The Washington herald., 1919-08-03
CA|R0-TO-CAPE
AIR Line SOON
Planes Expected to Sail
Over Darkest Africa
! By Fall.

A<OHuOIt T4HS lie fApNd AIT
Fcrce. Middle East, was left in a
| position to inaugurate at once the
| preparation for establishing post
war aerial routes when the cessa-
ton OF hositilities against Turkey
came, on October 81. 1918. Advan-
/ tage was taken OF the favorable
/ opportunity OF Maiden. Sslmond
/ and parties were selected to sur
( voy the possible air routes from
/ Cairo to the Cape.
It may at first seem strange that
Africa. one of the least explored
/ continents. should be chosen as the
/ FIRST over which to make a trans
| continental air service, but the
| Cape-to- Cairo route possesses the
| great advantage, from the Air
/ Force point of view, OF being en-
tlrely under British control. There
was consequently no delay in ne
| EotiatinE with other powers.
Two years previously the route
from Sollum to Cairo had been used
by Mai. MacLaren when flying from
/ England to Egypt, and over this
preliminary portion OF the journey
from England aerodromes had been
established ct Sollum, Mersa Mart
rub and Amria (at the edge OF the
Delta, near AleXandria), while in
termcdiate landing grounds had
been cleared for use in emergency.
Planes in Sudan In 1918.
Also in 1915 ecroplsnes had been en-
pIoyed in the Sudan against Ali Dr.
mar of Darfur. and an aerodrame hao
been constructed at Khartum.
In the absence OF good maps OF the
Southern Sudan or Central Africa II
WAS a problem Of some difficulty for
the air staff at Cairo to pick out a
proposed route. but with help from
the Air Ministry in London prepara-
tions were pushed on with such speed
that in about a month after the sign
ing Of the armIstice with Turkey no
| African survey party was ready TO
start Parties Nos. and were
ready a few weeks later.
The continent WAS divided into
three sections; No. l party was to
survey Egypt, the Sudan. and as far
south, as Victoria Nyanza; No. COW
cred the central stretch from Vic
toria Nyanza (partly through what
was German East Africa) Kituta. al
the southern end Of Lake Tankah.
yika: No party had to inspect tho
Une from Nlluld " OopS iN'Nii'
Followed the Nile.
The first party. which had the
longest but easiest stretch to cover,
followed the course OF the Nile al
most throughout and were aided by
that river in the transportation Of
men and stores. The second party
had a short stretch over little
known country, presenting immense
difficulties from every point Of
view. Tho southern party covered
A tremendous distance, but fol-
lowed the course OF the railway al
most throughout.
II was intended that each officer
should at once proceed to one or
more stations on the route and Sc
lect an aerodrome site. He was
then to engage local native labor
to clear and prepare the spot. ad-
vising the leader of his party of the
progress made. Supplies of petrol
and oil were carried. so that the
aerodromes might be ready to re-
ccive airpIanes as soon as the sites
were cleared.
Each party consisted of the lead
er. five to eight other officers and
less than twenty other ranks. a-I
in the Middle East.
Route Is Outlined.
In the original instructions the fol-
lowing were the stations to be inves-
tigated. The route prepared by head
quarters, Middle East. has been fol-
lowed out and found very satisfactory:
No. party Commanded by Mai.
Long. n. s. O)-Cairo. Assiut. Assuan.
Wadi Halfa. Meroe, Atbara, Khar-
tum Kodok Fasheda), Gondokoro,
Jinga, Port Victoria.
No. party COMMANDED by Maj.
tsouth end of Vic
toria Nyanza). Ujiji. Kituta.
No. 5 party commanded by Mai.
Court D-Abercorn -(near Kitu-
ta). Broken Hill. Livingstone. Sails
bury. Buluwayo, Palachwe-Mafeking
Tor Kimberley-Pretoria). Bloenfon-
tein, Beaufort, West Cape Town.
The three leaders OF the expedition