aeroplanes and dirigibles of war-第29节

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airman　reported　his　observations　and　the　trench　was　subjected　to

terrific　shell　fire。　　Subsequently　the　French　made　a　spirited

charge；　but　to　their　dismay　found　that　the　outermost　German

trench　was　occupied　by　dummies　fashioned　from　all　sorts　of

materials　and　crowned　with　helmets！　　This　ruse　had　enabled　the

German　lines　to　be　withdrawn　to　another　position　in　safety　and

comparatively　at　leisure。



Before　war　was　declared　the　German　military　experts　were

emphasising　the　importance　of　trees　for　masking　troops　and　guns

against　aerial　observation。　　One　of　the　foremost　authorities　upon

military　aviation　only　a　few　months　ago　urged　the　German　Military

Staff　to　encourage　the　planting　of　orchards；　not　for　the　purpose

of　benefiting　agriculture　or　in　the　interests　of　the　farmers；　but

merely　for　military　exigencies。



He　pointed　to　the　extensive　orchards　which　exist　in

Alsace…Lorraine　and　Baden；　the　military　covering　value　of　which

he　had　determined　from　personal　experience；　having　conducted

aerial　operations　while　military　were　moving　to　and　fro　under　the

cover　of　the　trees。　　He　declared　that　the　cover　was　efficient　and

that　under　the　circumstances　the　laying　out　of　extensive　orchards

in　strategical　places　should　be　carried　out　without　any　delay。

This；　he　urged；　was　a　national　and　not　a　private　obligation。　　He

advocated　the　bestowal　of　subsidies　on　the　farmers　to　encourage

the　planting　of　fruit　trees。　　He　suggested　that　the　trees　should

be　provided　by　the　State；　and　given　to　all　who　were　prepared　to

plant　them；　that　substantial　prizes　should　be　awarded　to

encourage　the　rapid　growth　thereof；　and　that　annual　prizes　should

be　awarded　to　the　man　who　would　undertake　their　cultivation　and

pruning；　not　from　the　fruit…yielding　point　of　view；　but　for

facilitating　the　movement　of　troops　beneath　their　dense　branches。



He　even　urged　the　military　acquisition　of　suitable　land　and　its

determined；　skilful；　and　discreet　exploitation　by　those　who　loved

the　Fatherland。　　He　emphasised　the　necessity　for　keeping　such

orchards　under　military　control；　only　vouchsafing　sufficient

powers　to　the　local　authorities　to　ensure　the　desired

consummation。　　He　maintained　that；　if　the　work　were　prosecuted

upon　the　right　lines　and　sufficient　financial　assistance　were

given；　the　purpose　in　view　could　be　achieved　without　saddling　the

war　department　with　any　unremunerative　or　excessive　burden。　　He

admitted　that　the　process　of　raising　fruit　trees　to　the　stage

when　they　would　afford　adequate　cover　would　be　tedious　and

somewhat　prolonged；　but　argued　that　the　military　advantages；　such

as　enabling　troops　to　move　below　the　welcome　shelter　with

absolute　freedom　and　without　physical　fatigue；　would　be　an　ample

compensation。



The　utility　of　such　cover　to　artillery　was　another　factor　he　did

not　fail　to　emphasise。　　He　dwelt　seriously　upon　the　difficulty　of

rendering　permanent　gun　emplacements　and　heavy　artillery

invisible　to　the　airman　by　resort　to　the　usual　type　of　gun

shields。　　The　latter　may　be　located　with　ease　by　alert　airmen；

whereas　if　the　guns　were　under　cover　of　fruit　trees　they　would　be

able　to　accomplish　their　deadly　mission　without　betraying　their

presence　to　the　aerial　scout。　　Moreover；　by　pruning　the　trees　in

such　a　manner　as　to　ensure　free　movement　beneath；　the　artillery

would　be　able　to　advance　without　betraying　the　fact　to　the　enemy。



This　authority　vigorously　insisted　that　the　work　should　be

carried　out　without　a　moment's　delay　　as　it　was　vital　to　the

Fatherland。　　In　the　light　of　recent　events；　and　the　excellent

cover　which　is　offered　by　the　orchards　of　the　territory　he　cited

as　an　illustration　of　his　contention；　such　a　disclosure　is

pregnant　with　meaning。　　It　throws　a　new　light　upon　the　thorough

methods　with　which　the　Germans　carried　out　their　military

preparations；　and　incidentally　shows　that　they　were　fully　alive

to　every　possible　development。　　Fruit…raising　as　a　complement　to

military　operations　may　be　a　new　line　of　discussion；　but　it

serves　to　reveal　the　German　in　his　true　light；　ready　for　every

contingency；　and　shows　how　thoroughly　he　appreciates　the　danger

from　the　man　in　the　clouds。







CHAPTER　XIV

ANTI…AIRCRAFT　GUNS。　　MOBILE　WEAPONS。



When　the　airship　and　the　aeroplane　became　accepted　units　of

warfare　it　was　only　natural　that　efforts　should　be　concentrated

upon　the　evolution　of　ways　and　means　to　compass　their　destruction

