The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1919-02-26
SKY CAMERA men.
DID GREAT WORK
Photographers IN British Air Sew.
loo Had important Part
IN War.

WERE AWKWARD AT FIRST
Spy oroppIns~ Another Feature q
Work Of Aviation Section Dsvol
oped Toward End % War
Much Information Gained.
London.-Taking tremendous risks,
the British air force camera men
played to perfection In the war the
part Of the spy in the enemy's camp.
A month or so after our first very
attenuated and M-equipped flying
squadron had gone over to France
with the "Old Contemptibles," an OBJ
server flying n sunny day over the
enemy lines took with him a much
cherished pocket camera and exposed
some films over the enemy's ground be-
meath him.
He wanted them only to send home
to his people as souvenirs. When they
were developed he found they formed
an excellent pictorial map of the
Boche front lines.
Then 1t was that Lieutenant Colonel
Moore-Brabazon, the father" and or
ganizer Of the Photographic section Of
the Royal Air force, realized the Aaor-
nous possibilities Of air photographs
Is an aid to the intelligence staff.
He began to agitate for permission
to carry on the work Of photographing
the German activities from the air.
The early experiments turning out to
be Of irst-rate value, Colonel Moore.
Brabazon was sent home to start or
ganizing a Photographic branch Of the
flying corps.
Gradually Improved.
And so the army spying service went
on improving month by month.
As the work of the flying arm Of the
service extended ashore and afoat SO
did the work Of the air spies extend.
They photographed U-boats resting on
the bed of the Adriatic and Mediter-
ranean; they pictured the oil patches
on the seas which betoken the sudden
end of a submarine.
To dodge successfully the Hun flyers
and the ever-present "Archie," the
pilots had invaribly to fly at fairly
high attitudes rarely at less than 49,
600 feet, and always on a zgzag
course.
The "mosains." as they were called
picture maps pieced together some
thing like a jigsaw puzzle-were made
from thousands Of pictures taken with
a lens pointing vertically toward the
ground.
A brigade intelligence officer. having
got a complete set Of prints, taken an
hour before. sat down to deduce, Sher-
lock Holmes like, a lengthy Indictment
Of the Huns overnight activities.
Signs Of an impending attack on q
big scale usually could be deduced by
the plainly apparent newly made roads
for tanks and BY tho massing Of men
In large numbers in support trenches
and on roads leading from back area
billetA
One Of the most entsRprising meth.
DDS Of aerial intelligence was the drop
ping Of spies In the Hun lines and
picking them up after they had com
pleted their worn. In this way much
information of vital importance was
gained.
These secret service agents were
mostly Frenchmen who knew the coun-
try thoroughly and had . full inside
knowledge Of the Hun military organi-
xation.
II there were any dus Of activity
in any particular sector Of the line
about which the high command wa
anxious, one Of these agents was de-
tailed to report to headquarters for In
struct1ons. Here he was also supplied
with the necessary papers, and VA
then sent BY car to a certain aerodrome
Used Special Machine.
At thix aerodrome was a specially
constructed machine. The pilot VA
usually a well-known Birmingham mo
tor cyclist racer, who specialized II
this particular work. He was bril-
liantly successful at what was IN
doubtedly a very risky game. His ef
forts were rewarded BY many deeora
tons, and he is still flying.
The spy having reported to his pilot
details would be arranged betweel
them, and frequently there was a n
hearsal in the form Of Q fight owe,
the spot where he was TO land. Some
times the work would be undertakes
BY day. but IL the weather was favor
able, 1t was mostly done BY night
The spy would get into his baske
seat, so constructed that he could Ell
ily slip off; the engine would be tho1
oughly tested. and they would get int
the air.
They would make straight FOR tn
appointed spot, needless Of all searcf
lights and shells, and would then LIANT
The landing spot was a good-sized del
with an even surface.
At an appointed time two or thre
days later, earlier II necessary, th
machine would return to thu same spt