ROYAL FLYING CORPS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3189, 13 September 1917, Page 9

ROYAL FLYING CORPS

THE CINDERELLA OF THE ARMY JUSTIFIES ITSELF PROM SMALL BEGINNINGS

(By R. P. P. Howe.)

At the outbreak of the war tho lioyal Plying Corps owned scarcely .'OO machines, and the supply of personnel was equally inadequate. This deficiency is readily explained, if hardly excused, by tho fact that England was unprepared for the war. It must also be .remembered that the science of aeronautics was comparatively 6peaking in its infancy, and enthusiasm for anything "newfangled" is not ro bo expected from tho average Briton. Moreover, the war function of tho aeroplane had been only partly foreseen even by those gifted with imagination. That it would prove the eyes of the Army was perhaps anticipated, that it would rapidly become a fighting arm of real importance was not. The only weapon used by the air services when the war began was the rifle —a surprising circumstance in the light of subsequent experience.

The Great Awakening. The great awakening that took place was caused largely by sheor necessity, but it may ho claimed that it was als.i duo in part to tho eagerness and quick adaptability of tho young British flying man. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the youth of Great Britain took to flying ns a duck to water. There was never any lack cf volunteers for tho training. Half the infantry subalterns of tho New Army felt tho attraction oil aeronautics, and as the need for flying mon increased many applied for a transfer to the R.F.C. Both thoso who had joined tho air servico at once and thoso who applied successfully for a transfer quickly proved (heir metal. From tho firet our machines were splondily handled, and before long tha whole country woke up to the fact that the air was as natural a domain for British activity as the sea. From this time_ onwards the organisation of the air services was taken systematically in hand, and it was developed with increasing ■ rapidity. .1 oday tho vastnoss of this organisation gives us a euperiority over tho enemy in the air absolutely indispensable to offensive action. Without it any superiority of men and guns would ):c enormously diminished in value. In an important town in tho South of England there is a school of training for pilots, observers, and equipment officers of tho Royal Flving Corps. It is a busy and cosmopolitan school. All types and many nationalities are hard at work there to' make ' the defeat of .Germany more certain. Officers from every unit m the British Army como from abroad and from all parts of the country to bo trained. . , „ Tho work is difficult and varied, tor not only is a thorough knowledge imparted of the mechanism of all types ot aeroplanes, but tho training includes technical details of gunnery and audi abstruse subjects as meteorology and astronomy. The course is very stilt and thorough, and with so much to learn m so short a time- the work is naturally at top pressure. Tho younger men-many of them boys quito recently at schoolaro pilots-and observers, tho oldor aro equipment officers. Among tho latter aie well-established business men who have forsaken their peacc-timo occupations to go through the'drudgery of apprenticeship with tho business branch ot tho E i c. Passing out from schools of this sort, the pilots and observers proceed to training centres for practical flying. It is hero that danger has first to bo laced. Tho light-hearted spirit in which it is mot is characteristic of tho Flying Corps. It is tho venturesome, spirit ot youth that'is required for flying, iron, norves, and an unconsciousness ot the risk. At Inst, after the most thorough training, Iho p&wiiy lias lo bo encountered and tho finest hazard in tho world undertaken. . -„ 1 Perpetual Effort. ]|; will readily bo seen that an efficient air servico can only bo created and maintained by perpetual effort ot two separate kinds-tlio eit.ort of the j worker and inventor and tho effort of tho flying man. Not only does tho roanutactuio of cver-iiierea.sing numbers ot machines, with all their spare palls and accessories,' require ii vast concentration of energy, but the need of continual improvement in the type of aeroplanes used calls for inventive brain-work ot . tho highest order.. Type succeeds type, and each must be better.than tho last. There can bo no final pattern to bo permanently standardised, but, especially m tho 'present stage of aeronautics, development must bo rapidly progressive. A considerable part of the brat brains o tho country is devoted .to the technical problems That must be solved to ensure such development. Included in these problems is that of armament, for a battle-plane nowadays fights with ma-cliine-gun and bombs, in both of which, us adapted to aerial fighting perpetual improvement is required. It is obvious, then, that intense effort on the part of tho worker in the air-service, as well as of the flying-man is absolutely necessary. . . . With regard to the duties and the value, of the flving-mon at the front, little need be said, because they are now very generally lindersloodi. Superiority in the air must be fought for if it is lo bo maintained. Never must enemy air-craft be left unchallenged. Only so can

"the eyes" of an army remain more serviceabl'e than those of the enemy. , Moreover, when superiority is secured it roust 'bo used. Continual excursions over enemy country must,bo made to locate gun emplacements and concentrations or movements of troops, and in countless ways to collect information of military value.' Map references of such observations are, of'eoursc, signalled at. once to our artillery. In addition to fill this there are ammunition dumps and other works of military importance to be bombed, and bv a daring swoop enemy troops on the inarch or oven in trenches can bo direct!v attacked by machine-gun fire. Exploits of this Inst kind are of proved value. When such a thing can happen, and frequently.does happen, the enemy feels that he is never safe, aud this is exceedingly damaging to lis morale.

j Our Losses. 9 It has been said that perpetual flighting I is required to maintain superiority in the j air, and the bulk of this fighting js nalj turally over the enemy's anti-aircratt j "tins across the line. In such circum- ? stances a daily loss of machines, observers $ and pilots is unavoidable. Even if this (j loss -were greater than the corresponding i loss caused to the enemy, the advantage x gained by it would be worth the price. i It has not been disproportionately expen--5 sive with us in France hitherto, because { tho daring and skill of our aviators has I more than counterbalanced the disadvantS a»o of having to fight over enemy coun- § try. Nevertheless the loss in men aud I machines has necessarily been continuous, S and is sufficiently heavy to make the I task of replacing either by no means J easy. To turn out skilled pilots and ob--3 servers fast enough is the greater diffi■f cultj', but it hn-s "been and- always will > be successfully overcome, so long as the I voung men of Great Britain display the { enthusiasm and tho adaptability for ae.ro- \ nautics that they are showing to-day. 3 These aud a fino contempt for danger f provides the spirit which has made the i British notably superior to the German I air-service. It is the spirit that will I lead us ultimately to conclusive victory.