General arrangement of a German aerodrome showing the position of the gasoline flares and the trenches covered with unbreakaable plate glass through which electric lights shine
the Germans, not content with the gaso-
line flares, dug two shallow trenches, both
five hundred yards long and set two hun-
dred yards apart inside the "L." These
they lined with bright metal to serve as a
reflector. A row of powerful electric
lights was set in each trench. Over the
top, heavy, unbreakable plate-glass was
laid on a level with the surface of the
ground. The pilot has only to glide down
are placed covered with heavy, unbreakable plate-glass. The pilots have simply to follow the
light and to land on the glass in safety. In addition to electric lights, gasoline flares are used
on top of the glass in order to make a good
landing. If the power-plant should break
down, so that no current can be obtained
for the lamps, then the flares can be used.
The system betrays itself, however.
The Allies fly over the illuminated aero-
drome at night and drop bombs upon it.
As a result, the Germans have had to
use their lights only intermittently, and
in some cases they had to abandon them.
