PREDOMINANCE IN THE AIR.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13997, 29 January 1916, Page 5

PREDOMINANCE IN THE AIR.

FOKKER MACHINES HERALD

A. CHANGE

BRITAIN MUST PREPARE FOR NEXT DEVELOPMENT.

London, Jan. 26. Mr. Beach Thomas, writing from Headquarters, outlines the Allies' astonishing predominance in the air during 1915". The airmen /were frequently hovering over the German centres in Belgium,, but were not molested;' the German airmen not venturing to pursue them. Reconnaissances exceeding a thousand in number were made monthly and there were few casualties.

The New Year brought the Fokker (the new German machine) heralding a change. Though the Fokker has not given the enemy the initiative, it unquestionably arr.ested our almost insolent command ol! the air by improving his defences. T&e most remarkable development in aerial warfare is that the defence is now vested in the flyers themselves. Anti-aircraft guns are practically useless and it is therefore essential to find an answer to the Fokker. It would be the greatest mistake to under-estimate the value of the new German craft.

"The Times" aeronautical correspondent says that the real fact about the Fokker is that the Germans are employing a machine which is considerably interfering with our airmen's daily work. There is reason to believe, that we. have a machine as good as, or even better, than the^'Germans', but the .question is whether it exists in sufficient numbers to neutralise the force at the disposal of the eneniy. Mr. Tennant's speech is a further instance of the sloppiness of the information given to the House of Commons on matters pertaining to aircraft. The Fokker is capable of flights over the British lines, though it is not intended for that purpose. It is not the German habit to fly over the enemy's lines like ours. Why have we not got big engines in our machines when we are ahead of the rest of the world in design? When we employ better machines the Germans will not lose time in the production of better still, for they are presumably already engaged to that end. Our authorities must be ready and look ahead to the next development. Now is the time for a bold far-seeing policy in regard to aircraft.