Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-16
GERMAN AND ALLY
A|RPLANE OUTPUT
london Expert Sees Nothing
Alarming in Story of
Big Increase.
NOTHING NEW IN DEVICE
BY C. G. GREY.
fra,.o~ ~ che aaronI.na


zion conveyed in sundry Italian papers
concerning the latest doings of the
German air service on the Italian front
is of considerable interest. though per-
haps not so alarming as the news in
its original form might suggest. Brief
ly the statement was that the German
air service has recently been increased
by a hundred new sauadrons of air
planes, each squadron consisting of ten
machines That is to say, the Germans
have put into the air a thousand new
sirplanes.
Further it is stated that these ma 4
chimes are painted sky blue. without
any distinguishing marks, and are thus
practically invisible even In broad daS-
light. 1t is also said that these ma
chimes are speedier than any machines
previously constructed in Germany
As regards the thousand new ma
chimes. there is nothing in TINS news
to say in what period these machines
have been added to the German arr
feet. 1t would be pretty safe to reckon
the German output of airpianes a.
something like 500 week. SO that
after all 1000 new machines only
means two weeks output. A fortnight
of bad weather. which would prac-
tically stop dying and SO would stop
the losses of planes on active service
Heet by something like loco planes.
even without any special eHort oeihs
made. There is nothing TO lead one 10
believe that every one OF these nun
bred new sauadrons IS equipped VIII
the latest and speediest German planes.
and many of this thousand might
be training machines and comparative
1y slow two-seaters-
Usually Fifteen Machines
In 'any case,a the statement that
squadron consists of ten machines Is
obviously inaccurate and is probably
mistranslation for the word patrol a
German fighting squadron as a ruie
consists of fifteen machines III three
nights" of FIVE each and squadron
II is possible therefore, that if these
machines are being used in formation
Of ten machines each that the Germans
have now increased their nights from
five machines to ten. and are perhaps
using two flights to squadron. IN
stead of three, making in all probapll-
fty twenty lone airplanes to the squad
ron. so that their net increase would De
fifty squadrons and not hundred, II
the actual figures given are correct. Ii
this increase has taken place during
the last six months, period which
might well be included in the word re
Gently" there is certainly nothing IN II
tn alarm the allies. in view of the
both the French and British armies
AS regards painting German air
planes sky blue. this is not a new Ger
man trick AS far back as the autumn
machines painted sky-blue underneath
and with distinguishing marks on the
TOP only. The average German ma
chine has always been in the habit of
flying higher than the average Brit
fish or French machine, and 1t is un-
doubtedly fact that against the dark
blue of the sky at high attitudes. where
the air is perfectly clear and there Is
no mist to give difused light, the
blue undersurface OF the wings does
undoubtedly make them difficult to see.
1t is unlikely that these machines are
painted blue on top, because if they
were so painted they would show up
very clearly against the ground when
viewed from above. If the Germans
have by chance adopted the system of
painting their machines blue all over.
without any distinguishing marks at
all, as the information from Italy
would seem to indicate. they would
still be easily recognizable by all the
allies pilots and by their own The
French. British and Italian aeroplanes
all carry the distinguishing rings of
the allies, and. consequently, any blue
machine without marks would neces-
sarily be German so it is not likely that
there would be any confusion as to the
nationality of such machines. On the
other hand, doing away with the black
cross, which would necessarily stand
out clearly against the blue back
ground, would certainly make 1t more
difficult to see the machines against
the. sky.
As to Greater Speed.
The statement that these machines
are more speedy than any previously
constructed in Germany is proba bly, ex-
planned by the fact that hitherto all
the very fastest German planes have
been kept for use on the French and
British fronts. and that number of
these machines were told off for ac-
ton against the Italian flying service
when the Germans decided to assist the
Austrians in the recent attack on the
Venetian plains.
The latest and fastest machines
known on the French and British fronts
are small Albatross biplanes. fitted with
:eo-horsepower Mercedes engines.
These machines replaced about June
last the 1s0-horsepower biplane of sim
liar type. Having a hundred horsepow-
er extra. they are naturally very much
faster than the older Aibatross ma
chimes. but they are still not SO fast as
certain British and French machines.
and. owing to the enormous size of the
engine and the usual size of the aero
plane itself. they are by no means easy
10 maneuver. their speed and weight
making them difficult to turn quickly
or to pull out Of a drive rate a fat
flying position.
nj he oil fo