Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-14
.A|R-F|GHT|Nc SQUADRON
IN TACTICAL MANEUVERs
Same Fxactness Of Details for Over
head Service ms for Armies
and Fleet.
REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT
Now French Secretary OF State for
Aviation Gives Opportunity for
Inspection of --latest Types OF
Machines.


Franco has developed an aerial force
with batueplancs. cruiserplanes. scouts
and lesser aircraft, which tho officers
rcter 10 as torpcdoplanes. II has been
necessary to organize this overhead
service with tho game cxactncss OF de-
tails that armies and fleets are organ
ized' with tactics and mancuvcrs Of
advance and retreat. attack and defense.
| ChiiKe the army fleet, which can
move only in one direction parallel
| with the surface OF the earth or water,
q heet OF air warships can move in
any direction. upward. downward. for !
ward or backward and at any obliquc.
All of these tactics Of the air arc
now being worked out with precision.
Already the official reports refer almost
daily 10 the mancuvers OF an "csquad-
rillc." which Is the French term for u
squadron Of r-hghters. and soon there
VIII be mention Of the advance or rccoil
of the right wing" left wing" OF
these squadrors. rs tho tactics provide
Tor the assembling OF number of
'csquadrill.s" into fleets which can he
increased In size almost indefinitely.
Wclls. the English novelist. suggested
the deadly effect or 1000 acroplanes
lowering ever Berlin and dropping
. bombs Tho number and rnaneuvcr at
Inc time regarded fantastic. But
the organization Of squadrons and fleets
or battleplancs aud cruisers bring.
this mcasurably within realization. and
already ono attack has been made with
| SlNtE.hve acroplanes. two with over
sixty. and five with from thirty to forty
?'r-fEhtcrs.
The "esquadrille." which is tho unit
81 the aerial organization. at first CON
sisted OF six acroplancs. But the rapid
development OF hrhtinr types changed
the organization so that the ".squad-
In -
follows:
six scout aeros (avions d. observa
uon).
Two armed cruiser acros. with three
inch gun tavions de chasse)
one battlcplane with two threc-inch
aons and one initraleuse (avion dc
Conbat.
Nine lorries. nine trailers, nine port
an'e canvas aero sheds, three autos
PROVISION Is MADE
For RAPID TRANSPORT
There is one lorrie and trailer and
one shed. for each OF the fghting craft
so AS 10 transport II rapidly 10 any
point and house IL until needed The
hutos are Tor the commanding officers
ana to follow up the flyers when uossl
i PIC Gasoiinc, tools ana supplies are
carried on the lorres
The "esquadril!e." thus made up. -
commanded by commissioned Officer
| squadron. mm!ssioncd officers Also
/ operate the lighting and cruising acros
WIN expert noncomm!ssioncd officers
ana soldiers for the lesser craft In
eiuains the soldiers the lorrics.
i 'railcrs. etc, an "esGundrille" has n
complement Of upward Of seventy OH
GERS and men. Of which. however. only
a dozen or so are actual flyers 4
Rene Bernard, the newly des.g-
mated Secretary OF State for Aviation.
al
i inspection .: the new types Of air
hshters. The batiicplane tnyton d..
'''hpat) ana the cruiserrlnne Cavion d.
thassct. are the TWO main devotion
nenis' Only partial description OF
'hese craft Is permitted: nothing c.,,
y" stated rs TO the number of planes
i 81 inc monster 6ot,leplan". Bu, i, il
permitted To indicate its power h,.
saving that II has carried twelve men
N us flights and ;hat 1t mounts on
~ huge "ntstFctched wings two three
Il men cannon. one at either tip, with ,
rapid !i!c mitrtlcusc In ;he uiddl
lust above The pilot. The recoil OF the
i cannon ooes not jar III. craft. owing
10 AN automatic ohav!ce explanation
Or which Is not permissible
The other type. cruiscr-aeros ar
i aNions dc chasse mount on. ,hrccincb
cannon M the middle and lust nbaod
81 the pilot. These cruisers can noun,
almost straight NJ from the ground.
% VIC 'atc vi ABOUT 1000 meters in
TWO minutes, that they can go
straight up 10 an enemy ms soon -.
ne is observed, instead of mountinr
slowly on long curves AS of old.
WORKING FOR STILL.
FURTHER ADVANCE:
but France is not stopping win
these now devices, and her enripears
and constructors are inspired with the
thought of rich prize OF OOO franc,
| for still further advance ,.k;..
realize 200 kilomcters mn hour WIN
four motors. two pushing and two
pulling.
! me esauadsille' or squadron is
ohiE 'he uhit OF organization. and it
4 is In assembling them that the rcoI
= fighting mancuvers are accomplisnad
Thc directing head of the organization
I IL here In Paris, connected with thn
i Ministery OF Wa". Here all the orders
are given and the service regulated
The machines themselves are at aero
parks scattered all over France. III.
names or these places being withheld
from mention. Here they are gathered
in hundreds and given their final tests
before going To the fighting line.
But II is on the fighting line that the
real maneurcrs begin. The aero parks
for actual service are a short distance
In rear Of the lighting forces each
park at the front being made up OF
4 -FOUR "esquadrillcs" SO that, as each
! eSauauTiii mas nine aeros of various
form the four "espuadrilles', of each
park comprise thirty six aeros. includ
= ing battieplanes. cruiserplnnes and
cout planes. In turn. these parks back
7lof the line are connected, so that these
equipment of twenty-six machines in
keach can DO rapidly brought together
lsfor q concerted attack ar defense As
these parks stretch from end to end
OF the long battle line their number
and aggregate Of air craft must he
very large: As stated, the concentra-
lions OF siXty-fve fighting craft have
: already been carried out, and much
larger concentrations are in view.
The hshting tactics have developed
number OF interesting phases. II is
useful devices has resulted rron, ~
capture or an enemy aero. This
. brought TO light n fine Instrument or
precision. made by well-known On
teal firm OF Berlin. The instrument
Il p,4S