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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0140.PDF
72 FLIGHT. JANUARY 17, 1935. The Attack : Dive bombing has recently been added to the functions of army co-operation squadrons. Here the two leading "Audax" machines are beginning to "cartwheel" in turn into the dive. (Flight Photograph.) the "Atlas," and now it rejoices in the "Audax." The squadron's first important piece of work was in the bloody and ineffective battle of Aubers Ridge in May, 1915 (the name awakens acute memories in the mind of the present writer), when it made the first deliberate attempt at contact patrol. This meant reporting by W / T to headquarters the advance of the infantry. Three Maurice Farmans were specially told off for this work, and during the battle they sent down forty-two signals. But the organisation of contact patrols was in its infancy, and this first attempt did not inspire the staffs with great confidence. Afterwards, in the battles of Arras, the squadron developed the idea of contact with the infantry, and its machines would fly over them and call by klaxon horn or by firing Very lights for the advancing line to show its position by flares. Naturally, this work entailed great risk for the pilots and observers, and losses were numerous. It was "a B.E. of No. 16 Squadron out on photographic duties which provided the famous Immelmann with his fourth victim. But the officers of the Corps squadrons, though they did not have the same chance of winning fame as fell to the lot of fighter pilots, were equally resolute in sticking to their work in the face of all risks. The officers of this squadron during the war left a fine record of army co-operation work for their suc cessors in peace-time to emulate. Nowadays the squadron does not talk about contact patrols. It divides its army co-operation work into ordin ary air reconnaissance, using W/T or R/T, and this in cludes picking up messages from the infantry and drop ping answers, artillery reconnaissance (i.e., spotting for the guns and reporting enemy artillery activity), photo graphy, and dropping supplies. In ordinary air reconnaissance one machine is given a tract of country to observe, and the pilot is instructed definitely as to what information he is to seek. The in telligence liaison officer attached to the squadron first communicates with the Army staff, and gives the pilot a full account of the situation on the ground, amplifying the details of the staff's requirements The pilot goes out Maltby, Major (now Group Capt.) C. F. A. Portal, and Major A. W. C. V. Parr. For the first year of its existence the squadron -had the usual assortment of heterogeneous aeroplanes common in the R.F.C. at that time. Then it was given three brands of B.E. (the 2C, the 2D, and the 2E), and from May, 1917, until the end of the war it flew the R.E.8. Since the war it has had the Bristol Fighter, Artillery Reconnaissance : This " Audas " of No. 16 (A.C.) Squadron is practising with a puff target. The smoke puffs are exploded from the ground to represent shell-bursts, and the pilot sends down a wireless observation after each salvo until he has directed the battery on to the target. This machine is flying comparatively low in order to appear in the photograph. (Flight Photograph.)
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