MORE AIR SECRETS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 295, 7 September 1920, Page 5

MORE AIR SECRETS

GIANT GERMAN BOMBING j PLANES "I RAIDERS' OWN STORIES The vast development of the German air forces during the war is described in great detail for the first time in "Die Deutschen Luftstroitkrafto im Weltkripire." This work is edited by the well-known German airman Major Neumann, and it contains contributions from 29 other officers, all experts in their various departments. It is therefore of the utmost importance for all interested in the ann of the,future—tlio aeroplane. A. full account is given of the pant aeroplanes which Germany began to develop about the time when Britain was constructing aircraft of immense sizo anil power. Six different German firms built them, and there were twenty different types, of which the first werft VAady for the front in the fimmer of Iftifi but did »ot airaear in France till Sontember, 1917. They -made some ISO fiizlits into hostile territory, and discharged 110 tons.of bombs. Some of them were employed in the later raids on London,

One-ton Bombs. The largest of all was the SiomensRchuckert R, VIII (R. stands for Ricsen, the' German for giant), one of which was shot down on our front. It had six "09h.p. engines driving four screws, two pullers in front, and two pushers b?' hind. The speed was moderate, about 60 miles an hour. It could carry 4to 5J tons, including bombs of one ton, and Possiblv it was ono of its giant bombs that, was drooped in Warrington Crescent. Maida Vale. London, in 1918. Tho crew numbered eight to ten, and it could remain in flight for eight hours. It carried a largo number of mnehine-euns. Tho training of the crews of these giant machines, we aw told, was a matter of great difficulty, and involved "heavy snerifico of life." It was very, hard to handle them in the darkness. "For tho first time wo learnt the nature and significance of blindness at night, Pilots who flew brilliantly by day proved quite unsuitable for flying at night, as their eyesight could not accommodate itself to tho darkness. They lost tho sense of balance, or could not recognise and correctly estimate their distance from the ground when landing. "By methodic training and gradual increase of the efforts required of them, brilliant success- was ultimately realised in tho art of night-flying. _ The weather had no influence except in tho case of fog. In pi&sh-dark nights, when there was no moon and not « star to be seen, and often in rain and enow, Stents were carried out without misadventure." British Bombers' Ruse. A brief account ib given, of the daylight aeroplane raids over Thaneii and to London in J917. Apparently they wero not so successful from tho German standpoint as tho German communiques pretended at the time, as tho commander of $lhe squadron reported that "in view of tho rapidly increasing 6trenglh of the Br.Hish eountei'-mea~ sures flights can only bo prosecuted over England by machines which can keep to a level of 20,000 ft. or attack by nifcM" The British are stated to have vigorously developed tho art of flying by night, and they are absurdly reproached with "unfair" tactics. This examplo is given: "On tho'night of February 15, 191S, a hostilo aeroplane appeared over i\\a aerodrome of the 2nd (German) squadron and gave tho Morse code 6<gual of tlio squadron for landing by flashes, As about the same time u forco was storting, tlio men on _ duty supposed that one of our own aircraft had boon compelled to make a forced landing and showed the landing ligkh. "Immediately there caino an attack with machine-gun fire, followed by tho dropping of 6ix bombs. The commander of an air section who was there was killed by a bomb splinter and several fitters wero wounded by bullets. Tint samo nighn the enemy made another attempt by similar tactics to secure tho lightiing up of the aerodrome and tho assemblage of the jr.cn in it, bin) we wero able to prevent tin's."