THE GERMAN CLAIM.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14407, 18 May 1917, Page 7

THE GERMAN CLAIM.

NEW AIR BULLETS AND

CAMERAS

. A journalist has been permitted to mWh!\ a^° dl;°™ c at Doberitz (iieiJ n). His published report says— •lhat winch escapes Ihe observer's eye, especially when engaging enemy airmen, is recorded by tne camera A comparison between French and En»iisii .balloon-cameras and our own shows chat Germany's optical workshoos are far ahead of all others. They, have produced cameras m contrast to wireh thoso captured from tho enemy ?re mere playthings. The various "types range from hand cameras up to gigantic affairs weighing 4cwt, well over 6ft in length. Tiiey are built into the aircraft, and^ work by the pressure of a linger. Special stereoscopic photographs can be taken showing the relief of the land, so that when enemy forti-iu-ations have been destroyed" their ..^sence is rendered conspicuous." On the subject of aircraft wireless the writer says :— "At the beginning of the war airmen signalled with flags or coloured tiguts , 10-day these methods are absolutely insufficient. By the end of November, 1915, we had succeeded in sitting all our observation aircraft with wireieSfe telegraphy, so that our observers could I receive messages from the most advanced field stations. But improvements rapidly accumulated, and to-day our observers have combined sending anci receiving apparatus witli a sound intensifies, so that wireless communication can be maintained in both directions." . -

Ho goes on to state: "German ingenuity has improved aerial ammunition by the invention of the incandescent bullet.. In air. air fight it is impossible to see where the bullet strikes, and. in.this matter the incandescent bullet is' of. the greatest, service:. It "pursues its course like a small comet, and. enables- the. airmah : to correct his aim. Combined with a phosphorus bullet it becomes incendiary, with a devastating effect for 'halloonß and aircraft. In training airmen to use the .machine gun the, incendiary bullet has performed excellent service, although registration by film photography is a cheaper method. Another "■ interesting section shows the development of bombs, from these weighing a few pounds up to bombs weighing 6cwt."