war and the future-第12章

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clearance　of　the　air。　　Such　German　machines　as　are　up　are　put
down　by　fighting　aviators。　　These　last　fly　high；　in　the　clear
blue　of　the　early　morning　they　look　exactly　like　gnats；　some
trail　a　little　smoke　in　the　sunshine；　they　take　their　machine
guns　in　pursuit　over　the　German　lines；　and　the　German　anti…
aircraft　guns；　the　Archibalds；　begin　to　pattern　the　sky　about
them　with　little　balls　of　black　smoke。　　From　below　one　does　not
see　men　nor　feel　that　men　are　there；　it　is　as　if　it　were　an
affair　of　midges。　　Close　after　the　fighting　machines　come　the
photographic　aeroplanes；　with　cameras　as　long　as　a　man　is　high；
flying　lowat　four　or　five　thousand　feet　that　isover　the　enemy
trenches。　　The　Archibald　leaves　these　latter　alone；　it　cannot
fire　a　shell　to　explode　safely　so　soon　after　firing；　but　they　are
shot　at　with　rifles　and　machine　guns。　　They　do　not　mind　being
shot　at；　only　the　petrol　tank　and　the　head　and　thorax　of　the
pilot　are　to　be　considered　vital。　　They　will　come　back　with　forty
or　fifty　bullet　holes　in　the　fabric。　　They　will　go　under　this
fire　along　the　length　of　the　German　positions　exposing　plate
after　plate；　one　machine　will　get　a　continuous　panorama　of　many
miles　and　then　come　back　straight　to　the　aerodrome　to　develop　its
plates。

There　is　no　waste　of　time　about　the　business；　the　photographs　are
developed　as　rapidly　as　possible。　　Within　an　hour　and　a　half
after　the　photographs　were　taken　the　first　prints　are　going　back
into　the　bureau　for　the　examination　of　the　photographs。　　Both
British　and　French　air　photographs　are　thoroughly　scrutinised　and
marked。

An　air　photograph　to　an　inexperienced　eye　is　not　a　very
illuminating　thing；　one　makes　our　roads；　blurs　of　wood；　and
rather　vague　buildings。　　But　the　examiner　has　an　eye　that　has
been　in　training；　he　is　a　picked　man；　he　has　at　hand　yesterday's
photographs　and　last　week's　photographs；　marked　maps　and　all
sorts　of　aids　and　records。　　If　he　is　a　Frenchman　he　is　only　too
happy　to　explain　his　ideas　and　methods。　　Here；　he　will　point　out；
is　a　little　difference　between　the　German　trench　beyond　the　wood
since　yesterday。　　For　a　number　of　reasons　he　thinks　that　will　be
a　new　machine　gun　emplacement；　here　at　the　centre　of　the　farm
wall　they　have　been　making　another。　　This　battery　hereisn't　it
plain？　　Well；　it's　a　dummy。　　The　grass　in　front　of　it　hasn't　been
scorched；　and　there's　been　no　serious　wear　on　the　road　here　for　a
week。　　Presently　the　Germans　will　send　one　or　two　waggons　up　and
down　that　road　and　instruct　them　to　make　figures　of　eight　to
imitate　scorching　on　the　grass　in　front　of　the　gun。　　We　know　all
about　that。　　The　real　wear　on　the　road；　compare　this　and　this　and
this；　ends　here　at　this　spot。　　It　turns　off　into　the　wood。
There's　a　sort　of　track　in　the　trees。　　Now　look　where　the　trees
are　just　a　little　displaced！　　（This　lens　is　rather　better　for
that。）　/That's/　one　gun。　　You　see？　　Here；　I　will　show　you
another。。。。

That　process　goes　on　two　or　three　miles　behind　the　front　line。
Very　clean　young　men　in　white　overalls　do　it　as　if　it　were　a
labour　of　love。　　And　the　Germans　in　the　trenches；　the　German
gunners；　/know　it　is　going　on。/　　They　know　that　in　the
quickest　possible　way　these　observations　of　the　aeroplane　that
was　over　them　just　now　will　go　to　the　gunners。　　The　careful
gunner；　firing　by　the　map　and　marking　by　aeroplane；　kite　balloon
or　direct　observation；　will　be　getting　onto　the　located　guns　and
machine　guns　in　another　couple　of　hours。　　The　French　claim　that
they　have　located　new　batteries；　got　their　/tir　de
demolition/　upon　them　in　and　destroyed　them　within　five
hours。　　The　British　I　told　of　that　found　it　incredible。　　Every
day　the　French　print　special　maps　showing　the　guns；　sham　guns；
trenches；　everything　of　significance　behind　the　German　lines；
showing　everything　that　has　happened　in　the　last　four…and…twenty
hours。　　It　is　pitiless。　　It　is　indecent。　　The　map…making　and
printing　goes　on　in　the　room　next　and　most　convenient　to　the
examination　of　the　photographs。　　And；　as　I　say；　the　German　army
knows　of　this；　and　knows　that　it　cannot　prevent　it　because　of　its
aerial　weakness。　　That　knowledge　is　not　the　last　among　the　forces
that　is　crumpling　up　the　German　resistance　upon　the　Somme。

