Weapon-effect testing asks what a weapon does to a ship. A stationary target lets inspectors examine damage after each attack without also testing whether aircrews can hit a moving vessel. The 1921 trials depended on those pauses for inspection. Mitchell's determination to demonstrate the supremacy of air power put that experimental purpose at risk.
Chapter · 8:10-14:21
Billy Mitchell and the rules of the 1921 tests
The 1921 bombing trials were meant to measure successive stages of ship damage, giving naval engineers evidence for better protection and damage control.