Hersey, 1909, The Menace of Aërial Warfare

From Inventing aviation
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Henry B. Hersey (Inspector, United States Weather Bureau), "The Menace of Aërial Warfare: All Great Nations are Preparing for it—Great Britain as Exposed as Any Other Country to Such Attack—The United States Must Prepare for Aërial Defense—Probable Incidents of Aërial Attack, and Conflicts in the Sky"; The Century Magazine, February 1909, pp. 627–630.

Text:

  • Page-view in complete edition of Century (HathiTrust)
  • PDF at unz.org


Refers to a recent speed by Hiram Stevens Maxim exhorting the British to worry about aerial warfare, which will circumvent the power of their famous navy.

Hersey warns that, in a war, enemies with bases in "Canada or Mexico" could launch attacks on Boston, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Duluth, Seattle, Portland, and surrounding areas. Aerial attacks could also be launched from ships. Germany is already building aircraft carriers:

Germany has two converted aëronautic transports, and another large one is being built specially for this work. This one is so planned that the masts, smokestacks, and other upper works, will not interfere with the inflation of large dirigible balloons or the launching into the air of aëroplanes. It will be fitted with the finest apparatus for producing hydrogen gas rapidly, also with a special arrangement for the storage of an enormous quantity of hydrogen compressed in steel cylinders. These will be connected with pipes running to the deck, so that by turning stop-cocks the gas may flow into the balloon for inflation as rapidly as wished, without disturbing the storage-cylinders. There will be special facilities for storing aëroplanes, and arrangements for assembling them quickly on deck for flight; also complete workshops for repairs and alterations; and, still more important, there will be magazines for storing special aërial torpedoes. This ship will have great speed and will be protected like an armored cruiser.

Germany has effective aerial torpedoes, the design of which is secret, but the results of which have been demonstrated. The French also have two "aëronautic transports" and Italy has one. Japan (whose secrecy reflects their "genuine Oriental wisdom") has ordered a ship from England and a ship from Germany. Who knows if they're planning to have aircraft carriers, also? A fleet so equipped could do great damage to New York, San Francisco, or Seattle.

To defend the country, America therefore needs fighter aircraft ("air-cruisers") to surveil and defeat an invading air force. Balloons can be useful; the new airplane technology advanced by the Wright Brothers but now in development by the government of Europe, may prove more even more valuable. The U.S. Signal Corps under General James Allen has made some progress but is underfunded. The country needs widespread mobilization for war ballooning and aviation! "To be unprepared is to invite aggression ...".

Man has climbed forth from feudalism into nationalism. "Just so surely will he continue to climb, but always slowly, until he owes allegiance to all his brothers over the earth, and not until then will there be an end of war. But that desired amity is in the distant future."