Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-10-21
FRANCE GATHERS
Great AIR FLEET
ArInored Cruiser Aerop|ane
Now a Reality at the Front.
TRAINING MANY AvIATORS.
Battle Planes Thirty Feet High, Tor
Pedo Craft and Other New Devices
Are Now Ready to Attack Foe With
Heavy Guns Correspondents Per-
mitted to Visit Aviation Field.

Are Now Ready to Attack Foe With
Heavy Guns Correspondents Per.
mitted to Visit Aviation Field.
n huge aerial feet, formed in divi-
slons n %squadrons, with battle aero
planes. cruiser aeroplanes, scouts and
torpedo planes. all armored heavily
and carrying three incl cannon and
rapid fire guns, has been made possible
through the remarkable development
OF military aviation in France.
The French government permitted
the first inspection Of it's new fleet of
aeroplanes when the large and small
types Of the new battle planes ma
neuvered high in the air, firing round
after round from their three inch rifles
while they scared. looped and darted
about.
The minister of war, Alexandra Mil
lerand, assigned two military experts
OF the staff Of the aviation service
captain de Ia Fargue and Lieutenant
Paruf-to conduct the correspondents
to the place where the new fleet Of bat
tie craft had been assembled and later
to the aviation school. where 100 mill
tary aviators We're learning to navigate
the new craft.
Battle Plane Thirty Feet High.
The aviation field is Il vast inclosure.
AS he correspondents entered a mon
ster battle plane doomed up, thirty feet
high, with several planes stretching
$50 feet across. Farther back was
ranged the fleet Of battle cruisers and
scout planes. They We're formed like
a battalion, twenty planes in q row
across the front and ten deep. Their
huge wings made a front half a mile
wide.
The battle plane and all the cruisers
We're armed heavily. Each carried a
three inch cannon and rapid fire gun
The huge battle plane was the cen
ter of attention. The officers said that
it was the first actual aerial dread
nauSht. This monster carries q crew
OF twelve men, with two cannon on
the wings throwing three inch steel
projectiles. Three trial flights have
been made, demonstrating that it has
the ~steadiness of an ordinary biplane.
The big craft is ready for the battle
line.
The armored cruiser aeroplanes were
then brought out and put through tests
high in the air. They are small BIZ
planes of high power. Each is armed
with q cannon 0,1 i. h1o nf ,,icinr
almost vertically from the ground at a
speed of ninety miles an hour. Cap
tain Frantz and Operators Mondelli
and Mallard made successive flights in
cruisers. rising from the ground at an
angle of 60 degrees.
The steady roar Of the three inch ri
fes continued as the cruisers circled
far above. Mallard was the most dar-
ing operator. He fired his big gun
while plunging from side to side and
dropping rapidly. initiating the maneu-
vers carried out while engaging an
enemy.
Many of these battle cruisers are
ready. Several recently carried out a
night bombardment far back of the
German line. During the Champagne
engagement these cruisers hit a Ger
man balloon. which exploded in Il mass
Of flames.
This. however. was only the initial
trial. The battle planes and cruisers
are soon to begin movements in large
squadrons. both offensive and defen-
Sive. They are to attack the German
lines Of communication. particularly
the railway functions. with the object
Of cutting off supplies and spreading
decentralization behind the front.
Nine Aeros In a Squadron.
Each squadron will consist Of nine
aeroplanes. including one battle plane,
two battle cruisers and six scout
planes. The complement for a squad
ron will be more than fifty officers and
men for the operation Of the aero
planes and their transportation on
heavy wagons drawn by automobiles.
The c~ommandant of the aviation
school, Captain Pegout, said that about
100 military aviators were under in
struction. This is only one Of many
schools which are turning out trained
aViatOrS.
Captain Pegout said that noncommis-
stoned officers and soldiers were prov
ing capable operators of fighting ma
chimes after n months instruction.
These schools are equipping thousands
for the work Of the new and terrible
aerial wal craft.