Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-12-09
AERIAL STRATEGY IS
DEVELOPMENT OF War
France Has Solved Many Prob
lens of Air Navigation and
Made Service Important.

Made Service Important.
Paris-tby maiD.-Now that France
mas developed an aerial force with
epl cruiserplanes. scouts and
lesser craft. which the officers refer
10 as torpedoplanes, it has been neces-
Larry to organize this overhead service
with the same eXactness of details that
armies and fleets are organized, with
TACTICS and maneuvers of advance and
retreat. attack and defense. Unlike an
army or fleet, which can move only in
N direction parallel with the sur
race of the earth or water. Il fleet of
ar warsh1ps a move in any direc-
ton. upward. downward. forward or
and at my oblique.
All of these tactics of the air are
now being worked out with precision.
Already the official reports refer al
most daily to the maneuvers of an
"esquadrille," which is the French
term for a squadron of air fighters,
and soon there will be mention of the
or recoil Of the right wing
or left wing" of these squadrons, as
the tactics provide for the assembling
of a number of 'esquadrilles' into
fleets whicl a be increased in size
almost indefinitely. Wells, the English
novelist, suggested the deadly effect
of 1000 aeroplanes lowering over Ber-
lin and dropping bombs. The number
and maneuver was at the time re-
garded as fantastic. But the organ
ization of squadrons and fleets of bat
tleplanes n cruisers brings this
measurably within realization. and al
refdy n attack has been made with
90 aeroplanes, two with over go, and
five with from 30 to 40 air fighters.
The "esquadrille." which is the unit
of the apria1 0rpnnizafinr ~ 6,c+ oon
sisted OF six aeroplanes. But the rapid
development Of fighting types changed
the organization so that the "esquad-
rifle" is now made up practically as
follows:
Six scout aeros (avions d'observa-
tion).
Two armed cruiser-aeros with 3-inch
gun (%avions de chasse).
One battleplane with two S-inch
guns and one mitraleuse (avion de
combat).
Nine ~lorries. nine trailers, nine port
able canvas aero-sheds. three autos.
There is one lorrie and trailer and one
shed for each of the fighting craft. so
as to transport it rapidly to any point,
and house it until needed The autos
ale for the commanding officers. and
to follow up the flyers when possible.
Gasoline. tools. supplies, etc, are car
ried on the ~lorries.
20 Men In Squad.
The ~"esquadrille" thus made up. is
commanded by a commissioned Off
Ger of the army. who acts as pilot of
the squadron. Commissioned officers
also operate the fighting INC cruising
aeros. with expert non-commissioned
officers and soldiers for the lesser
craft. Including the soldiers on the
%lorries. trailers, ETC.. an "ssuuadrille'
has a complement of upward of 70
officers and men. Of which, however,
only a dozen or so are actual flyers.
M. Rene Bernard, the newly desis-
mated secretary of state for aviation,
has recently given opportunity for the
inspection of the new types of ali
fighters. The b~attleplane, (avion de
combat) and the cruiserplane (avion
de chased, are the two main develop
ments. Only partial descriptions of
these craft is permitted; nothing can
be stated as to the number Of planes
of the monster battleplane. But it is
permitted to indicate it's power by
saying that it has carried IL men in
its flights, and that it mounts on it's
huge outstretched wings two three
inch cannon, one at either tip, with a
rapid fire mitraleuse in the middle,
just above the pilot. The recoil of the
amor does not jar the craft. owing
to an automatic device, explanation of
| which is not permissible.
The other type, cruiser-aeros, or
avions de chasse, mount one three
inch cannon in the middle and lust
ahead of the pilot. These cruisers can
mount almost straight up from the
ground, at the rate Of about 1000
can go straight up to an enemy as soon
as he is observed, instead Of mounting
slowly on long curves as OF old.
Seek Speedier Craft.
But France !s not stopping with
these new devices. and her engineers
n constructors are inspired with the
thought of a rich prize Of $4,000 francs
for a still further advance, which will
lealize 200 kilometers an hour with
four motors, two pushing and two
| pulling.
The "~esquadrilla" or squadron is only
the unit OF organization, and it is in
assembling them that the real fighting
maneuvers are accomplished. The di-
recting head of h organization is here
in Paris, connected with the ministry
OF war. Here all the orders are given
the service regulated. The ma
chimes themselves are at aero parks
scattered all over France, the names Of
these places being withheld from men
ton. Here they are gathered In hun
dreds n given their final tests before
going to the fighting line.
But 1t Is on the fighting n that
the real begin. The aero
parks for actual service are a short
distance In rear Of the fighting forces,
| each park at the front being made up
Of Q 'sesquadrilles." So that, as
each "esQuadrilles'' has nine aeros OF
various form. the four .esquadrilles'
of each park comprise 36 aeros in
Guiding battleplanes. cruiserplanes and
scoutplanes. ] n turn. these parks
back OF h / n are connected, so that
these equipment Of rs machines in
each can be rapidly brought together
Tor q concerted attack or defense. AS
Il tkn&n YNorka rfNotnh8 fNnYA md IN ovd nf