March 20, 1915. 
LAND AND .WATER. 
can only be obtained by the cavalry. For inbtauce, it may 
not be jjossible for aerial observers to distinguish, from a great 
height, between friendly and enemy troops. In such a case, 
when once the position of the troops has been located by the 
airman, the cavalry could, if necessary, be sent out to deter- 
mine the point. The cavalry would then only be ascertaining 
the correctness of a specific observation, and would not 
be using up its strength on, possibly, an uncertain 
mission. 
There are also other points connected witli reconnaissance 
which are altogether beyond the capacity of aerial observa- 
tion. The airman cannot, for instance, discover the morale 
of the enemy on the ground. Nor can he find out their 
physical condition. An air fleet cannot keep in touch day 
and night with any particular unit of the enemy. These are 
some of the reasons why the use of aircraft does not diminish 
the value of the cavalry for reconnaissance. Again, there is 
the possibility of bad weather rendering an aerial reconnais- 
sance out of the question, or the case where the enemy is under 
cover in a wood. 
From the preceding lines it will be gathered that the 
co-operation of aircraft with cavalry henceforth gives to a 
Commander-in-Chief a means of carrying out reconnaissance 
which his predecessors did not possess. Therefore, Napoleon's 
dictum that " an army is nothing except for its head " has 
at the present time an even greater force and significance 
than a century ago, for the " head," by the judicious com- 
bination of aerial and cavalry scouting, now possesses better 
" eyes." 
There is a point connected with aerial scouting which it 
is important always to keep in mind. It is that the Com- 
mander-in-Chief must have an exact estimation of the tem- 
perament and training of his air scouts, for on these con- 
ditions must depend the degree of reliance to be placed on 
their observations, carried out at times under difficult cir- 
cumstances. It may be that there is a greater degree of 
understanding between British airmen and their commanders 
than there is between those of the enemy, and this possibly 
has contributed to the ascendancy our airmen Lave gained. 
If such be really the case, it would follow that, as far as pos- 
sible, the same air reconnaissance squadron and cavalry force 
should always be employed to co-operate with each other so 
as to ensure the best results from such co-operation. 
Another con.sideration of importance in connection with 
the use of aircraft for reconnaissance duty is tliat the com- 
mander must always have a suSlcieut number of machines in 
readiness to start at a moment's notice. There must also be 
an ample number of trained aerial observers in order that too 
great a continuous drain should not be placed upon a small 
force. It is only with a large air fleet that a commander in 
the present war can derive the full advantage of the co- 
operation of his aircraft and cavalry. 
In concluding this chapter on the Influence of Air 
Power, the writer cannot do better than quote the following 
lines from Sir John French's despatch, dated November 20, 
1914: " The v.-ork performed by the Royal Flying Corps has 
continued to prove of the utmost value to the success of the 
operations. I do not consider it advisable in this despatch to 
go into any detail as regards the duties assigned to the Corps 
and tlie nature of their work, but almost every day new 
methods for employing them, both strategically and tactically, 
are discovered and put into practice. The development of 
their use and employment has, indeed, been quite extra- 
ordinary, and I feel sure that no effort should be spared to 
increase their numbers and perfect their equipment and 
efficiency." 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' TOBACCO FUND. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Dear Sir, — As I know your valuable paper is extensively 
read both by naval and military officers on active service, I 
should be extremely glad if you would allow me space to ask 
any Commanding Officer who is short of tobacco for his troops 
at the Front to communicate with me, and my committee will 
be pleased, as far as lies in their power, to forward a supply. 
I will take this opportunity also to thank those of your 
readers who have so kindly and promptly contributed towards 
the needs of the wounded at the St. Malo Hospitals. £25 
worth of tobacco and pipes have already been despatched. — 
Yours faithfully, 
W. Evan Collison, Hon. Secretary. 
Central House, Kingsway, W.C. 
