6i 2 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



eral points along the French frontier. The nights were reported as 

 becoming steadily colder. The French colonial troops, especially those 

 from Africa, were stated to be " benumbed by the cold." 



There are many respects in which the weather is of more importance 

 in warfare to-day than it ever was in the past. The use of searchlights 

 and aeroplanes in directing ordnance fire, and the greatly increased 

 mortality caused by modern artillery, make the protection of troops, in 

 trenches or otherwise, of essential importance. A low cloud, a fog, a 

 snowstorm, a heavy rain, may give just the protection needed, and yet 

 not interfere with the free movement of the troops. In this very war, 

 the surrender of Namur was hastened by a heavy fog, which enabled 

 the Germans to plant their siege guns in a good position and without 

 danger to themselves. 



It is hardly necessary to point out that in the matter of aeroplanes 

 and airships modern warfare is far more dependent upon weather con- 

 ditions than it ever was. Since the great war began we have had many 

 illustrations of this fact. It seems to be a fairly well established point 

 that in order to have his reconnaissance of real value the observer in 

 an aeroplane must, unless the weather is unusually clear, come down 

 low enough to be in danger of gun and rifle fire. Fogs and low clouds 

 obscure the surface from an aerial observer. Wind may wholly interfere 

 with his work at a time when his report is most needed. The increas- 

 ing numbers of London fogs with the coming on of autumn led to great 

 anxiety in London on account of possible Zeppelin attacks. Tests were 

 made at the end of September to ascertain whether searchlights can 

 detect a Zeppelin even through a fog. A warning has been issued by 

 aviation experts to the effect that an attack on London is most likely on 

 a clear calm night. Foggy and misty weather hampered aerial recon- 

 naissance in northeastern France during the October storms. In a 

 despatch dated October 24, from Paris, we read that the aviators who 

 were protecting the region over Paris suffered severely in " terrible hail 

 and snowstorms." The German aviators, it is noted, set out according 

 to schedule, in spite of unfavorable weather. It is not difficult to realize 

 how serious the lack of a daily European weather map must now be to 

 the whole aerial campaign. Germany, in particular, if she plans a 

 Zeppelin raid on England, will find the lack of observations from the 

 British Isles most serious. Possibly some of the secret wireless stations 

 which are reported to have been discovered in Great Britain were used 

 for sending daily weather reports to Germany. So far as the naval side 

 of the war is concerned, there has thus far been little or nothing to 

 note on the meteorological aspects. With the approach of winter, and 

 the increase of stormy weather over the northern seas, we may not un- 

 reasonably look for losses due to gales, and thick weather, and fogs, 

 and to suffering from the cold. Bough water and fog make the ap- 



