AEROPLANES IN WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15686, 13 August 1914, Page 5

AEROPLANES IN WAR.

THREE FRENCH TYPES. "If we had a war in Australia, I'd drop a few bombs on her enemies," said M. Guillaux, the French aviator, a few days ago. Guillaux, who was recently injured, now finds himself face to face with the possibility of France calling him home, and the bomb-dropping he spoke of so lightly may bo his grim task in the near future. Above all, he claims to be a Frenchman and a patriot. He has served with the colours, and is now on the reserve of the French Aviation Corps. Suffering disablement in consequence of a motor accident, whilst serving in the French Army, M. Guillaux's thoughts were turned to the air. He applied himself to this then quite new branch of the military service, qualified, and jumped into fame as one of the world's greatest masters of tho monoplane. M. Guillaux was invited to make a few remarks on the part tho aeroplane might bo called to play in tho event of a European war. "Continental armies are so large, and they operate on such broad fronts,", he Baifl, "that the one great essential to- a general in. the formation of his plans is information. For military purposes, we have three distinct types of machines in France, * The scouting type, carrying a passenger and a pilot, an armoured machine carrying two passengers, and a light machine, carrying only a pilot. "Tho first of these.is used in gaining all the information possible about the enemy's movements. An early knowledge of what the opposing forces are doing enables a commander to make his arrangements rapidly, and to crop up in quite the most unexpected places. A few of these were used in the Balkan War, and proved to be of the utmost value. "Armoured machines carry explosives, are mounted with quick-firing guns, and are used for all the ordinary purposes of firing upon bodies • of troops' moving in close order, of dropping bombs where they are likely to do most damarjj, and to disorganise the controlling staffs of armies or army corps. '" Then wo have a specially-constructed light machine, that is able to ascend to great heights and observe the effect of artillery fire. They are usually fitted with wireless, and are in constant touch with artillery commanders, flashing such information as might assist in concentrating or dispersing their fire, or in carrying out effectivo and rapid ranging, without being obliged to take the risk of making their observation from an exposed position in front. This type of machine could be used* in coastal defence as well. Supposing, for instance, Australia were threatened with invasion, you can well imagine what a service it would be to ascend to a great height, and with tho aid of powerful glasses locate the position, number, and weight of tho enemy's ships."