GERMANY DEVELOPING AIRFIGHTING BRANCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1918, Page 6

GERMANY DEVELOPING AIRFIGHTING BRANCH.

;Capt. Baron von Richtofen, Germany's leading aviator, recently expressed himself ag unconcerned over the reported preparation to place 20,000 American aviators on the Western front. He helieves it will be impossible to get together that many trained pilots, as the training is long and costly, and involves heavy casualties. The newcomers, he says, particularly at first, "will be unable to judge the military conditions, and at least '25 per cent, of the machines will be disabled during the long transport." Lt.-Gen. von Ardcnne, of the Berliner Tage'olatt, who reports this conversation with Von Richtofen. at the Flanders front, adds that the German air service, which evidently has been forewarned by newspaper discussion of American plans, is steadily increasing the number of aviators and machines. German lighting airplanes, Gen. von Ardcnne says, now carry wireless receiving outfits, which enahlo them to engage in combat promptly with enemy ffiers. This is necessitated by new conditions on tho Flanders front, where whole squadrons of Allied machines can appear over the German lines in a surprisingly short time. German squadrons starting from the ground to meet the invaders would be too late as they must constantly be in the front lines, either flying or ready for flight. German aviators say that they have noted recently that a majority of the British fliers in Flanders are showing themselves in the TJixmude section of the front, instead of the region of Passehendaelc. Gen. von Ardcnne discusses various new developments of the Flanders fighting, among them tho decrease in the use of hand-grenades, which, in close fighting, are as dangerous to friends as to foes. They are being displayed by light ma-chine-guns and special units whose task is to seek out, enemy ibatteries by sight or hearing. The muzzle flash of a gun, 'he says, is observed by from three to five stations connected ■>»; *»'.-phone, and the position of the gun is determined easily. Special apparatus has been designed to determine the distance and direction from which the sound of a [cannon's discharge comes.