j6 
LAND & WATER 
August 24, 1916 
proportionately less exposed to the enemy's anti-aircraft 
guns ; even if it does cross the Hne it does so at great 
height ; it is very small, and travels at great speeds. 
On such occasions its chief risk is in the chance of meeting 
another craft of the same type belonging to the enemy, 
and when this happens it is an even match. Summarising 
this from the point of view of the personal safety of the 
flyer we find that, of all classes of aeroplane duties this 
is the one in which he runs the least gun fire risk and 
perhaps the greatest " aeroplane risk." 
I include in the term " aeroplane risk " all that kind 
of accident which may arise from pilot's error — undue 
abruptness of manipulation when diving, from weakness 
of the aeroplane and from the awkwardness of aUghting 
such fast aircraft in whatever restricted aerodromes the 
chances of war may provide. 
This class of work belongs naturally to the more 
skilled of the airmen, and in this respect such men 
constitute a corps d' elite sought after for every reason. 
The flights are shorter and less exposed to shrapnel, 
they are fast enough to outpace and out-manreuvre 
their prey (as in diagram i) and be it noted, their prey, 
the heavier aeroplanes, are not heavy with armour, and 
so are no more protected against point blank machine 
gun fire than i\\e\ are themselves. Briefly this class of 
mount is much sought after. It is also the cheapest and 
easiest to build, and its value has been very clearly 
shown by Mr. Lanchester in a previous article in L.\nd & 
Water. 
The Short Range Bomber 
It must not be thought that these defender aeroplanes 
are the only " single-seaters " that find a use in war. 
There is another group of operations which calls for 
machines that at first sight are very similar. They 
differ in being just one stage heavier, and allow of the 
use of non-radial engines. 
These are not, for they could not be, quite so handy 
as the " defenders," because of their greater weight. In 
comparison they can carry bombs more successfully and 
without so great a sacrifice of performance since the 
bomb's weight is a less percentage of the total weight. 
They are not, owing to theirlimited tankage, intended to 
go very far afield with their bombs, since any large in- 
crease of fuel would spoil their rapidity of climb and 
power of manceuve. 
Sometimes the bombs are omitted, and they lend a 
hand at the job of " defender " — wherein they make 
a fair showing — being to some extent a " two-purpose " 
machine. In the air as on the sea it is patent that 
any mixing up of purposes does not conduce to tlie 
supreme achievement in either purpose — yet in the infinite 
variety of air, war conditions there arc special uses for 
the hybrid, just as on the sea we find a ship which is 
neither a dreadnought nor a scout — -the battle cruiser 
TzOTTt View of Radial Engine 
Ra-riiallOOHF. 
Engine 
showing the 
short 
Crankcase 
Prvpellm' 
Exhaust Pipe 
V^typs Erunnc 
seenjhom the front 
Vce lype lOOHP. E iigine 
shnvuw the lon^ crankcase 
Diagram 3. „ _ 
^ough sketch to shew the weight afcfonkcase and cnmkshaft invohel 
hy usina an engine which is not radial 
— which cannot excel the battleship in armament or 
armour nor the scqut in speed, but which has, as we 
know, its uses. 
This hybrid single-seater has at times a more risky 
life than the " defender." Its job may take it over the 
enemy and over his anti-aircraft guns when sallying forth 
under a load of explosives. It must elude the enemy's 
light and fast defenders if it can, and its speed is a help 
thereto. For this reason its fuel supply is small com- 
pared to the long range bombing craft. "As to its popu- 
larity with airmen we cannot expect it to be as much 
sought after as the first class, but its duty has such con- 
siderable attractions over the ordinary duty of the two- 
seater, which has a heavy equipment for long journeys or 
for lengthy exposure during the tedious circling over the 
targets for the direction of our gunners, that single-seater 
bombers' craft must certainly lie described as desirable 
mounts. When they have relieved themselves of their load 
of bombs they are found to be. on returning home, quite 
.suitable for slovv alighting — a useful quality. Tlieir 
defence when in the air is a single machine gun, aimed 
by aiming the whole machine, and firing sometimes over 
the propeller or on some machines through the pro- 
peller disc — missing the blades by a timing device which 
controls the trigger or other part while the blade is 
opposite the gun barrel. 
in a future number I hope to indicate other uses of 
the " little " aeroplanes and pass on to the qualities of 
two-seaters, both pusher and tractor. 
A Strategic Retreat 
By Patrick MacGill 
THE ruined village lay wrapped in the silence 
of death. It was a corpse over which the itars 
came out like funeral tapers. The star-shells 
held the heaven behind Loos, forming into airy 
constellations which vanished at a breath. The road, 
straight as an arrow, pitted with .shell-holes and bearing 
an incongruous burden of dead mules, dead men, broken 
limbers and \ehicles of war ran in front of us straight up 
to and across the firing line into France that was not 
France. Out there behind the German lines were the 
F""rench villagers and p^-asantry. Were they longing 
for the great push that would set them free ? I doubt 
it ; it is highly probable that the I*"reneh behind the 
German lines feared an advance of their own countrymen 
as much as the villagers behind our lines feared a (ierman 
advance. The indefatigable shrapnel kills impartially,; 
how many civilians in Loos and Lens have fallen victims 
to the furious 75's ! In F'rance the Allies fight at a dis- 
adxantagc ; a few days ago a German ammunition 
depot was blown up in Lille and many French 
civilians were killed. How much more effective it Would 
have been if the civilians had been Germans. Our 
battalion was returning to the trenches after a fortnight's 
rest in H , a village in the rear. We had handed over 
the trench taken from the Germans to X regiment 
before leaving for H . In H — — w^e got a new equip- 
ment, fresh clothing, good boots and clean shirts ; now we 
were ready for furtlier work in active warfare. 
We passed througli Loos on the way to the trenches. 
What a change since we had been there last ! The adap- 
tive French liad taken the village in hand and had now 
been there for three days. Three days, and a miracle 
had been accomijlished. Every shell-crater in the street 
was filled up witli dead horses, biscuit tins, sandbags and 
bricks, and the place was made easy for vehicle traflic. 
Barricades, behind which machine guns lurked privily, 
were' built at the main crossings. An old bakery was 
patched up and there bread was baked for the soldiers. 
In a cellar near the square a neat wine shop displayed 
tempting bottles whicii the thirsty might purchase for a 
few sous. 
The case with which the French can accommodate 
themselves to any change has been a constant source of 
wonder to me. In Les Brebis I saw roofs blown off the 
