GERMANY'S AIR FORCES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2715, 9 March 1916, Page 9

GERMANY'S AIR FORCES

A SUPREME EFFORT

(By Frederick A. Talbot, author of "Aeroplanes inul Dirigibles ol' War" —in tlic "Daily Mail.") Tlio recrudescence of German aerial liveliness upon tlio Western front is of far more significance tlian tlio reported triumphs over British aeroplanes superficially convoy. They emphasise tho salient fact that once again Germany has been able to forestall her adversaries to her own advantage and with machines which aro tho direct product of tho experience of actual warfare. The' Teuton aeroplanes which swanned the air during tho first few weeks of the campaign have virtually disappeared. Tliey have been relegated to minor duties or 'dispatched to remoto corners of the i'ar-llting battlelino where modernity of design and construction is not essential for the consummation of imperative aerial duties. It is well known that Germany has been labouring feverishly for many months past in building a. new aeroplane fleet. The various manufacturing organisations adapted to this servico have been urged to a supreme effort. Ono firm which in pre-war days specialised in Pullman cars for railways has concentrated tho whole of its plant upon this scheme, and it advanced the state™ mont that when an adequate supply of plates and patterns was available it wculd bo in a position to produce fifty complete machines per week. In .order to avoid delays in delivery, arrangements were completed for tho supply of the Mercedes water-cooled flight motor upon a more oxtonsivc scale than tlio parent firm could undertake. Accordingly duplicate designs and patterns of tlio engine were supplied _to other motor manufacturers, including Krupp's The machine of tlio moment., which has aroused the greatest moasuro of 'attention, is tho Fokkcr. It-is admitted to be r» wonderful machine, not so much from its design, its engine-power, or its speed, hut froiii the materials of which/it is constructed, fn this machine tho (icrimuis have 1 introduced a new steel, Uie, salient characteristics of which aro extreme lightness and very great strength. As :i result of this discovery, a Higher ratio ol horse-power per pound of woigTit lias been secured, while tho carrying capacity per square foot of wing surface has also readied an unprecedented figure. This comhinntion lias enabled a higher-powered engine to be installed, which in turn seouros higher speeds, while at ttic some time it has conduced to tlio mounting, of a more formidable typo of quick-firing gun for -defensive* and aggressive tactics. Formidable Fohksr. The Fokker .is not a. bomb-dropping aeroplane, although, if necessary, i[ may ho utilised lor this purpose within certain limits,, and neither is it adapted to reconnoitring and kindred duties}. It is essentially a ''chaser," being the German defensive measure to the more formidable battleplanes which tho Allies have brought into activity. By vircuu of its rapid climbing capacity and high speed it is able tcf swarm to'the attack and to engage the enemy at its own range as a result of heavier gun-power and greater mobility. Concentration upon tho construction of tins machino seemed necessary foi several reasons. In the first place, tho Germans, through thciir elaborate espionage system in the United States, became fully conversant with the fact that high-powered motors were being built in that country for tho Alliesengines ranging from 150 to JL7S lwrse power. The Fokkcr engine develops 160 horse power, and the machine is in. toresting for the reason that the Teutons have assimilated the self-same lesson as the Allies —namely, that one en. gine of 160 horse power is superior to two motors , each developing 100 horso power, no matter how perfect the system of coupling and transmission. It also demonstrates tho preference of tho German aeronautical department foi tlio stationary engine, ovolved from an automobile type—an opinion now shared by the flying experts of the Allies. This acroplhno was hurried forward at the instigation of Krupp's. Tho early German aeroplanes, in common with out own, were aimed with rifle-calibre machine guna, the efliciency of which is influenced by range. Tlicy also suffered from the system of mounting. But "tlio essential weakness of the armament was the_ rifle-calibro missile. Krupp's accordingly concentrated their attention upon a 37-niillimetro— ljin.—tquick-firor, somewhat similar to our pom-pom, which figured so prominently in the South African War; Tho lisscn firm); by tho uso of improved metallurgical methods, succcedecl- in reducing the weight of this weapon to. gether with its mounting, which was also of novel design and adapted to installation _in aerial craft. But , notwithstanding these improvements; it ■was too heavy for arming the types ol aeroplanes then in vogue. The Essen firm then sought for a vory light,tougn steel adapted to. the framework of tho aeroplane, and in this quest they have succeeded to a remarkable degree. In fact, this succcss has so surpassed anticipations that the, Krupp firm arc sanguine of being able to provide the newer aeroplanes—improved Fokkers—with a modified 7.5 centimetre—3in.—quickfirer and to bring the weight of the gun, its mounting, and an adequate supply of ammunition within the carrying capacity of tho aeroplane. Not only has the armament been rendered additionally formidable, but also the system of mounting tho weapon enables ft to bo trained through a very wide horizontal arc.

Zeppelin's Need of Defence. Another factor lias also Lurried tho appearanco of this craft. Count Zep. pelin aiul hip collaborators have constantly urgod that the Zeppelin, being tho aerial counterpart of the Dreadnought of tho water, should be accompanied and protected by an adequate screen of high-powered, speedy aeroplanes. In raiding operations, such' as th« great aerial assault in force which is contemplated upon London, tho airships on the outward journey must necessarily travel at a comparatively low altitude—■ about 5000 ft.—owing to the weighty loads of bombs which will havo to be carried.. Should such craft be attacked by a strong force of swift aeroplanes before the former havo reached their objective, thoy will be caught at a fatal disadvantage. Escape is only possible in the one plane—ascent. 'l\i secure this end tho airship will be forced to abandon not only its load of bombs, but also, its "safety" and, very possibly, its "manoeuvring" ballast, the latter is especially hard pressed. The latest Zeppelins are particularly mobilo in tho vertical plane, bccause by discarding bombs and tho "safety" ballast an ascensional speed in a direct vertical lino of 4iiooft. per minute may bo attained. This is far in excess of the climbing powers of any aeroplane which has yet br>oii designed. In these circumstances a Zeppelin raid-in-forco will be accompanied by ft number of high-speed aeroplanes to shepherd tho aerial Dreadnoughts. Tliey will not lie required to participate in bomb-dropping operations, but will carry a large supply of ammunition for their guns. Owing to their speed and mobility, they will lie able to provide tho airships with all the protection the latter require. Tbev will attach, engage, and seek ,to destroy any hostiln aeronlanes swarming to the destruction of tho Zeppelins, and, in particular, will frustrate anv attempts to gel. above the airships. The commanders of tho airships 011 their part, during their/ bomb-throwing operations, being relieved of attack from the air, will be concerned onlv in eluding "' lo n| her hostile force--anti-aircraft guna stationed upon the ground.