Weapon-Making

While international statesmen discussed reducing the world's armaments, the sworn defenders of the U. S. went dutifully ahead last week making weapons.

New Cruiser. With a great splash the U. S. S. Chester, flagship of the "treaty cruiser" fleet, took the water from the ways of the New York Shipbuilding Co. at South Camden, N. J. Third to be launched of the eight 10,000-ton cruisers authorized in 1924 (the first two: Salt Lake City, Pensacola), the Chester set a record for laying-launching time--one year, 59 days. Scheduled for completion by June 1, 1930, she typifies the long-range U. S. fighting craft which is most objectionable to Great Britain.

Cruisers Ordered. Quietly the Navy awarded construction contracts for five cruisers as the first third of the ship replacement program authorized by Congress last winter. Three contracts went to Navy yards, two to private plants. Shortly the U. S. will have 130,000 tons of cruisers building simultaneously.

Planes Ordered. Contracts for 147 service and battle planes were let by the Navy. Ordered also were 168 motors. Total cost: $4,172,949.

Monster Seaplane. To the Glenn L. Martin Co. went a Navy contract for the largest, most powerful, fastest flying boat ever developed. Specifications: three Pratt & Whitney motors producing 1,725 h. p. Top speed, 140 m. p. h. Cruising radius, 2,000 miles. Crew, five men. Cost, $150,000. Construction time, one year. This all-metal seaplane will serve the Navy as a "fighting patrol."

Dirigibles for Offense. Up under the belly of the dirigible Los Angeles last week rose a Navy service plane. Both craft were traveling 60 m. p. h. On the top wing of the plane was a big hook. Down from the dirigible extended a rigid trapeze. The plane's pilot successfully maneuvered to engage hook with trapeze so that the plane hung there, was carried along. Three times the plane thus made successful contact. The experiment had been effected previously with smaller, semirigid Navy dirigibles, never with the big Los Angeles. Experts viewed the work as changing big dirigibles from observation vessels solely to motherships for airplanes, weapons of offense.

The Los Angeles is a non-military airship, received by the U. S. from Germany under an Allied agreement specifying that it be used only for training and experimental purposes, never for war. But the plane-hooking experiment furnished knowledge of speeds, stresses, handling, valuable in the fabrication of the Navy's two huge dirigibles, twice the size of the Los Angeles, by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Co. at Akron, Ohio. The new ships will have built-in hangars in which to store and carry planes.

Fast Tank. The Army sent a wicked-looking military contraption charging over a rough Maryland field and among sand dunes at 42 m. p. h. It was the newest thing in combat tanks. Powered by a 12-cylinder Liberty motor, it rushed 62 m. p. h. down a road on eight hard-rubber tires. In 14 minutes it was converted into a caterpillar tractor, ready to hurtle its ten tons, its three-man crew, its full armament, cross-country nearly four times as fast as any tank similarly armored had moved before.