16 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Moreover, the comparison of successive 

 photographs of a given region permits the 

 detection, with practical certainty, of the 

 intentions of the enemy. If he is about 

 to attack, the photographs reveal the 

 bringing up of new pieces of artillery, of 

 ammunition, and even of troops, whose 

 movements widen the trails ; they show 

 the creation of new roads, the building of 

 field hospitals, and the enlarging of rail- 

 way stations near the attacking front. 



If, on the contrary, the enemy is about 

 to withdraw, the photographs show the 

 new fortified positions he expects to hold 

 at the time of his retreat and the destruc- 

 tion of railroads and highways, which are 

 the prelude of a retirement. It has truly 

 been said that each adversary inscribes 

 upon the field his plan of operations. It 

 is therefore to the reading of this in- 

 scription, as one of their permanent and 

 fundamental tasks, that the scout avia- 

 tors are called. 



In a word, the scout aviators who are at 

 the height of their efficiency never fail to 

 snatch from the enemy the secret of his 

 operations. They no longer permit sur- 

 prise attacks, which are the most to be 

 feared of all the hazards of war. 



Furthermore, they are not limited to 

 the execution of this difficult program. 

 Not content with unveiling the plans of 

 the enemy by the thoroughness of their 

 investigations, and with assisting the ar- 

 tillery in adjusting the firing on the 

 trenches, fortifications, and batteries of 

 the enemy, they render their most effect- 

 ive service during the progress of the at- 

 tack itself, which they direct and control 

 while allowing it a logical development. 



THE FORMIDABLE TASK OP THE} SCOUT 

 PLANES 



I shall try to give you a very brief 

 glimpse of the formidable task performed 

 by the scout planes during the prepara- 

 tory phase of a battle and during the crit- 

 ical phase of the battle itself. The time 

 has passed when one could make an im- 

 provised attack upon the enemy, relying 

 simply upon superior numbers and the 

 morale of the attacking* troops to gain the 

 victory. 



To search out, in all their details, the de- 

 fensive works of the enemy (barbed-wire 

 entanglements, trenches, block-houses), 



the position cf all his batteries ; to locate 

 the trails, railways, munition and supply 

 depots, and headquarters of the com- 

 manders ; such is the work to be per- 

 formed by the scout planes before every 

 offensive operation. 



To direct the firing of all the artillery, 

 whose task is to destroy the barbed-wire 

 entanglements and the trenches ; to bom- 

 bard the batteries and destroy the larger 

 part of them, to set on fire the munition 

 depots within its range, to prevent or 

 render perilous any passing along the 

 roads and railways, to delay traffic in the 

 supporting railway stations, to control the 

 destruction of objectives and the efficacy 

 of long-range firing; such are the princi- 

 pal tasks of the scout planes during the 

 preparatory period of an attack. 



Moreover, they assume the enormous 

 responsibility of the faithful execution of 

 this program, which is carried out en- 

 tirely through the intermediation of their 

 eyes. 



VITAL REPORTS OP BATTLE'S PROGRESS SENT 

 BY RADIO 



Finally, on the day of attack, it is they 

 who, flying at a low altitude over the as- 

 saulting waves of the infantry, signal its 

 progress to the superior command; it is 

 they who discover the active batteries and 

 reduce them to silence by causing them 

 to come under destructive fire ; it is they 

 who cause the dispersion of wagon trains 

 and troop columns venturing along the 

 roads and trains near the battlefield; it is 

 they who watch for the possible launch- 

 ing of a counter-attack, always to be 

 feared, and which they must announce at 

 the right moment to the infantry and to 

 the commander in charge. 



Thanks to the promptness of their re- 

 ports, sent by radio, the commander is en- 

 abled to make his authority felt during 

 the progress of the operation. When, in 

 the midst of the hazards of battle, the 

 energies of the combatants become scat- 

 tered, causing confusion and disorder, the 

 scout planes, by the accuracy of their re- 

 ports, permit the harmonizing and coordi- 

 nating of effort necessary to the final 

 victory. 



To describe the airplanes used in scout- 

 ing, the details of their armament and the 

 devices with which they are equipped, 



