problem of some difficulty; probably in the present state of the constructor's art the protection would need to be somewhat "scamped," and a certain amount of risk admitted. Whatever economies are effected in armour^ the main principle must not be lost sight of—i.e., the thickness must not be tampered with; armour too thin for its duty is worse than canvas or brown paper.
Once the altitude has been brought down to 500 ft.—that is to say, if and when it is recognised as advantageous and found possible to utilise such low altitudes in aeroplane tactics—it becomes a question whether it will not be found to pay to "go the whole hog" and fly at the very lowest altitude possible. It may be at once admitted that all the dangers of flying, qua flying, will be thereby increased, but danger of the degree in question is a matter of little or no consideration in actual warfare. Briefly, the immediate suggestion is that if low-altitude flying is systematically to be undertaken, it should be conducted quite low—dangerously low, according ta ordinary standards. At an altitude of 500 ft, an aeroplane still makes a very clear mark against the sky, visible from a considerable distance. By following the contour of the ground, never rising more than 100 ft, or 200 ft., unless to clear an obstacle not otherwise to be avoided, an attack will be made with comparative suddenness, and the machine will be gone out of sight almost before there has been time to bring a gun to bear. Even when under fire it will have a certain tactical advantage in the fact that it will be attacking a line[1] parallel to which it is flying—it need never miss its target—whereas it itself offers the worst kind of mark to the enemy, combining small size, high speed, disconcertingly short
- ↑ In nearly all cases the objective of attack will be a line of some kind; thus it may be a convoy or column in retreat; alternatively, if the attack be on an entrenched position or on the attacking force, the line formation is again in evidence; the pilot's instructions in every case would be to fly directly over or parallel to the line to be attacked.
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