or；　at　least；　to　restrict　their　field　of　activity。　　But　aircraft

appeared　to　have　an　immense　advantage　in　combat。　　They　possess

virtually　unlimited　space　in　which　to　manoeuvre；　and　are　able　to

select　the　elevation　from　which　to　hurl　their　missiles　of

destruction。



There　is　another　and　even　more　important　factor　in　their　favour。　

A　projectile　fired；　or　even　dropped；　from　a　height；　say　of　5；000

feet；　is　favourably　affected　by　the　force　of　gravity；　with　the

result　that　it　travels　towards　the　earth　with　accumulating　energy

and　strikes　the　ground　with　decisive　force。



On　the　other　hand；　a　missile　discharged　into　space　from　a　weapon

on　the　earth　has　to　combat　this　action　of　gravity；　which

exercises　a　powerful　nullifying　influence　upon　its　flight　and

velocity；　far　in　excess　of　the　mere　resistance　offered　by　the

air。　　In　other　words；　whereas　the　projectile　launched　from

aloft　has　the　downward　pull　of　the　earth　or　gravitational　force

in　its　favour；　the　shell　fired　from　the　ground　in　the　reverse

direction　has　to　contend　against　this　downward　pull　and　its

decelerating　effect。



At　the　time　when　aircraft　entered　the　realms　of　warfare　very

little　was　known　concerning　the　altitudes　to　which　projectiles

could　be　hurled　deliberately。　　Certain　conclusive　information

upon　this　point　was　available　in　connection　with　heavy　howitzer

fire；　based　on　calculations　of　the　respective　angles　at　which　the

projectile　rose　into　the　air　and　fell　to　the　ground；　and　of　the

time　the　missile　took　to　complete　its　flight　from　the　gun　to　the

objective。　　But　howitzer　fire　against　aircraft　was　a　sheer

impossibility：　it　was　like　using　a　six…inch　gun　to　kill　a　fly　on

a　window　pane　at　a　thousand　yards'　range。　　Some　years　ago　certain

experiments　in　aerial　firing　with　a　rifle　were　undertaken　in

Switzerland。　　The　weapon　was　set　vertically　muzzle　upwards　and

discharged。　　From　the　time　which　elapsed　between　the　issue　of　the

bullet　from　the　muzzle　until　it　struck　the　earth　it　was　possible

to　make　certain　deductions；　from　which　it　was　estimated　that　the

bullet　reached　an　altitude　of　600　feet　or　so。　　But　this　was

merely　conjecture。



Consequently　when　artillerists　entered　upon　the　study　of　fighting

air…craft　with　small　arms　and　light　guns；　they　were　compelled　to

struggle　in　the　dark　to　a　very　pronounced　extent；　and　this

darkness　was　never　satisfactorily　dispelled　until　the　present

war；　for　the　simple　reason　that　there　were　no　means　of　getting

conclusive　information。　　The　German　armament　manufacturers

endeavoured　to　solve　the　problem　by　using　smoking　shells　or

missiles　fitted　with　what　are　known　as　tracers。　　By　following　the

ascensional　path　of　the　projectiles　as　revealed　by　the　smoke　it

was　possible　to　draw　certain　conclusions。　　But　these　were　by　no

means　convincing　or　illuminating；　as　so　many　factors　affected　the

issue。



Despite　the　peculiar　and　complex　difficulties　associated　with　the

problem　it　was　attacked　some　what　boldly。　　In　this　trying　field

of　artillery　research　the　prominent　German　armament

manufacturers；　Krupp　of　Essen　and　Ehrhardt　of　Dusseldorf；　played

a　leading　part；　the　result　being　that　before　the　airship　or　the

aeroplane　was　received　within　the　military　fold；　the

anti…aircraft　gun　had　been　brought　into　the　field　of　applied

science。　　The　sudden　levelling…up　serves　to　illustrate　the

enterprise　of　the　Germans　in　this　respect　as　well　as　their

perspicacity　in　connection　with　the　military　value　of　aircraft。



Any　gun　we　can　hope　to　employ　against　aircraft　with　some　degree

of　success　must　fulfil　special　conditions；　for　it　has　to　deal

with　a　difficult　and　elusive　foe。　　Both　the　lighter…than…air　and

the　heavier　than…air　craft　possess　distinctive　features　and

varying　degrees　of　mobility。　　Taking　the　first…named；　the

facility　with　which　it　can　vary　its　altitude　is　a　disconcerting

factor；　and　is　perplexing　to　the　most　skilful　gunner；　inasmuch　as

he　is　called　upon　to　judge　and　change　the　range　suddenly。



On　the　other　hand；　the　artilleryman　is　favoured　in　certain

directions。　　The　range　of　utility　of　the　airship　is　severely

limited。　　If　its　avowed　mission　is　reconnaissance　and　conclusive

information　concerning　the　disposition　of　forces；　artillery　and

so　forth　is　required；　experience　has　proved　that　such　work　cannot

be　carried　out　satisfactorily　or　with　any　degree　of　accuracy　at　a

height　exceeding　5；000　feet；　and　a　distance　beyond　six　miles。　

But　even　under　these　circumstances　the　climatic　conditions　must

be　extremely　favourable。　　I