Evening star., 1918-07-14
OBSERVER
IMPORTANT FACTOR
Utility in Modern War Activi-
ties Recognized by
Army Heads.
SERVICE ACES OF RECORD
SERVICE ACES OF RECORD
CableKram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1915.

WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES.
July 1.-THE balloon observer is one
Of the most important members of the
work is very little known or appre-
ciated even by soldiers belonging to
other branches of the army. Unin-
formed persons regard the observers
task as without danger and a sine
cure. This idea is false.
Today 1 visited a finishing school
through which all French army bal
loon observers must pass before TAX
now know that scarcely any fighting
service requires more serious prep
aration or is more fatiguing and dan
gerous. Candidates for observers are
accepted from any arm of the army
and may belong to any rank, from
private to lieutenant.
To be accepted for balloon service
man must be vigorous, keen eyed.
Intelligent and have good educa-
tion. Architects. craftsmen and art
lists are especially likely to make
successful observers.
Course Of instruction.
When a mans application to be an
observer is accepted he is sent INTO
a balloon company on the front.
where he remains a few weeks doing
ground work. familiarizing himself
with the handling of balloons and
the elementary ideas of observingt
Then the candidate is sent to a finS
ishing school At this place, where
the work is SO difficult that not one
half of the students graduate, he is
closely examined. The course of in
struction includes lectures. practical
work in the classroom dealing with
topography, artillery. military tactics.
infantry combats. the employment Of
balloon parachutes, meteorology, the
reading Of photographs. perspective
tracing given zones upon maps. max
ing maps from photographs and To-
eating batteries.
The students ascend daily in bal
loon and plot out the territory sur
rounding the school. A few practice
trenches are constructed few kilo-
meters away, upon which artillery
batteries attached to the school fire
and the students rectify the range.
BY the end of the course each stu
dent has executed regulations of fire.
Another series of balloon work con-
sists in considering as enemy terri
tory given district as seen from
the nacelle or car and locating OBJ
jectives for artillery fire.
Faces Difficult Examination.
w men q STUDENT mas Cornpietcu lfe
| course at the school and has had
thorough practice in studying the
ground and regulating artillery fire
he is given as difficult examination in
all the subjects studied. The grading
of the notes is done strictly by the in
structors. Candidates found incompe-
tent are returned to the arm whence
. they came. Those passing examinations
successfully join balloon companies
at the front to get another two or
three months work on the ground be-
fore they are named observers.
company includes large force OF
men for handling the balloon. tailors
| for repair work, mechanics, telephone
operators and others.
Observers remain in the air usually
| seven hours day. although during
| the most critical days they may be
| up even fifteen hours. The work is
| often monotonous and always very
/ firing. The losses also are heavy.
During fair weather the enemy makes
daily attacks against the balloons up
i along the front. Not all attacks are
successful. but the observers often are
obliged to leap. and IL a parachute
/ fails to open or burning debris from
] the balloon fall on it, he may sustain
| fatal wounds.
| The observers must remain in the
air as long as possible. Observations
are usually made at an altitude of
1900 meters (3.S36 feeD- In earlier
days balloons went higher, but this
are better equipped for attacking.
The observer. harnessed with belts
and bands attaching him to the para
chute, regards necessarily through
powerful glasses the enemy territory.
He Is the vertible vigilant eye OF the
Army. whose safety from surprise
largely depends upon his watchful-
! ness.
Army authorities now realize the
greatness of the work accomplished by
the observers and reward them with
rapid advancement and merited deco
! the spherical balloons were called
| Seize balloons They existed in the
principal fortified places. After repeat
ed requests by hardy aeronauts these
balloons were taken to the front. They
were tried out at Belfort and elsewhere
rect observation into the enemy's lines.
The Germans are also using captive
balloons successfully.
Aces in Balloon Work.
Saloon observation has its aces as
well as aviation. Under Lieut.. Cam
ques Bruyere counts $500 hours Of as
censioh. He has located 1000 enemy
batteries and effected more than 800
been cited in army orders four times,
the last one reading: He has been a
balloon observer since November, 1914,
and has distinguished himself by energy
and sangfroid. On March 16 he was
attacked by an enemy aeroplane which
had Just burned a nearby balloon. He
defended himself with his carbine. driv-
ing away his assailant. He has rend-
cred the very greatest service to the
artillery"
Lieut.. Arondel has been aloft 1000
hours and has located 1,100 enemy
batteries His superiors say that Ar
| ondel's devotion is above all praise and
call him an exceptionally fneritorious
observer.
Lieut.. Brillaud de Launjardiere has
rendered exceptional services by the
precision. value and number of his
observations, accomplished despite Abp-
favorable weather and attacks Nby
enemy pilots and cannon. Under
Lieut. Charles Debas, a former prize
student in the Cluny Art School, was
killed in the nacelle Of his balloon
after accomplishing notable feats.
Ensign Georges Regnard. another
veritable hero OF aeronautics, also
was killed in the nacelle. During the
| first winter of the war Regnard often
d. to fnn