The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1916. AERIAL WARFARE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 27, 30 August 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1916. AERIAL WARFARE.

It is amazing evidence of the utter foolishness ot the Germans that they should continue ' their acts of frightfulness when they’ must know that no chance of victory remains with them. Surely a bitter . retribution will follow on such hitherto unheard of ahocities as the enemy still per-l sist in. The raiding of peaceful] towns with Zeppelins goes merrilyi on, although on the hattlefront the airmen of the Allies have easily mastered their Hun adversaries, and itj is certainly true that this is the kind of air-work that really counts. The' killing of women and children and the wanton destruction of historic; buildings seem to he all German airmen can accomplish; it is possibly a safer if less ignoble game than tackling an expert opponent. So far as the' Allies are concerned they can assuredly claim very great military successes with their airships, and they have inflicted enormous losses on the enemy. The French especially have, since the war began, devoted an enormous amount of time and money to the perfecting of their air service. They have now, it is estimated, over three thousand aircraft of all sorts and sizes, from the small scout to the large battle plane. The smallest plane used by the French soldier-air-men has a speed of 120 miles an hour. It is the cheapest of all the machines on any of the fronts, and costs £2-10 to build. The battle plane, on the other hand, is one of ( i lie largest planes in use and costs £25.000. It carries two guns bring Hirer pound shells, as well as four machine guns. Between these two come the battle cruisers. For the purpose of raids squadrons are form- ( cd consisting of one battle plane, two battle cruiser planes, and six light baby planes to act as scouts. Notwithstanding the assertions made by Mr Pemberton Billing regarding British inefficiency in aerial matters, some of which may have been true at the outset of hostilities, Britain is doing remarkably well at this time, and we sincerely hope that the promised surprise for the German raiding Zeppelins will ho successfully brought about. If, as now stated, the British possess a type of aeroplane that is faster than any other airship yet seen, can climb to a greater altitude, and carries a special armament, we may look cheerfully forward to trouble for the infamous raiding Zeppelins of our enemy.