FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0089.PDF
Flight, February 3, 1916. fF" mm ^5 W/ First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER. A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. No. 371. (Ho. 5, Vol. VIII.)] FEBRUARY 3, 1916. ("Weekly, Prioe Id. L Post Free, lid. Editorial Office: 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Telegrams : Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom ... dr. 6d. Abroad 11s. od. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: * Tbe Raiding Season " We have Maintained Our Supremacy " The British Air Services The Roll of Honour " X " Aircraft Raids The Flying Services Fund ... A " Popular " Type Aeroplane Design. By C. M. Poulsen Knights-Errant of the Air Armchair Reflections. By the " Dreamer " Flying at Hendon Eddies. By"JEolus" From the British Flying Grounds The 160 h.p. Mercedes Aero Engine Aircraft Work at the Front. Official Information Aircraft and tbe War Fighting the Fokkers Lighter than Air Models Model Clubs Diary and Reports 00 92 93 93 93 94 07 u8 99 100 tox 102 104 104 105 106 107 [ENT. hardly required much deep thought to safely prophesy that air raids would materialise commencing with the end of January and through part of February. So the fully expected has but happened during last week-end and by way of starting the present week. The main objective was naturally regarded as England, the spleen of the Huns never being so gratified as when "strafing " their much-adored British cousins. It was just as well in one way, however, that the courtesies of the marauders were extended to Paris by way of a pre- R *?. e liminary canter. This has brought home Season to l^e PUD^C on tms s^e of the Channel very directly the fact that all the drastic comparisons of the perfect organisation of the air defences of the French capital, with the negligence displayed in the protection of London against the Zep. pirates, have not been justified—provided favourable oppor tunity for attack presented itself. No doubt in the past the counter irritants prepared by us for the inflictions forced upon us by the German airships have not been of the highest order. But neither had experience been obtained of the necessities of the situation created. Things are, however, now upon a different footing. To this fact we have probably to look for the reason of the wider sphere of operations over England which Monday night's raid inaugurated. Taking chances when you know the limited extent of your risk, is being done all the time in the various phases of the war, but the German air- raiders have not hitherto positively wallowed in the delight of taking chances when they have believed the odds have been unfavourable to a successful return home. In fact, quite the contrary. The journeys across have been made at wonderfully well-judged times, and being satisfied that they have attained what they set out to do, the method of operations of the raiders has been to hustle back to their home shores at the greatest possible speed and height attainable. Were their excursions of the legitimate military order, there would be nothing to advance against such tactics. But as things are, such procedure savours more of the burglar climbing down the water spout upon the first sign of discovery, than the action of an honourable foe, who has consummated a brave act of war in a creditable manner, for which no one would honour him more than the enemy against whom the attack had been directed. The night visits to Paris have thoroughly roused the contempt of our Allies to the murderous habits of the soldiers of the Kaiser, and there is a lively demand in many quarters for reprisals. And the idea is quite good provided there are sufficient machines to permit this return of courtesies, without interfering with the military demands upon the services of the flying escadrilles. To detach, however, any appreciable number of aircraft from their more legitimate rdle for such reprisals would be, we think, a profound mistake. The more so from the fact that the re-organisation of the French air service is in course of completion, and to bring in side-issues of this character just now would hardly tend to the smoothing out of the knotty problems which have necessitated the re-shuffling of our allies' military flying arrangements. Without question, the most important policy of all is persistent attack upon the homes of the Zeppelins, As to reprisals, from experience of German
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
