war and the future-第17章

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German　bomb　that　is　dropped　by　aeroplane　on　or　behind　the　British
lines；　about　twenty　go　down　on　the　heads　of　the　Germans。　　British
air　bombs　upon　guns；　stores　and　communications　do　some　of　the
work　that　the　French　effect　by　their　systematic　demolition　fire。

And　the　British　aviator　has　discovered　and　is　rapidly　developing
an　altogether　fresh　branch　of　air　activity　in　the　machine…gun
attack　at　a　very　low　altitude。　　Originally　I　believe　this　was
tried　in　western　Egypt；　but　now　it　is　being　increasingly　used
upon　the　British　front　in　France。　　An　aeroplane　which　comes　down
suddenly；　travelling　very　rapidly；　to　a　few　hundred　feet；　is
quite　hard　to　hit；　even　if　it　is　not　squirting　bullets　from　a
machine　gun　as　it　advances。　　Against　infantry　in　the　open　this
sort　of　thing　is　extremely　demoralising。　　It　is　a　method　of
attack　still　in　its　infancy；　but　there　are　great　possibilities
for　it　in　the　future；　when　the　bending　and　cracking　German　line
gives；　as　ultimately　it　must　give　if　this　offensive　does　not
relax。　　If　the　Allies　persist　in　their　pressure　upon　the　western
front；　if　there　is　no　relaxation　in　the　supply　of　munitions　from
Britain　and　no　lapse　into　tactical　stupidity；　a　German　retreat
eastward　is　inevitable。

Now　a　cavalry　pursuit　alone　may　easily　come　upon　disaster；
cavalry　can　be　so　easily　held　up　by　wire　and　a　few　machine　guns。
I　think　the　Germans　have　reckoned　on　that　and　on　automobiles；
probably　only　the　decay　of　their　/morale/　prevents　their
opening　their　lines　now　on　the　chance　of　the　British　attempting
some　such　folly　as　a　big　cavalry　advance；　but　I　do　not　think　the
Germans　have　reckoned　on　the　use　of　machine　guns　in　aeroplanes；
supported　by　and　supporting　cavalry　or　automobiles。　　At　the
present　time　I　should　imagine　there　is　no　more　perplexing
consideration　amidst　the　many　perplexities　of　the　German　military
intelligence　than　the　new　complexion　put　upon　pursuit　by　these
low　level　air　developments。　　It　may　mean　that　in　all　sorts　of
positions　where　they　had　counted　confidently　on　getting　away；
they　may　not　be　able　to　get　awayfrom　the　face　of　a　scientific
advance　properly　commanding　and　using　modern　material　in　a
dexterous　and　intelligent　manner。


III。　THE　WAR　LANDSCAPE


1

I　saw　rather　more　of　the　British　than　of　the　French　aviators
because　of　the　vileness　of　the　weather　when　I　visited　the　latter。
It　is　quite　impossible　for　me　to　institute　comparisons　between
these　two　services。　　I　should　think　that　the　British　organisation
I　saw　would　be　hard　to　beat；　and　that　none　but　the　French　could
hope　to　beat　it。　　On　the　Western　front　the　aviation　has　been
screwed　up　to　a　very　much　higher　level　than　on　the　Italian　line。
In　Italy　it　has　not　become；　as　it　has　in　France；　the　decisive
factor。　　The　war　on　the　Carso　front　in　ItalyI　say　nothing　of
the　mountain　warfare；　which　is　a　thing　in　itselfis　in　fact
still　in　the　stage　that　I　have　called　B。　　It　is　good　warfare　well
waged；　but　not　such　an　intensity　of　warfare。　　It　has　not；　as　one
says　of　pianos　and　voices；　the　same　compass。

This　is　true　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　Italians　along　of　all
the　western　powers　have　adopted　a　type　of　aeroplane　larger　and
much　more　powerful　than　anything　except　the　big　Russian　machines。
They　are　not　at　all　suitable　for　any　present　purpose　upon　the
Italian　front；　but　at　a　later　stage；　when　the　German　is　retiring
and　Archibald　no　longer　searches　the　air；　they　would　be
invaluable　on　the　western　front　because　of　their　enormous　bomb　or
machine　gun　carrying　capacity。　　〃But　sufficient　for　the　day　is
the　swat　thereof；〃　as　the　British　public　schoolboy　says；　and　no
doubt　we　shall　get　them　when　we　have　sufficiently　felt　the　need
for　them。　　The　big　Caproni　machines　which　the　Italians　possess
are　of　300　h。p。　and　will　presently　be　of　500h。p。　　One　gets　up　a
gangway　into　them　was　one　gets　into　a　yacht；　they　wave　a　main
deck；　a　forward　machine　gun　deck　and　an　aft　machine　gun；　one　may
walk　about　in　them；　in　addition　to　guns　and　men　they　carry　a　very
considerable　weight　of　bombs　beneath。　　They　cannot　of　course
beget　up　with　the　speed　nor　soar　to　the　height　of　our　smaller
aeroplanes；　it　is　as　carriers　in　raids　behind　a　force　of　fighting
machines　that　they　should　find　their　use。

