CHAPTER VII.
(October 16th, 1914)
ATTACK BY AEROPLANE ON AEROPLANE, THE FIGHTING MACHINE AND ITS ARMAMENT.
§ 43. Attack by Aeroplane on Aeroplane. In the present war the services of the Flying Corps have, in the main, been confined to scouting and reconnaissance in its various forms, the amount of work which has been done in this direction being very great; according to present reports, a mileage equivalent to many circuits of the globe has already been covered. So far the casualties have been slight, and the actual risk and danger are considered less than in the other combatant branches of the Service. The meaning of this evidently is that the methods of attack on aircraft have not kept pace with the development of the craft themselves. Considering the importance, from the enemy's point of view, of interfering with the operations of our aircraft (for from a modern standpoint to annihilate the aircraft of an enemy is virtually to deprive him of his power of vision), it is quite certain that the present conditions cannot last, and means will assuredly be found before the next great war, if not during the continance of the present war, by which the attack of aeroplane on aeroplane will be rendered far more deadly than at present, and the air forces of both combatants will be more highly organised to this end than is the case to-day.
It has already been remarked that attack on so swift and, in effect, on so small a moving target as an aeroplane
67
