Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-15
The Machine

to the plan Of our new Fokkers to lie hidden.
because our mission is chiefly to prevent the
spying aviators from doing their work.
This is the reason that we prefer to wait
for them where they must come'' The Ger
man point Of view is possibly interesting in
the sense that in trying to triumph over the
enemy at their base, they may also make a
prisoner, if the machine is not destroyed,
and it may be utilized. If, on the contrary,
the enemy conquers, the beaten aeroplane
does not risk falling into enemy hands and
being examined by him, to the last details,
to his great profit.
The French aviator does not hesitate to fly
above the German lines to prevent their
aviators from performing their task, which
is to observe what is going on in our lines.
Very often the French aviator engages in
combat ten or fifteen miles back of the Ger
man lines and he attacks and forces the
enemy aeroplane to retire if he cannot shoot
it down. In the course of our offensives on
the Somme and at Verdun, our aviators es-
tabished in advance of our front q real
aerial barrier through which not single
German aviator was able to force his way
for many days.
Speed and power or rapid ascent are es.
sential qualities in the hunting pilot.
The aviator requires the power, at his will,
OF flying over his enemy so as to pounce
down upon him at the opportune moment
and to reach him by fire when he is most
lively. The Fokkers, Walvets, the l.. " G.,
which are encountered most frequently on
our front, all have great speed, estimated
at more than $50 kilometres 1913 miles) Der
hour. These machines also have the power
OF ascending with enormous rapidity and
The height to which they may ascend in the
course OF fight is some 1000 metres
Q3,2OO feet). AS rule the German pilots
undertaking the hunting" task, especially
those using Walvets, enter the combat in
this fashion: Whether flying over their own
lines or when fronting the lines of tho
enemy, they always patrol in groups or in
pairs: IT an enemy aeroplane is sighted.
the nrst German aviator is supposed to at
TACK; but the other who has remained some
two hundred yards behind and two hundred
yards higher up, has the task solely Of
watching the zone of combat without taking
any direct part in the fight. Meanwhile.
II second enemy aeroplane comes to the
rescue, he attacks in his turn and tries to
drive him off. Naturally if his partner is
defeated, he does not follow up the first but
regalns his own lines as rapidly as possible.
often the manoeuvre takes on a broader
character; the aeroplanes flying in groups
mutually protecting one another IF an
isolated enemy aeroplane is met with. il ia
quickly surrounded. and can find safety onlv
in the speed of it's fight.
The tremendous speed of these "huntinp"
s aseroplanes has tendency to increase greatly
Inc, me daa Ia: OF breaking the planes A pilot
WY, WIZ mes at speed OF ITO miles an hour, and
who ascends more than 5000 feet in seven
minutes, who descends almost vertically from
this height, subjects his machine to strains
which little by little dislocate inportant
parts Of the aeroplane. An aeronlane
pursuing another aeroplane ia com.
peAed to assume most extraordinary positions.
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