Evening star., 1917-09-09
MUST CONTROL AIR
-
ABOVE TRENCHES
Enemy Can Regulate Shell Fire
Without Crossing the Lines,
Expert Says.
HARD TO REACH OBSERVERS
BY FREDERICK w. zINN

American Sergeant in the French Aerial oorpa.
Especial Correspondence Of The Sunday
Star and Chicago Daily News.
ON THE WESTERN FRONT. August
10.-A favorite argument Of non-inform-
ed observers is that an air fleet of
| sufficiently gigantic proportions will
dominate the Germans SO completely
that their artillery control and recon
| noissancs machines Will be prevented
from working. This is at least a pos
sibility, but alone It will not open
the road to Berlin" Nor can 1t be
achieved without overcoming many
practical difficulties which tho lay
man fails to appreciate. It is not
enough simply to keep the Germans
from flying over our lines. or to pro-
tect our machines so they can fly un-
hindered over the German lines: the
important thing is to keep the Germans
from flying over their own lines. 1t IL
there. within the protection of their
own anti-aircraft guns. that they do
at least so per cent of their artillery
control and usual reconnaissance work.
Need Not Cross Hostile Line.
When an airplane observer goes out
to control the fire of a battery he car
ries with him not only very exact
map of the hostile defenses, but as well
an airplane photograph showing the
position on which the battery is to
fire and it's surroundings. Tho air.
plane circles over the landing field till
the necessary height is attained. then
heads in the direction of the enemy
Long before the lines are reached the
observer can see ahead of him the
objective of his trip, although II may
be four or five miles away and well
behind the enemy's trenches. The map
and the photograph give details
mistake and need not fly over the
objective at all. Shell explosions are
visible half dozen miles away. and lin
most cases the observer can carry his
near the hostile lines Visual recon-
noissances are likewise carried out over
home territory. Flying over his own
second line. the observer can see more
and collect more data regarding the
hostile positions than he could by n.y.
ing over them. If a battery's target IL
screened by woods. or for some other
reason not easily visible it may be
server be an experienced man one quick
dash is usually sufficient. He gets the
surroundings well in mind. locates a
guiding mark and after that is able
to continue his work at a safe distance
behind his own lines. Artillery obser.
walton and reconnaissance are ordina-
riiy carried out at about 1000 feet. but
the Germans often work at lower alti--
tudes.
Hard to Reach Observers.
To get at these machines, so low and
SO we'll protected by their anti-aircraft
batteries. is an extremely difficult and
Il AOh sne
pilot dives down on them from high
above, they dive, too. to the level OF
the treetops if necessary. and as soon
as the danger has passed climb again
and return to work. Sometimes they
prefer to stay and fight it out. In that
case. armed they are with a movable
gun, handled by the observer behind.
their chances are as good as or better
than those of the attacking pilot.
The only way of preventing this sort
of machine from working is to main
tain numerous patrols at low altf-
tude behind the hostile lines. German
anti-aircraft artillery is the factor that
must be considered We have had our
machines touched by shrapnel at
1900 feet, and at least two American
pilots have been shot down from that
altitude. At a third that altitude the
chances of being hit are at least six
times as great. and If continuous
patrols are to be maintained there it is
foreordained that their losses are going
to be extremely heavy. Heavy losses =.
are justifable II the value of the result
obtained warrants it. but over the
greater part of the front. where there
is no action of Importance going on.
the advantage resulting from mastery
of the air would not be worth the money
and lives it would cost.
Many Low Controls Needed.
rt,o ejaculation ~ %h> Dr. - law
range guns and Photographic recon-
must be done over hostile
territory. The Germans regulate the
fire of their guns very often by pho-
Biography, and il we could stop them
from coming over our lines we would
cut of a very valuable source of in
formation. But that, too, If attempted
over a large sector. would present DIM
culties that amount almost to impossi-
bilities. Photographs over first and
second line positions. which are the
da shes at low attitudes. and, like visual
reconnoissances and ordinary artillery
regula ton. cannot be prevented except
by keeping low patrols behind the en-
emy's lines.
There are two ways OF making long
reconnoissa ances: One by going in pa
-rols with protection of a half dozen
lighting planes, and the other by pick
nR IaNOraple cOnOltlOnS
and going alone. The only defense
against expeditions of the first sort is
% meet them with squadrons of equal
,r greater strength. Against expedi-
ions of the second sort there is no de-
tense. A fast airplane, well handled
and protected by sheltering banks of
clouds into which it can dive. if neces-
sary. can slip through the tightest
neshes and usually get safely home
gain. A skillful observer. under the
stress of necessity, can photograph
hostile territory at the rate of three
square miles minute, and IL takes
,nly little calculating to show how
much information he can stow away
IN his plates in even ten minutes over
he enemys lines. an.