The Washington herald., 1917-12-02
Allies Rely on America
To Win War In the Air
Campaign of 1918 Will Be Decisive Factor in
Struggle, Says Balderston; Relates
Stories of British Daring.

who has also flown, has supplied me
with a vivid picture of what spot
ting 10 really like. THE hostile bat
terry" he said. ''may be hidden behind
a crest or q belt of trees. so as to be
invisible from any point within our
own'lines. But its presence is soon de-
tected, and in a very short time.
The aeroplane maneuvers for a po-
sition from which the observer can get
a clear view Of the target, and which
is as secure as possible from>the anti
aircraft guns that surround him with
bursting shell whenever he comes
within their range. Having found a
favorable beat he warns the battery
that he is ready, and the fun begins.
There are trees all around the target,
which might hide the burst of the
shell from him at first, but the bat
tery commander knows all about this,
he has a photograph OF the place be-
fore him and he sends his first shot
wide into the open country. A cloud
of brown earth and a pun of black
smoke reveals the bursting shell.
The observer signals to the battery
the point where II fell, and turns to
await the next round, which in a few
seconds falls on the other side Of the
target. This, too, Is signaled to the
battery, and the process continues un-
til the battery commander is satis-
ned with the results. No gun in the
world will drop every round in the
same place. the art Of ranging Is to
find the gun elevation that will insure
the greatest possible proportion of
shells falling on the target. Having
found this elevation to his own salts
faction the battery commander in
forms the observer of the fact and
proceeds to carry on.
The observer flies comfortably up
and down his beat. signaling a sort of
running commentary of the shooting.
Guns once, set on a target are not
likely to get on 1t again, IL conditions
remain the same. but sometimes these
alter and the stream of shell drifts
slightly wide. The observer notifies
this, and the battery correct accord
ingly.. The former can see everything
so distinctly-the country spread out
beneath him like a map. the belt of
trees that hides the guns, now so torn
and shattered that one of the gun
pits lies plainly open to view.
Effects OF Smelling.
The shells fall regularly around the
unlucky battery. sending up brown
spurts of earth when they strike the
open fields, sometimes hitting one of
the trees, when a black wreath Of
smoke with heart of firC bursts out.
clearing to show a, great gap in the
green verdure. Now and again a
round falls right into one OF the pits,
shapeless Jumps of timber and con-
crete rise far above the pail of smoke.
a jagged edge may be seen where a
Axrur L. IL. a
vealed the edge of the cover.
"A shell bursts beneath the trees,
the observer misses it for an instant
until wisps OF smoke, ascending
through the branches. sshows him
where 1t fell, fifty yardg or so from
the guns. 1t was an abnormal round,
such as sometimes occurs, hardly
worth worrying the battery about. But
ten seconds after 1t fails. liyid flash
shoots up from the place, followed byI
a rolling cloud of gray smoke that
spreads until 1t hides the whole posi-
tion. That stray round must have
fallen into an ammunition store, set
ting fire to it and its contents. The
cartridges are burning now; perhaps,
with any luck, the fire will spread to
the shell stacked near by. The whole
is obscured, making obser-
vation impossible for the time. The
observer signals the battery to wait.
and circles round to keep an eye on
events.
Suddenly the smoke is rent by al
gust of flame, the aeroplane rocks
with violent concussion, needing all
the observers attention for a mo-
ment. When he has leisure to look
again. a patch of trees has disap-
peared. revealing a jagged crater |
from which black smoke still rises
slowly. The enemy's shells have ex-
ploded, adding to the chaos already |
produced in his battery.
The explosion has blown the smoke |
away. and all Is clear again: the OBJ |
server signals the battery to go on.
The shells fall regularly once more,
continuing until the battery conn.,