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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0984.PDF
SEPTEMBER 5, 1918. point to which we would refer at the moment. Our air activity, and from the fact that all who are correspondent appears to think that we are under able to leave are departing from the raided areas, the impression that the bombing machines which Apart from the effect produced upon the morale were destined for raiding London are being used for the defence of the Rhineland. Possibly our remarks could have been read to convey as much, but that was most certainly not what was in our minds. It is perfectly well known that the enemy employs in addition to the actual bombers, a certain number of fighting machines as escort. These latter are of the German civilian population, it is evident that the military authorities are becoming increas- ingly disquieted. Captured orders evince a high state of nervousness with regard to aerial attack and show that considerable disorganisation is being caused behind the lines. One order recently found by the British instructs that vehicles in yards are available for other work when not employed in to stand close up to the walls, and are to be con-raiding England. Also, we know that the Germans are not now over-supplied with first-class pilots such as are employed in raids on London, and in view of their heavy commitments on the Western front, and in the defence of their own towns these pilots are, for the time being, more usefully—from the German point of view—employed in other work. Even the bombing machines are, we believe, de- cealed from the view of airmen, while field kitchens are to be set up only in sheds and under gateways. When visibility is good, roll-calls, concerts and ratien issues are not to be held in the open. Another captured order lays down that within ten miles of the front only small groups of eight or ten men are to proceed together, and all troops are to take cover or get off the road when aircraft are reported. Motor tached. from their original purpose for work behind lorries are not to cross a line ten miles from the front during the day, while at night no lights—not even pocket-lamps—are to be used. Obviously, all this in the aggregate must amount to a very serious dislocation of the enemy's plans, besides which the effect of constantly having to dodge aerial attack must have a very bad cumulative effect on the morale of the German troops. When we remember, too, that we are really only at the beginning of the Allied aerial offensive the moral once more becomes obvious that if the war is not actually to be won in the air, aerial operations will be the decisive factor. the Allied lines. It was these facts that we had in mind when we wrote. '.._•'•• • • <• •» A recent summary of a week's work Week's Work °^ ^e R.A.F. in the various theatres in the Air. 0I war gives an illuminating idea of the manner in which the Allied air ser- vices have established complete ascendancy over the enemy, and of the ultimate effect air power seems destined to exercise on the issues of the war. During the week with which the summary deals, units of the R.A.F. were engaged in very heavy air fighting notably between Albert and the Amiens-Roye The thoseThe method of selection ofroad, no fewer than 62 enemy machines being de- [Bestowal of who are> or are suPPosed to be> de stroyed and 21 driven down out of control. In w™«,,i-« serving of honour at the hands of all, 26 British machines were reported missing, so that for every British machine missing more than three German aeroplanes are known to have been accounted for. The main significance of the figures is that while the enemy's concentration on this part of the front has been achieved at the cost of tem- porary inactivity in other sectors, the British airmen have not abated in the least their energetic and destructive raids into the enemy's territory. Quite Honours, servin the Crown is a matter which concerns everyone, and no apology is therefore needed for a further reference to a subject which has been dis- cussed more than once in the pages of " FLIGHT " since the war and the creation of new distinctions and Orders has led to indiscriminate abuse of their award. In the Times recently there appeared a letter signed by 25 peers and other distinguished people, animadverting in strong terms against the apart from the intense activity which is "connoted lavishness with which distinctions are showered by the figures of the enemy's loss "of machines, the upon the worthy and the unworthy alike. The " protest sets forth that unless the bestowing of honours and titles is protected from cheapening and is unmistakably cleared from the danger of a peculiarly mean kind of pecuniary corruption and reserved for real merft, honours may come to be regarded as dishonours, leaving no way out except their entire abolition. It is pointed out that an additional and very grave evil is that the money obtained by the disgraceful traffic in honours has gone to swell, and if rumour be true, has mainly constituted the large party funds which are at the British battle-squadrons made during the week under review a large number of raids on enemy positions far behind the lines, during which over 120 tons of bombs were dropped, attacks on Belgium and the Rhine towns being pressed with extreme vigour. The German people are still being told that Germany possesses a great superiority in the air, but it must surely be commencing to dawn upon them that the official representations are not in complete accord with all the facts. There are no longer moving stories to be told of harrowing de- struction showered upon London and Paris, but in place there are the realities of persistent and con- tinuous bombing of German towns, and there can be no doubt when the German newspapers are closely studied that the enemy people are becoming seriously service of party leaders and are used for party purposes. We agree entirely—and have long since set out in strong language all these very points—with the views set forth in the letter, but, like a correspondent, disquieted at the turn of events. It is no longer signing himself : " An Untitled M.P." we should possible to conceal the fact that Germany is unable to protect her long aerial frontier from the attacks of Allied aircraft. The extent to which the German people are be- coming frightened is amply evidenced by the numerous orders and recommendations which the authorities are. making in anticipation of a growth of Allied have been the more impressed if it had not been the case that every one of the 25 had inherited a title or accepted one in his own person. Nine of the signatories are peers of new creation, all of them are Privy Councillors, and not one but is a member of one or more orders of knighthood. There are some among them, notably two very distinguished sailors, 984
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