the compass, as preventing the enemy from concentrating his fire on any one machine, may be more than outweighed by the greater risk of the impending attack being detected and reported by the enemy's air service or torpedo craft. When, however, we have to consider the demands which will be made on the naval air-service for the performance of its secondary function, in addition to the occasions when it will be required to act in connection with land operations, it is evident that provision must be made for transporting and handling machines in large numbers, and this, so far as can be made practicable, irrespective of ordinarily bad weather conditions, and independently of any land station or base. It is here that the need for the floating base or pontoon-ship will be felt.
We may anticipate that, apart from such mechanical detail as alighting gear, relative petrol capacity, etc., the requirements of the naval and military machines for the destruction of hostile aircraft will not differ greatly. Bach will rely mainly on the gun in some shape or form for its power of offence, and will depend upon its speed to force the enemy into engagement. Both types will be sent into action in the greatest numerical strength that circumstances permit, or as limited by the number that can be handled or manoeuvred without undue danger to themselves, in order to bring the heaviest fire concentration upon the enemy, and to take full advantage of the n-square law. To this end the whole subject of formation flying will need to be studied exhaustively and practised assiduously both in time of peace and in time of war. For the time being, however, we are concerned with the question of the floating base—whose object is to render it possible to mobilise an air fleet, as contemplated (complete with repair depot and supplies of every kind) at any point required, in the shortest possible space of time.
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