute largely to the German technical press, which also reprints many articles from our Inogenieur.' An invention or sugges--7" ™? increase the striking force ot the German Army and Navy has been eagerly welcomed, and vou mav b : . sure that the Allies have not yet expei leneed all the original weapons and ingenious devices which Germany can and will employ in the war. As one who lias had warm feelings for England, I could wish that your Government would give more emcouragement to workers in laboratories and machine shops - and I believe the newly-established Invention* Jfoard will eventually piny a greater oart in tlie war even than our new Armies."

I found the views of my Dutch friend all the more interesting because a few hours previously I hud rece-ved information ot two inventions in which Germany places great hopes—the air torpedo and the automatic gun. Mention has already been made ill official despatches of air torpedoes, and I have lead several references to its construction and service, but judging from the plans I have seen Germany's new aerial torpedo differs from the idea of its design held 111 England. Ihe aerial torpedo, invented bv a ■Swedish officer, and sold to Kvupus, may have been the basis of Germany's "cw air weaiwn. The Swedish invention resembles a hug,, shell fitted with a ..urbine engine driven bv gas pressurethe German torpedo is mo:e like an airship, fitted with propellers driven by electricity and control.ed from a Zeppelin by wireless. The German aerial torpedo can theoretically remain in the air for three hours and can be controlled from a distance of two miles. , weapons are discharged from a tube like a submarine tube, but in the case of the German invent-on two propellers and two lifting screws are automatically started at the moment of [discharge. In shape this torpedo of the air. wh'eh is about 7ft long, resembles the submarine weapon. It is composed of two cases, the outer of thin chrome mckol, and the inner of materia] simiO that used m Zeppelins. About 11 sixth of the space at the rear is occuP c<l by an electric accumulator at the bottom and an electric motor generator secured to the top. The machinery is control.ed by Hertzian waves acting 011 the 1 elcfuii'ken system of wireless and it is claimed that mp to a distance ■of two . miles the air torpedo can be steered at will.

The a ir torpedo is inflated with water gas and compressed gas, but as it is heavier than the air, two lifting screws work under the body to keep the torpedo 111 the air. while the motive jpower is supplied by two propellers. Both si lews imd propellers are connected with the same shaft. which runs li'-L l e ' torpedo. When the air torpedo, after tlyinc 111 rough the air. hovers .immediately over tlie selected target it' i s made to assume a vertical position, the lifting horizontal screws and propellers are stopped, and the torpedo dives to the ground cnrryinir a large quantity of liign-cxp:osne charge nt its nose. "The '•liari',.' explodes 011 contact, like an ordinary shell, and it i s said that in «'o torpedoes I here is sufficient explosive loree to destroy the Tower of London

Originally these air torpedoes were ueslinyd to be carried exclusively bv Zeppelins, but owing to certain " ini|.i'ueeinent.s it has now beeu found thev CIIII be manipulated from warships. According to my information Germany proposes to .use torpedoes of the air against the British Fleet, and lor that purpose small, swift craft armed only with aerial torpedoes are building or already limit. So far this living death has not been employed against the Allies, but I learn it is to be tried probably over London this mi miner.

i'or tho purnose of publication J have tiuu to be »s non-technical as jwssible ■ll describing Germany's new and terrible weapon of the air, but I warn my renders til at- this aerial tovnedo is not a fantastic invention of tlie Jules Verne destined to scare the British | ,'Opie by its terrifying possibilities. I ne air Torpedo is a practical weapon, linen Loci by a practical engineer, and it has Keen tested to the satisfaction of i:ie C'( rmaii' military and naval authoriCompared with it fhe invention '|| the Swede. Colonel Uivge, is a device uncertain in its direction and effect.

Some months ago I hinted that, the ('ermnncs ttere working on an improved Zeppelin weapon, and this aerial torj edo is the result oF many experiments 'ii the works at lessen. 1 ndoubtcdlv ill s is th' 1 secret invention of which we We heard so <inn\ whispers that the (■emails Jii'.re he'd in reserve for tho lir.ush Fleet. Against moving ships, however, it will not prove so formidable' a weapon as against a fixed target > pyhow. we may he sure that Lord I' -slier and the Inventions Hoard will meet science with science, originality with originality, and the flying death will lose its terror as it loses its novelty. Of the German automatic guns I '•an as yet write' little. The 'idea is to increase the rapidity of the fire of big guns hv an automatic feeding ot shells. In other words, tlie Germans are seeking to construct a big gun that can iixinr out shells as a Maxim pours out bullets. As the Maxim has almost superseded the rifle, so sav the Germans, the automatic gun will dominite the Maxim, for-in the war of applied_ mechanics there is iro limit to invention and no check to destruction.

THE AGED AUSTRIAN EMPEROR. Extraordinary statements are being made about the aged Austrian Emperor. According, for instance, to the •Idea Nazionale,' he has taken it into his head to lead personally an army concentrated in Vienna against the Italians. The fact that he can hardly move from his palace at Schoenbrunn, and that there is no army available for his particular purpose, seems to be no bar to his fantastic scheme. It may be supposed that the old Emperor is suffering severely from senile decay. His orders, however, do not seem' to receive any attention. "Good boy! go to sleep," is the answer which Archdukes and generals are said to give him. I