The　British　establishment　I　visited　was　a　very　refreshing　and
reassuring　piece　of　practical　organisation。　　The　air　force　of
Great　Britain　has　had　the　good　fortune　to　develop　with
considerable　freedom　from　old　army　tradition；　many　of　its
officers　are　ex…civil　engineers　and　so　forth；　Headquarters　is　a
little　shy　of　technical　direction；　and　all　this　in　a　service　that
is　still　necessarily　experimental　and　plastic　is　to　the　good。
There　is　little　doubt　that；　given　a　release　from　prejudice；　bad
associations　and　the　equestrian　tradition；　British　technical
intelligence　and　energy　can　do　just　as　well　as　the　French。　　Our
problem　with　our　army　is　not　to　create　intelligence；　there　is　an
abundance　of　it；　but　to　release　it　from　a　dreary　social　and
official　pressure。　　The　air　service　ransacks　the　army　for　men
with　technical　training　and　sees　that　it　gets　them；　there　is　a
real　keenness　upon　the　work；　and　the　men　in　these　great　mobile
hangars　talk　shop　readily　and　clearly。

I　have　already　mentioned　and　the　newspapers　have　told　abundantly
of　the　pluck；　daring；　and　admirable　work　of　our　aviators；　what　is
still　untellable　in　any　detail　is　the　energy　and　ability　of　the
constructive　and　repairing　branch　upon　whose　efficiency　their
feats　depend。　　Perhaps　the　most　interesting　thing　I　saw　in
connection　with　the　air　work　was　the　hospital　for　damaged
machines　and　the　dump　to　which　those　hopelessly　injured　are
taken；　in　order　that　they　may　be　disarticulated　and　all　that　is
sound　in　them　used　for　reconstruction。　　How　excellently　this　work
is　being　done　may　be　judged　from　the　fact　that　our　offensive　in
July　started　with　a　certain　number　of　aeroplanes；　a　number　that
would　have　seemed　fantastic　in　a　story　a　year　before　the　war
began。　　These　aeroplanes　were　in　constant　action；　they　fought；
they　were　shot　down；　they　had　their　share　of　accidents。　　Not　only
did　the　repair　department　make　good　every　loss；　but　after　three
weeks　of　the　offensive　the　army　was　fighting　with　fifty　more
machines　than　at　the　outset。　　One　goes　through　a　vast
Rembrandtesque　shed　opening　upon　a　great　sunny　field；　in　whose
cool　shadows　rest　a　number　of　interesting　patients；　captured　and
slightly　damaged　German　machines；　machines　of　our　own　with　scars
of　battle　upon　them；　one　or　two　cases　of　bad　landing。　　The　star
case　came　over　from　Peronne。　　It　had　come　in　two　days　ago。

I　examined　this　machine　and　I　will　tell　the　state　it　was　in；　but
I　perceive　that　what　I　have　to　tell　will　read　not　like　a　sober
statement　of　truth　but　like　strained　and　silly　lying。　　The
machine　had　had　a　direct　hit　from　an　Archibald　shell。　　The
propeller　had　been　clean　blown　away；　so　had　the　machine　gun　and
all　its　fittings。　　The　engines　had　been　stripped　naked　and　a　good
deal　bent　about。　　The　timber　stay　over　the　aviator　had　been
broken；　so　that　it　is　marvellous　the　wings　of　the　machine　did　not
just　up　at　once　like　the　wings　of　a　butterfly。　　The　solitary
aviator　had　been　wounded　in　the　face。　　He　had　then　come　down　in　a
long　glide　into　the　British　lines；　and　made　a　tolerable
landing。。。。


2

One　consequence　of　the　growing　importance　of　the　aeroplane　in
warfare　is　the　development　of　a　new　military　art；　the　art　of
camouflage。　　Camouflage　is　humbugging　disguise；　it　is　making
thingsand　especially　in　this　connection；　military　thingsseem
not　what　they　are；　but　something　peaceful　and　rural；　something
harmless　and　quite　uninteresting　to　aeroplane　observers。　　It　is
the　art　of　making　big　guns　look　like　haystacks　and　tents　like
level　patches　of　field。

Also　it　includes　the　art　of　making　attractive　models　of　guns；
camps；　trenches　and　the　like　that　are　not　bona…fide　guns；　camps；
or　trenches　at　all；　so　that　the　aeroplane　bomb…dropper　and　the
aeroplane　observer　may　waste　his　time　and　energies　and　the　enemy
gunfire　be　misdirected。　　In　Italy　I　saw　dummy　guns　so　made　as　to
deceive　the　very　elect　at　a　distance　of　a　few　thousand　feet。　　The
camouflage　of　concealment　aims　eith