I　visited　some　French　guns　during　the　/tir　de
demolition/　phase。　　I　counted　nine　aeroplanes　and
twenty…six　kite　balloons　in　the　air　at　the　same　time。　　There　was
nothing　German　visible　in　the　air　at　all。

It　is　a　case　of　eyes　and　no　eyes。

The　French　attack　resolves　itself　into　a　triple　system　of　gun…
fire。　　First　for　a　day　or　so；　or　two　or　three　days；　there　is
demolition　fire　to　smash　up　all　the　exactly　located　batteries；
organisation；　supports；　behind　the　front　line　enemy　trenches；
then　comes　barrage　fire　to　cut　off　supplies　and　reinforcements；
then；　before　the　advance；　the　hammering　down　fire；　〃heads　down；〃
upon　the　trenches。　　When　at　last　this　stops　and　the　infantry　goes
forward　to　rout　out　the　trenches　and　the　dug…outs；　they　go
forward　with　a　minimum　of　inconvenience。　　The　first　wave　of
attack　fights；　destroys；　or　disarms　the　surviving　Germans　and
sends　them　back　across　the　open　to　the　French　trenches。　　They　run
as　fast　as　they　can；　hands　up；　and　are　shepherded　farther　back。
The　French　set　to　work　to　turn　over　the　captured　trenches　and
organise　themselves　against　any　counter　attack　that　may　face　the
barrage　fire。

That　is　the　formula　of　the　present　fighting；　which　the　French
have　developed。　　After　an　advance　there　is　a　pause；　while　the
guns　move　up　nearer　the　Germans　and　fresh　aeroplane
reconnaissance　goes　on。　　Nowhere　on　this　present　offensive　has　a
German　counter　attack　had　more　than　the　most　incidental　success；
and　commonly　they　have　had　frightful　losses。　　Then　after　a　few
days　of　refreshment　and　accumulation；　the　Allied　attack　resumes。

That　is　the　perfected　method　of　the　French　offensive。　　I　had　the
pleasure　of　learning　its　broad　outlines　in　good　company；　in　the
company　of　M。　Joseph　Reinach　and　Colonel　Carence；　the　military
writer。　　Their　talk　together　and　with　me　in　the　various　messes　at
which　we　lunched　was　for　the　most　part　a　keen　discussion　of　every
detail　and　every　possibility　of　the　offensive　machine；　every
French　officer's　mess　seems　a　little　council　upon　the　one　supreme
question　in　France；　/how　to　do　it　best。/　　M。　Reinach　has
made　certain　suggestions　about　the　co…operation　of　the　French　and
British　that　I　will　discuss　elsewhere；　but　one　great　theme　was
the　constitution　of　〃the　ideal　battery。〃　　For　years　French
military　thought　has　been　acutely　attentive　to　the　best　number　of
guns　for　effective　common　action；　and　has　tended　rather　to　the
small　battery　theory。　　My　two　companies　were　playing　with　the
idea　that　the　ideal　battery　was　a　battery　of　one　big　gun；　with
its　own　aeroplane　and　kite　balloon　marking　for　it。

The　British　seem　to　be　associated　with　the　adventurous　self…
reliance　needed　in　the　air。　　The　British　aeroplanes　do　not　simply
fight　the　Germans　out　of　the　sky；　they　also　make　themselves　an
abominable　nuisance　by　bombing　the　enemy　trenches。　　For　every
German　bomb　that　is　dropped　by　aeroplane　on　or　behind　the　British
lines；　about　twenty　go　down　on　the　heads　of　the　Germans。　　British
air　bombs　upon　guns；　stores　and　communications　do　some　of　the
work　that　the　French　effect　by　their　systematic　demolition　fire。

