Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-11-26
TOUCH BIT OF
WAR FOR R. &c.
The Royal Flying Corps, to Which
| Don Doty of This City is Attach.
ed, is Least Advertised Of
British Army.
DEVELOP A REAL FINE SPIRIT
Corps Always Takes Offensive to Get
Jump ON Germans.-An In.
terview.

The Freeman-J Journal is in receipt of
London mail dispatch giving very
interesting account of the British Fly
ing Corps. 1t will be especially in
teresting to Webster City people be-
cause Don Doty, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Doty, of this city, is member
of that branch of the British service.
The letter furnished by the United
Press, is as follows:
LONDON, Nov. 2. (By Mail.)-The
Royal Flying Corps is the least adver-
tised branch of the British Army. AS
the preface to long interview on the
work and achievements of that SER
vice, Maj. Gen. Sir David Henderson,
head of the Air Board, explained the
reason for this studied modesty.
"Other air services" he said, lad
vertise individual fighters and thus ad-
vertise the service. We don't because
the fighting airman is but a small part
of the air personnel and not the most
important at that. In many ways he
has the best of the work. His part is
the most spectacular and he gets the
best machines.
English System.
"But fighter is only sent up to pro-
tect the bombing, reconnaissance and
range-finding machines, whose work
is the most valuable. We believe that
by advertising individual fighters we
would kill the spirit of the other fly
ers. Our system gives us a higher
average standard. With weeks no.
tice we could transfer the personnel
Of a fighting squadron to a reconnais-
sance squadron, or vice versa, with
perfectly satisfactory results.
But what is much better, we have
developed the spirit of the squadron.
If you ask an airman back from the
front how many Boche he dOwned he
won't tell you. But he will say with
pride; Our squadron got sixteen last
week. or whatever the number might
be. That is the proper spirit for the
service.
"And another thing, we don't go in
for peace or propaganda flying. We
are too busy killing Huns.
Gen. Henderson then turned to the
work of the Flying Corps.
Heaviest Work.
"The Corps has multiplied between
70 and 100 times in men and material
since the war began. We have had
the heaviest air work of any of the
Allies and just now are experiencing
the toughest bit of the war.
"One reason for our large losses is
that our policy has always been to get
the jump on the enemy. It. is cost
ly, but the only policy if one has the
means to pursue it. Some time ago
the Germans realized this, as we es-
tablished by orders found. But be-
yond short, spasmodic attempts, they
have never succeeded in getting the
offensive.
1.-THE result has been that most Of
the air fighting is on the German side
of the line and few are drowned on
our side. Even as far back as the
Battle of the Somme we had the jump
on the Boche. There was not a Ger
man machine within ten mics OF the
IAN idea Of the actual work of the
service at the front may be gained
from September's statistics. During
that month we downed 139 German
planes in air fighting and thirteen by
gun-fire; downed 122 out
Of control, dropped 125 tons of bombs,
took 10000 photographs. directed ar
tillery fire against 1872 batteries and
flew the equivalent Of a years"
Gen Henderson partially exploded
the popular idea that the youngest
men make the best flyers.
For fighters, perhaps yes" said he,
but for the other branches of the ser.
7ice the older men. up to IS. are
'teadier, more persistent and exercise
better judgment"
He was very doubtful about the
of extensive standardiz-
ltion of aeroplane construction.
You may standarize your engine"
lie said, "but plane construction
'hanges so rapidly that if you stand
rdize for large scaie production you
re apt to find yourself with number
# antiquated machines on your
lands"