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Shrouded in mystery and 250 ft. of water, the battleship Washington lies on the bottom of the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia. What sank ship Washington? A number of 2,000-lb. bombs placed in the surrounding water, simulating the concussion of airplane bombs. Explosives detonated beside the ship, simulating torpedo attack. Armor-piercing bombs (without explosive charges) dropped from airplanes upon the deck armor. Fire from the 14-in. guns of the battleship Texas. Details of the sinking were carefully guarded. Said Admiral Edward W. Eberle, Chief of Naval Operations: "We are the only Nation that is scrapping a ship as modern as the Washington under the Treaty, and it is nothing more than natural that, inasmuch as we are now the only Nation that has had the benefit of such experiment, we should desire to keep the actual results of the tests, in their intimate details, a secret." It is apparent from the nature of the tests that they were, as stated, devised primarily for the purpose of testing the defensive abilities of modern battleship armor. The results of the tests will be used by the General Board (TIME, Sept. 29), which is preparing a report (soon to be completed) on the relative value of the various arms of the service (i.e.--has the airplane rendered the battleship obsolete?)--a report that will be consulted in allocating the Navy's next appropriation from Congress.