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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 1162.PDF
•^gj^S 1/DGHTl DECEMBER 28, 1916. At the outset of the Roumanian campaign the enemy carried out many air raids against Bucharest, in which aerial " frightfulness " was seen at its worst. Not content with dropping the usual explosive and incendiary bombs and killing and. maiming many of the civilian population, it is categorically stated that poisoned sweets and disease germs were showered on the Roumanian capital. In respect of the enemy's Zeppelin losses during the year, it appears to be fairly well established that these amount to 39 in all, in addition to which other losses 'are said to have been incurred, but have not been sufficiently authenticated. All the raiding by air has by no means been- left to the enemy. On the contrary, a number of notable raids have been undertaken by the Allied air services with a considerable measure of success. Zeebrugge has been attacked by numbers of R.N.A.S. machines on several occasions, and a great deal of important damage done to the military works and the shipping in the harbour. Enemy munition works and blast furnaces have been successfully bombed by combined British and French squadrons, while in the Eastern theatre R.N.A.S. machines have done excellent work against Bulgarian harbours and communications. The most notable flight of the year was that accom plished by Lieut. Marechal, a French pilot, who flew from Eastern France across Germany, dropping leaflets in Berlin, and landing by mistake in the Austrian lines in Poland after a flight of over 800 miles. Another notable raid was that made by two French airmen on Krupps' works at Essen, involving a flight of more than 500 miles, both machines returning safely. Later one of the Essen raiders, Capt. Beauchamp, flew from France into Italy, dropping bombs on Munich and crossing the Alps on his journey. Unfortunately this gallant officer met his death in December while flying at Verdun. The Roll Unfortunately the enormous increase in the Air Services has carried with it a of Honour, correspondingly heavy toll of loss, though it is satisfactory to be able to temper the reflection with the knowledge that in proportion to the amount of flying done our casualties have been relatively lighter than in 1915. Even so, we have to mourn the loss of a very large number of It- is fitting that the close of the year The Report and the appointment of a new Adminis- Air°Enquirv trat*on should be coincident with the Committee, issue of the final Report of the Com-, mittee of Enquiry into the command and administration of the R.F.C. The Committee's recommendations were published in last week's issue of " FLIGHT." AS for the Report in its entirety, it is of too lengthy a character for even careful review at the moment. That, however, is scarcely a matter of moment, since the points of criticism have been covered in the main by the Committee itself in its Recommendations. There are, nevertheless, one or two points of the Report to which reference may usefully be made. Leaving over for the moment the Committee's find- gallant pilots and observers who have laid down their lives in the great effort to free Europe of the German menace. In spite of the heavy losses there is no dearth of candidates to fill the depleted ranks. In fact, there are more applicants for admission to the Flying Services than ever. Where so many gallant officers have sacrificed their lives on the altar of duty, it seems invidious to select from the roll of fallen any for special mention. A passing reference, however, may be made to Lord Lucas, whose death while flying in France was officially reported in November. An ex-Cabinet Minister, of over 40, Lord Lucas had previously served in the South African War, in which he lost a leg. In spite of this disability, when he went out of office on the formation of the late Coalition Government he immediately joined the R.F.C. and went to France. Two other notable personalities who were killed in England while engaged in an experimental flight, were Commander Usborne and Lieut.-Commander Ireland, two of the best of the R.N.A.S. pilots. The Again it falls to be recorded that al-Rovai though the Royal Aero Club has still Aero Club, had to hide its light under a bushel, so far as public activities are concerned, it has, nevertheless, accomplished a great deal of verj' useful work during the year. The Flying Services Fund, which was founded in 1915 for the purpose of assisting the dependents of members of the Flying Services killed in action or disabled by wounds, has reached the substantial total of nearly £12,000. Although this may be regarded as passably satisfactory, in view of the great increase in the Services and the correspondingly heavy number of those needing relief, it is to be much hoped that during the coming year the industry and others in terested in the aerial movement will come forward with even more generosity than in 1916. The total should be nearer £120,000 than the modest £12,000. As the year closes the Club is moving into new and more commodious quarters in Clifford Street, though these will not be available to the members until early in the new year. With this departure, the successful future of this ruling body in the Aeronautical World should be more than ever assured. ings on what may be described as general charges, and confining our attention to the specific, we find that the Committee is to some extent in agreement with the statement that pilots and observers have been sent to the Front before they were sufficiently trained. This, in the view of the Committee, was in evitable in the early stages of the war, and no blar^e attaches to the Command for the inevitable situation in which the R.F.C. found itself on the outbreak of war. Strenuous efforts have been made to cope with the difficulties, but even now training is to some extent hampered by the want of sufficient school machines and of instructors. The Committee favours the rapid development of special aerodromes for instruction of pilots and observers in air- fighting. 1134
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