The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-10-07
HELPED
HOH|GERMAN MACHINES H0VERED
Over RETREATING ARMY
DIRECT ARTILLERY FIRE
German Ai1nan Says British Forces
Are Best Of Alies-French Artil.

Are Best Of Alies-French Artil.
lery Proves Itself Worthy-French
Aeroplanes Are Built too Light for
Strenuous Service in War.
German aeroplanes accomplished
great work in plotting the onrushing
armies through Belgium and into
France, French and English reports
to the contrary. This is the conten-
ton Of Corporal Fritz Werner, Of
the German aero corps, who should
know, for it was he who few over
Paris, dropping bombs and bulletins
Of German victories, and escaped
after a thrilling battle in midair with
a British and French birdman.
WerneT's criticisms of German and
French aeroplanes are interesting
from the point of view of an actual
expert. Werner proposes to secure a
biplane, a machine he thinks best
adapted for war purposes.
The French machines, Werner de-
clared, are too lightly built for war
purposes and smash too easily. This
2~SSuAICo, aS kll00ShI, 101 S21S 4otGO&
Of the French aeroplane corps to ac-
complish what had been expected OF
it.
It was in describing his fight over
Paris that the aviator brought out the
fact that both the English and
French flying machines can soar
above the German types. It was to
the fact that neither of his foes car
ried bombs that Werner attributed
his escape.
Werner made light of the reported
uniform victories Of the Allies aero
plane corps over the German airmen.
Casualties among the air scouts, he
said, had been remarkably light con-
sidering the risks. Little danger was
experienced from hostile firing.
Corporal Werner's estimate Of the
fighting qualities of the Allies tallies
with that Of the officers of the gen.
eral staff who have returned from
the front.
Except at first" said the aviator,
especially at Liege, the Beigians
ran away. The practice of the French
artillery is excellent. But the Brit
ish were the best soldiers we met.
Before their morale became shaken
by repeated defeats and heavy losses
they stuck to their trenches logged
ly. Our heavy artillery and the way
our men kept coming regardless Of
losses finally got them and they ran
too"
He said he heard the British also
were great at minor tactics, such as
laying traps for advance guards in
villages and marrying outposts, but
that their feats in this line were abb
solutely without effect in altering the
final outcome.
According to Werner the four fac
tors largely responsible for the Ger
mans successes in the first months
operations were the heavy field artil-
lery, the travelling field kitchens, the
soldiers sturdy legs and the aviation
corps. The inclusion of his own
branch Of the service, boastful
though 1t may seem, is confirmed by
the opinion OF other officers.
In regard to the field guns, the
French artillery has proved a worthy
opponent-German officers cheerfully
admit that-but thus far the French
have had nothing to oppose the heavy
German artillery which, by it's in
direct, plunging fire, has rendered
trenches and gun positions untenabls
and has pounded retiring troops from
orderly retreat into full fight.
Werner is one of the few who has
viewed a great part of the modern
line OF battle much as Napoleon or
Frederick the Great looked over the
opposing forces from some high
point Of vantage.
His graphic description Of the stub
born retreat of the British army from
Mons, for he had hovered over the
retreating troops, signaled to the Ger
man artillery the location of their
entertainments and watched the final
rearward march under the p1unging
fire Of the monster mortars. He saw
the German cavalry block the Brit
ons' fight near St. Quentin and bring
Sir John French's force again at bay
to be overwhelmed by the German in
fantry attack and the hail Of shrap-
mel, and to melt away in the direction
of Tomnieono