AIRMEN IN WARFARE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1297, 15 September 1914, Page 4

AIRMEN IN WARFARE.

AMERICAN EXPERT’S OPINION. “ENGLAND WOULD FIGURE FIRST.” Probably no man in America {says tno New York World) is bettor informed concerning ■ the ‘relative- strength and weakness of the aerial navies of the big European Powers than George E. A. Hallett. who is at present engineer and assistant of Lieutenant John Cyril Porto, R.N., and onehalf of the crew of the trans-Atlantic flyer America. "Mr Hallett was for a timo instructor in the Imperial Russian flying school at Sebastopol, and later on was a student and aeronautical observer in France, England, and Germany. In the course of an interview recently, Mr Hallett expressed an opinion—somewhat at variance with the popular notion—that in quality, at least, and in fighting efficiency, England is the European leader in the air. “The English may not have as many dirigibles and aeroplanes as the Continental countries," said Mr Hallett, “but when it comes to fine equipment in perfect condition, and skill in handling it, Britain is my choice in an air fight.” Mr Hallett had exceptional opportunities for studying the Russian airmen at work, and he is quite convinced that the Russian fails in that very necessary department—t)>o mechanical side of aviation. “Tho trouble fe that the Russian is no mechanic. He hates mechanical drudg--1 cry most sinfully. I have seep a naval lieutenant go up with a machine equipped with a fine now motor. About ten. minutes later the engine would begin to miss. Down he would come. “Would ho take that engine apart and try to find out what was the matter? Ho would not. Once it skipped in one cylinder ho was done with it. The natural results of that policy are shown in tho fact that at one time, at Sebastopol, the Russians had 120 aeroplanes in the sheds, and just 4) of were fit for duty. Of the German airoien, Air Hallett says that iu mechanics and discipline they are wonderful, but in th e ah' the German not an impressive proposition. “I tried for about a week to teach a German fiver to operate a system of controls.” said Mr Hallett. “It’s a s.mple enough system-at least, we think so over hcrc -but that German, who had learned to fly with one system of controls, and only . one. just couldn't get it through his head : “Your typical German flyer, if you tell him +hat with a certain machine, its elevator set at a Certain angle he can got off the ground and ejimb—why. lie will get out, set bis planes at tmk ■angle, « nd | d her go. If thg gir conditions don t happen to be just sp, and he comes tumbling tailfirst why, he followed the rides, and it wasn’t hi* fault if she didn't fly. “Tho Gorman* don i seem to that there is any such ihing as airmanship. They haven’t the instinct fljfWgr MRGerman is not an air-sailor. Tho Frenchman fs referred to as having an abundance of skill, daring, and enthusiasm in the air, but being glvCn oveWHK-ji to the spectacular of the effective in warfare. Of the English airman, Mr Hallett holds a high opinion. He says:—“l can’t help thinking it is because the Englishman is a *ailorman by birth, accustomed to feel tho weather and the wind by instinct, that ho takes naturally to the air, while tho German doesn’t—perhaps ff’s a caso of lack of imagination on tho German's parf, But whatever it is. it is the most important factor in an airman’s equipment, and the. Germans I have sefi ) haven’t possessed it. When it comes to real /fghting, I think tho English aviation corps as In a pinch, the best ‘air-sailors’ will toe' proved t.o bo i the best airmen,”