SCOUTING BY SEAPLANE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16252, 1 July 1918, Page 8

SCOUTING BY SEAPLANE.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —The loss of the Wimmera imrpels me to endeavour to arouse the interest of the public in a proposal I have been privately advocating for some time past. It is thought that the destruction of the "Wimmera was oaused by th© explosion of a mine> probably one of those laid by the Wolf. Now the Wolf is known to have carried a seaplane and used it for scouting purposes. It is difficult to overestimate tho advantage she gained by the possession of tho only powerful air machine on the coast of New Zealand. •Flying at a hundred miles an hour, at an" elevation of over IQjOOOft, tho observer could reoonnoitre a wide circle of ocean, wide enough, in fact, to gi' o more than twenty-four hours' notice of the approach of any vessel. The captain of the Wolf could then please himself what tactics ha adopted. If he desired to avoid discovery he had only to alter his course, and the two ships would pass each other out of sight or perhaps at night. If he desired a v capture, he had only to manoeuvre v so that the two vessels should be alongside each other at break of day. The seaplane need never go near enough to a ship to give even the chance of being discovered. Probably some such tactics as these account for the immunity of the Wolf from observation (luring her long cruise off the coasts of New- Zealand, and they may account, too;, for the persistent stories of aeroplanes being seen off the near Nelson.

I suggest' that air tactics should bo j met in their own element, and that f the Governn.ent should undertake tho , patrol of our New Zealand coasts bv | seaplanes stationed at convenient; places along the shores. It ought then to be impossible for a cruiser to lurk undiscovered within a hundred miles if the coast. -I do not know what the cost would be, but if it 6aved tho loss of even one ocean-going steamer it would probably be amply recouped. 1 know from personal experience the difficulty of obtaining permission to export aeropianes from England, and it: may be argued that the Home authorities cannot spare any high-powered scouting machines for exportation ; but i I think if it were represented by f .lie | Gov« rnmtnt that the few machines; needed ■ were for the protection of mr ; foo:l-carrying shipping, the British Air Ministry would recognise the value to the cause would be as great as if tht» machines were employed on one of tho battle-fronts or in fighting the marme menace in the Home waters.Yours, etc., HENRY F. WIGRAM. Christchurch, June 29th, 1918.