THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



13 



tively employed by, the constant coordi- 

 nation of their efforts. 



Let us consider the conditions and in- 

 fluences attending their birth and develop- 

 ment and the roles they are to play in the 

 battles of tomorrow, in which your sons 

 and brothers are to participate. 



When the war was declared the chief 

 strength of the French and German 

 armies lay in the masses of their in- 

 fantry, in the power of their artillery, 

 and in the skill of their cavalry. How- 

 ever, it seemed the part of wisdom to 

 put the few hundred airplanes we pos- 

 sessed at the service of the fighting 

 forces, in order to facilitate the success 

 of their undertakings. The offensive 

 strength of both the French and German 

 squadrons was very small in comparison 

 with the millions of combatants ready to 

 clash with each other, supported by the 

 fire of several thousand cannon. 



But these airplanes possessed the power 

 of exploring the field of battle to an ex- 

 tent far beyond that of the cavalry, for 

 which this delicate and dangerous duty 

 had hitherto been reserved. To them, ac- 

 cordingly, from the beginning of the war, 

 was intrusted the observation of the 

 movements of the hostile armies. 



During the whole period, termed the 

 "War of Movement," that is to say, until 

 the battle of the Marne, the French com- 

 manders were kept promptly informed of 

 the movements of the German forces, 

 thanks to the daring reconnaissances of 

 our pilots, who, accompanied by staff offi- 

 cers, made flights far within the lines of 

 the enemy and at a low altitude, in the 

 rear of the hostile forces. The Aviation 

 of Reconnaissance was thus created dur- 

 ing the first days of hostilities. 



AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT 



The number of aircraft in use was so 

 small that a hostile airplane was rarely 

 encountered in the course of these recon- 

 noitering expeditions. If adversaries did 

 chance to meet, all the pilots could do 

 was to shake their fists at each other or 

 discharge their revolvers without the 

 slightest chance of hitting. It was, how- 

 ever, from these gestures that aerial com- 

 bat took its birth, the history of which 

 will remain as one of the most brilliant 

 epics of the present war. 



Taking advantage of their excursions 

 within the lines of the enemy, the pilots 

 carried with them a few artillery pro- 

 jectiles which they dropped on hostile as- 

 semblages, camps, or columns. Such was 

 the beginning of aerial bombardment, 

 which, at that epoch, was left to the initia- 

 tive of each pilot. The bombs were 

 thrown without aiming, over the edge of 

 the cockpit, and it was counted a lucky 

 shot when the projectile hit the intended 

 target. Moreover, the airplanes of this 

 period were not capable of carrying heavy 

 loads ; so that the pilots, as a rule, had to 

 be satisfied with small steel arrows, which 

 they dropped upon the enemy wherever 

 they found them assembled in large 

 groups. 



This is, in brief, the history of aviation. 

 It is evident that the general law govern- 

 ing the development of all technic must 

 apply to the development of aviation, and 

 that the aviators must specialize as ob- 

 servers, as fighters, and as bomb-drop- 

 pers. If this organization had been ef- 

 fected in time of peace, it would doubt- 

 less on the outbreak of war have been 

 immediately introduced at the front in all 

 its forms ; but, as I have told you, it is the 

 experience of war that has made aviation 

 what it is today, and only on the field of 

 battle that it has been possible to develop 

 the organization of military aeronautics. 



There was no time to lose in France, 

 nor in Germany. Before all else the avia- 

 tion of reconnaissance was organized. 

 The Marne had exhausted the contending 

 armies. The ammunition had been reck- 

 lessly expended during this decisive bat- 

 tle, which saved the world from the Ger- 

 man yoke. Each army clung to its posi- 

 tions, while strengthening them with 

 works of fortification. 



Trenches, dugouts, block-houses, and 

 barbed - wire entanglements — everything 

 that pertained to stationary warfare made 

 its appearance, transforming the field of 

 battle in a few weeks into an immense 

 work yard, where every one disappeared 

 behind natural defenses or improvised 

 earthworks. Several million men buried 

 themselves like moles. 



The artillery, profiting by this respite, 

 was able to find positions concealed from 

 the view of hostile observers. Soon the 



