The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-28
AEROPLANE PLAYED
IMPORTANT PART
Were Next in Importance to the Guns
In British Plan of Attack in Battle
of Loos, According to One of
Descriptions of Battle.

Since the taking of Loos all the army
is singing the praises of the guns and
the planes No such bombardment had
ever been heard on the British front as
that which preceded the attack.
There seemed no intervals between the
reports of the guns; not even those OF
the beat of snare drum. The roar had
the power and continuity of Niagara
falls. House windows in the surround
ing country kept up continuous rat,
tie.
1T is the sweetest sound in the
world" said one of the surviving vet
Grams of the retreat from Mons. 1t
means you will get into the German
trench and have fair fight of it and
YOU won't charge into the play OF the
machine guns or be hung up in the
barbed wire. A year ago when we held
the Germans back from the channel
ports we were doing it with flesh and
blood against the outnumbering Ger
man artillery. The most comforting
sight in the world is an eight how
| itzer; and next to that is motor truck
loaded with high explosive shells"
As morning approached after the night
Of bombardment, officers on the British
front were looking at their wrist watch
es. In front of Loos the figure six
marking the half hour-half- past six
was the goal of the creeping minute
hand At that moment wave OF men
rose from the first line OF British
| trenches, and the volume OF sheii-hre
was lifted from the firSy line German
to the second line as the stream from
a hose is lifted from one flower to anoth-
err. Meanwhile every man in the charge
tried to outrun every other man. The
sooner they were in the German trenches
the less likelihood of the Germans COM
ing out of their dugouts and recovering
their senses after the bath of shells and
| firing on the advance. If only one ma
chine gun can be manned before the
charge goes home the charge may be
stopped in that immediate section. 1t
| is all a matter of wrist watches, OF
speed, team play and of seconds.
With the first flush of dawn the birds
of war had come from their aerodromes.
The shell-fire and the planes were all
that the onlooker might see.
Il should think that we had eight
planes that day to one of the Germans
| said an aviator. eve had concentrated
planes as well as guns"
Only when the secret of the point OF
concentration is kept can such an at
tack succeed against modern defen-
sive position. The Germans had learned
that the British were preparing an at
tack; for their soldiers called out from
their trenches to the British: "When
are you comingl" to which one Briton
replied: an let you know as soon as
Sir John French tells me-"
Attacks were made that morning at
several places; but the Germans expect
ed the real attack elsewhere than Loos.
"There has been a good deal of talk"
said a staff officer, ito the effect that the
element of surprise has disappeared
from war. II is as vital as it ever was.
Only concealment was never so difficult"
Troops and guns had TO be moved at
night when the German planes might
not note the concentration. British plans
must ward off German planes by day.
Infinite labor and pains in detail are
required, of hundreds of thousands Of
men for such an attack. That of the
medical corps alone is stupendous. On
the morning of the attack beds were
ready; and the countless ambulances
and the clearing stations and all the
intricate organization for caring Dor
the wounded ready.
As the attack proceeded a veritable
flock of planes was cutting circles and
and turning over the battlefield as IL
in an exhibition of airmanship. They
appeared to be discounted with the bat
tie; but no participant was more busy
or intent than they. All the panorama
Of action was beneath themi they alone
could really see" the battle II they
chose. But each aviator stole only pass.
ing glimpses OF the whole; for each one
was intent on his part which was 70
keep watch of whether the shells OF the
battery 20 which he reported were on
the target OF not.
To distinguish whose shell-burst
was whose in the midst of that cloud
Of dust and smoke over the German
positions seemed a. difficult as 70 sep
arate the spout Of steam from one pipe
from another when a hundred were max
ing a wall Of yapor.
Every youth in England apparently
wants 70 get into the aerial service.
SO the corps has its pick. Promotion Is
rapid; the romance and the excitement
Of the work appeal. II il easy 20 learn
70 fiy in the very stable types Of ma
chimes which, as the saying goes, are
fool.proof." II takes only two months
70 train a man with aptitude 20 do the
routine work Of reconnaissance. But he
must be young. Men 10 not learn read
Nv after they are thirty, with few excep-
tons. and they are very poor pupils In
deed. after they are thirty-hve. II y
not difficult 70 spot shells when only
few batteries are firing but when
perhaps a hundred guns are dropping
sbeIs On q half mile front 81 trench .
highly trained eve i required. occa-
sionallv q plane Was obserVed 70 clip
down lie 4 hawk which had located q
hsh 10 the water. A. al hazards that
/ intrepid aviatuf was going % identify
the shell bursfs Of the batteries which
~ repfesentsd The Germans might have
him IN rife range bat they were 80
t,nsy TRYING b hnia haek she knriish
I Infantry 20 Gre az him
Other planes were dropping shells On
rnflroaa trnims and bridges. e. hinder
tie geruans once they had learned
where tts fofea Of she attark uHs a.