And　the　British　aviator　has　discovered　and　is　rapidly　developing
an　altogether　fresh　branch　of　air　activity　in　the　machine…gun
attack　at　a　very　low　altitude。　　Originally　I　believe　this　was
tried　in　western　Egypt；　but　now　it　is　being　increasingly　used
upon　the　British　front　in　France。　　An　aeroplane　which　comes　down
suddenly；　travelling　very　rapidly；　to　a　few　hundred　feet；　is
quite　hard　to　hit；　even　if　it　is　not　squirting　bullets　from　a
machine　gun　as　it　advances。　　Against　infantry　in　the　open　this
sort　of　thing　is　extremely　demoralising。　　It　is　a　method　of
attack　still　in　its　infancy；　but　there　are　great　possibilities
for　it　in　the　future；　when　the　bending　and　cracking　German　line
gives；　as　ultimately　it　must　give　if　this　offensive　does　not
relax。　　If　the　Allies　persist　in　their　pressure　upon　the　western
front；　if　there　is　no　relaxation　in　the　supply　of　munitions　from
Britain　and　no　lapse　into　tactical　stupidity；　a　German　retreat
eastward　is　inevitable。

Now　a　cavalry　pursuit　alone　may　easily　come　upon　disaster；
cavalry　can　be　so　easily　held　up　by　wire　and　a　few　machine　guns。
I　think　the　Germans　have　reckoned　on　that　and　on　automobiles；
probably　only　the　decay　of　their　/morale/　prevents　their
opening　their　lines　now　on　the　chance　of　the　British　attempting
some　such　folly　as　a　big　cavalry　advance；　but　I　do　not　think　the
Germans　have　reckoned　on　the　use　of　machine　guns　in　aeroplanes；
supported　by　and　supporting　cavalry　or　automobiles。　　At　the
present　time　I　should　imagine　there　is　no　more　perplexing
consideration　amidst　the　many　perplexities　of　the　German　military
intelligence　than　the　new　complexion　put　upon　pursuit　by　these
low　level　air　developments。　　It　may　mean　that　in　all　sorts　of
positions　where　they　had　counted　confidently　on　getting　away；
they　may　not　be　able　to　get　awayfrom　the　face　of　a　scientific
advance　properly　commanding　and　using　modern　material　in　a
dexterous　and　intelligent　manner。


III。　THE　WAR　LANDSCAPE


1

I　saw　rather　more　of　the　British　than　of　the　French　aviators
because　of　the　vileness　of　the　weather　when　I　visited　the　latter。
It　is　quite　impossible　for　me　to　institute　comparisons　between
these　two　services。　　I　should　think　that　the　British　organisation
I　saw　would　be　hard　to　beat；　and　that　none　but　the　French　could
hope　to　beat　it。　　On　the　Western　front　the　aviation　has　been
screwed　up　to　a　very　much　higher　level　than　on　the　Italian　line。
In　Italy　it　has　not　become；　as　it　has　in　France；　the　decisive
factor。　　The　war　on　the　Carso　front　in　ItalyI　say　nothing　of
the　mountain　warfare；　which　is　a　thing　in　itselfis　in　fact
still　in　the　stage　that　I　have　called　B。　　It　is　good　warfare　well
waged；　but　not　such　an　intensity　of　warfare。　　It　has　not；　as　one
says　of　pianos　and　voices；　the　same　compass。

This　is　true　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　Italians　along　of　all
the　western　powers　have　adopted　a　type　of　aeroplane　larger　and
much　more　powerful　than　anything　except　the　big　Russian　machines。
They　are　not　at　all　suitable　for　any　present　purpose　upon　the
Italian　front；　but　at　a　later　stage；　when　the　German　is　retiring
and　Archibald　no　longer　searches　the　air；　they　would　be
invaluable　on　the　western　front　because　of　their　enormous　bomb　or
machine　gun　carrying　capacity。　　〃But　sufficient　for　the　day　is
the　swat　thereof；〃　as　the　British　public　schoolboy　says；　and　no
doubt　we　shall　get　them　when　we　have　sufficiently　felt　the　need
for　them。　　The　big　Caproni　machines　which　the　Italians　possess
are　of　300　h。p。　and　will　presently　be　of　500h。p。　　One　gets　up　a
gangway　into　them　was　one　gets　into　a　yacht；　they　wave　a　main
deck；　a　forward　machine　gun　deck　and　an　aft　machine　gun；　one　may
walk　about　in　them；　in　addition　to　guns　and　men　they　carry　a　very
considerable　weight　of　bombs　beneath。　　They　cannot　of　course
beget　up　with　the　speed　nor　soar　to　the　height　of　our　smaller
aeroplanes；　it　is