The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1915. AIRCRAFT IN THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 31 March 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1915. AIRCRAFT IN THE WAR.

Tlie two outstanding features of the war that is now raging, which have not been in evidence in other ocnflicts, are submarines and aircraft. In relation to the latter, it is interesting to note that Mr Harry Harper (joint author with Mr C. Grahame-White of The Aeroplane in War), considers that, in one sense, the war has come five years too soon for aviation. According to his view there are, theoretically, three main uses for a flying machine in time of war: (1) As a super-scout, obtaining information in an hour that, could be gleaned only in a day by otfier means; (2) as an instrument of destruction, dropping bombs on fortifications or ships, and harassing troops when in bivouac or on the march. (3) as a purely fighting machine, armed with guns, and intended to give battle in mid-ajr to hostile craft. Mr Harper ) however, is of opinion that instead of having those types of machine, organised in separate squadrons and equipped specially for their work, there is only one form of craft that is entirely practicable—the flying scout, but this class Was only available in small numbers. For destructive raids, or fighting in the air, present type aircraft can reveal nothing but a shadow of the power tliat may ultimately be theirs, yet they have proved capable of much destructive work and have certainly justified their existence as formidable weapons. It must be admitted that military aviation, as a branch of the science of war, is still in its infancy, but an infancy so robust and forceful that it "bids fair to rapidly attain to its full potency. So far as aeroplanes are concerned, the chief aim of designers appears to have been to evolve an air - worthy reliable machine which can be used even in high winds for the purpose of of reconnaissance. Bombs for dropping from the air are available and have dene good work on many occasions, but this work is regarded as more or' less experimental, while the arming of aeroplanes with machine-guns is somewhat tentative, although with an airship, in view of its weight and lifting power, it is possible to carry guns which can be used to repel an attack from hostile 'planes. It may be said that there are, for the task of scouting, three types of machines available, and in use in this war—(a) the singleseated, high-speed monoplane or biplane, suitable for general rapid reconnaissance or for directing the fire of artillery; (b) a heavier, slower-flying, weight-lifting machine, carrying a pilot and an observer, and intended for detailed and deliberate" observation; (c) the airship, able to remain, if necessary for several days and night., in the air' and traversing wide tracts of country or making long flights over sea, and I capable of carrying a large SU p plv of bombs. Of none of these craft, at the begmning of the war, were there adequate numbers available. Germany was certainly best prepared, because [she had boon umkimr rendv deliberately for war. She b n d about a thousand aeroplanes, and between ten and twenty largo rigid airships of the Zeppelin tvpe. The French air-fleet was numerically" inferior, and her machines, generally

speaking, were- not. in-suotgiwdi condition as those of Germany, Russia had approximately threes hundred, military aeroplanes; Austria about one hundred, and Great Britain over a- hundred. The organisation of the. British, military air service t although the. machine* were few, has proved admirable in every way, and in seaplanes for. naval! work, thanks, to., the.. Admiralty's foresight, Britain had a pronounced superiority over other nations, and some" splendid work has been done.-by this arm of the service. But having regard to. the- wear and tear of active.' service* and the percentage of losses inevitable with such frail structures, the. atrial"fleets of the belligerents have proved woefully small, a fact that led to the husbanding of machines, and their-general' reservation for the- purposes-for which-they were intended—air-scouts and range-finders, for artillery—and' irt these-- services the machines have done- vital work, and been of incalculable value "in the conduct of operations. The sustained and magnificent work of the-British-air service led General Jbffrc lo declare; in a message To Sir John French: "The preoision" exactitude, and regularity of the news brought in by its members are evidence of' their perfoct organisation, and also of the perfect training of the pilots and observers."' The immensely long Battle-fronts in this campaign, and the numfe of points over which it has been necessary to maintain observations have emphasised the value of air scouts' speed. In co-operation with the .artillery, the air service has also done admirable work, though at considerable risk—a risk tlia* is, on- occasion, deliberately run, for war is war. The large German airships have demonstrated their powers of destruction on many occasions, but it is an open question whether- they have- fulfilled the expect Rations formed of them or justified their enormous cost. As night raiders they have many advantages, and though they have been used for mere wanton destruction of life and property, tliey are an arm of the service that must be veckoned with, especially as they can carry machine guns for attacking hostile craft. (We hear of the deadly work of these raiders, and of the counter-oi-tacks by aeroplanes. Some sensational work of the Allies' aircraft now and aga'n has been reported, but the value of'the silent, useful work 0 "n which these machines are engaged while ""scouting or co-operating with the artillery, will not be revealed until the history of the war comes to be written. AH honor to the brave men who, holding their lives in their hands, go forth into the air with as brave a heart and cool a »er TC as if they were on parade, animated by one desire only—that of serving their King and Country.