404 : The Atlantic 



fourth machine of that name, making triangular flights from Baden- 

 Baden to Koblenz, Strasburg or other points along the Rhine Valley. 



Even the casual observer knew that the various forms of flying 

 had military value and that the nations were subsidizing aviation in 

 one way or another because of this potential value, but few people 

 were able to foresee that the machines were, in effect, already being 

 groomed for an impending war. In 1913 Lord Northcliffe hopefully 

 offered a prize of $50,000 for the first successful nonstop transatlantic 

 flight and Rodman Wanamaker entered into a contract with Glenn 

 H. Curtiss for the design and construction of a flying boat capable of 

 crossing the ocean. The resulting ship, christened the America, was 

 tested in July, 1914, but before any attempt could be made on the 

 crossing, war broke out. 



The history of aviation for the next five years was largely the his- 

 tory of machines developed for military purposes. Nonetheless, 

 during this time aviation made great strides that were ready for civil- 

 ian application at the end of the war. 



At the beginning of the war our planes were used to reconnoiter 

 positions for spotting the results of gunfire, for directing gunfire 

 and for rapid communication. In the process of carrying out such er- 

 rands machines from the opposing sides occasionally encountered 

 each other. On such occasions the aviators began to take pot shots 

 at each other with rifles, revolvers or whatever arms they could get 

 into their machines. Presently machine guns were being mounted in 

 the planes and air duels and dogfights began to take place in no 

 man's land and over the lines. 



Presently a Dutch aviator and engineer named Anthony Fokker 

 devised a method of synchronizing the fire of a machine gun with 

 the rotation of the airplane propeller in such a way that the bullets 

 from the gun always passed harmlessly between the rotating blades 

 of the propeller. This gave an enormous stimulus to the develop- 

 ment of combat planes. What was required for such work was a 

 small ship that had great power and speed, which could be trans- 

 lated into ability to outclimb any opposing machine with the pre- 

 mium also set on rapid maneuverability. 



Aside from beginning to fight each other, the pilots of the early 

 and simple planes, by flying on their missions for information, dis- 

 covered also that they had a natural advantage over the enemy's 

 troops on the ground. They began dropping hand grenades and 

 simple hand bombs on the enemy's trenches. At the same time they 

 discovered that the enemy could occasionally hit them with rifle or 