QUEEN ALEXANDRA'S F,ELD FORCE FUND. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Sir, — Your generous support of the good work being 
carried on by this fund prompts me to write that a suggestion 
for its augmentation has been submitted by the present writer, 
in high quarters, by a proposal to hold a Wellington and 
Waterloo Loan Collection of pictures, trophies, etc., in Lon- 
don during this centenary year of the great battle, in aid of 
this fund. 
The exhibition might also well include portraits, etc., of 
Napoleon and his generals, and any other available^ work (of 
which there are a large number in this country), which would 
materially add to the interest of the collection. 
At Apsley House alone tliere is a wealth of souvenirs, 
including the great marble figure of Napoleon by Canova— 
totally unknown to vast numbers of our own people in the 
present generation, and to our many visitors in the metro- 
polis from the countries of our Allies and our Colonies. 
A suitable location at Kensington or elsewhere can readily 
be found for the exhibition, and the fund in which Her 
Majesty Queen Alexandra is taking so great an interest, and 
to which she has graciously lent the advantage of her name, 
would, without doubt, substantially benefit during the coming 
months. 
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
J. Landfear Ltjcas. 
Spectacle Makers' Company. 
Glendora, Hiudhead, Surrey. 
ANTI-SUBMARINE TACTICS. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Sir,— In your issue of March 6 your correspondent Lord 
Duuleath submits proposals in this connection which are 
certainly deserving of earnest consideration. Some months 
ago I approached the authorities with very similar proposals, 
but the submarine menace had not then become so acute. Pos- 
sibly a comparison of my suggestions with those of your corre- 
spondent may be of interest to your readers. 
It should be noted that I approach the subject from the 
standpoint of a naval architect, with many years' practical 
experience in the design and construction of vessels of various 
types. It is unquestionable that for submarine chasing a 
special type must be evolved. 
My conclusions as to the principal points which should 
be embodied in the design of a submarine chaser are, how- 
ever, somewhat different from tliose suggested by your pre- 
vious correspondent. 
(1) Speed. — This must be at least twice as great as the 
surface speed of the faste.st submarine likely to be encountered. 
Quick response to the helm is, of course, of the utmost im- 
portance, combined with ability to pivot quickly, like a " fly 
on a pin," as I have heard it expressed. 
(2) Bamminr/. — This should have no place in the pro- 
I'Osed tactics, and should, therefore, not be taken account cl 
in the design. For destroyers such ramming tactics are quit* 
feasible, but not for the light fast craft I advocate. Besides, 
shallow draft is, in my opinion, of the utmost importance, 
and this is not compatible with ramming tactics, unless the 
submarine is caught in the surface condition, when gun fire 
would much more certainly destroy it. 
Armament. — One Q.F. gun on a circular, all-round 
pedestal, say, on top of a conning tov/er, with some form of 
launchable spar torpedo in the bow, and a couple of large 
calibre machine-guns are sufficient. A single torpedo-tube 
carried on an all-round racer aft might be useful in emer- 
gency against enemy vessels, thus increasing the scope of the 
type, but it is possibly a mistake to depart from the primary 
purpose of submarine chasing. 
Invisibility. — ^Low freeboard compatible with speed and 
seaworthiness is, of course, important, but high speed in the 
vessel I propose and sea-keeping qualities absolutely compel 
a high forecastle; wireless telegraphy calls for some form of 
mast; and high power for a very substantial funnel or funnels. 
It should be possible, however, to so arrange the profile of the 
vessel as to very materially improve the invisibility as com- 
pared with, say, a modern destroyer. 
Let us now consider the practical design of a vessel em- 
bodying the.se characteristics; keeping in view the supreme 
importance in the present case of rapidity of construction and 
simplicity of handling, without wliich all our suggestions are 
quite u.seless, since shipyards are overcrowded with work, and 
highly-trained crews are needed in many other directions. 
I should take as my model a cross between a reduced 
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