It was the late Captain Ferber—one of the first military enthusiasts in
France upon the subject of the aeroplane—who was asked the question:
"How will a fight take place between aeroplanes?" In reply, this famous
pioneer said:—
"In the same way as all fights between birds have ever taken
place. When a falcon, for in stance, wants to attack a raven, it
first pursues it; and, as soon as the raven finds itself
overhauled, it ascends slowly, in spirals, and the falcon starts
to rise in a parallel fine. If the raven can rise higher than
the falcon, it is saved; if it cannot, its resource is to drop
to earth, although during the descent it is liable to be hemmed
in by the falcon. Every time the falcon darts upon the raven,
the latter will try, by means of a clever side-slip, to avoid
the impact. If the falcon has been dodged, there is a respite,
for, carried beyond its aim, the falcon loses an elevation which
it must painfully regain. The race for altitude may recommence,
but now the flight is no longer doubtful; the raven will finally
come to the ground, and will be vanquished. In a like manner,
will aerial craft struggle."
An ability to "climb" rapidly, combined with high speed will, indeed,
prove invaluable to the fighting aeroplane. If it can do so, it will
undoubtedly seek to rise above an antagonist, and destroy it with a
well-directed missile. If two machines are equally well-matched in the
matter of rapid soaring and speed, their pilots will then exercise all
possible skill in manoeuvring for position for an effective shot from
whatever form of light machine-gun is carried.
The certainty that aerial fighting will precede any future battle in
which aeroplanes are employed, indicates the necessity to build an
air-fleet comprising several types of machines. In the first place,
there will be need for an aircraft, either a large monoplane, or an
exceptionally fast biplane, which will carry a machine-gun, or a gun
throwing an explosive shell. This machine should act purely as an
offensive unit, going in advance of other craft, and meeting the enemy’s
"air cruisers" in combat.
Then may come a machine to carry out the important work of detailed
reconnoitring. This, as has already been suggested, should be a biplane,
carrying if necessary a "crew" of three—pilot, engineer, and observer.
This machine would have one object only—to obtain full and accurate
information concerning an enemy’s movements.
Protected by one or more "cruisers," it would probably ascend to a great
height, and seek to slip by the enemy’s aerial line of defence, or make
a wide detour and approach the foe from an unexpected direction.
A third type of machine should, it is held, be used for swift,
comprehensive survey work. This machine, carrying merely its pilot,
would be a monoplane so speedy that it would frequently be able to elude
the pursuit of any armed craft, and so escape destruction.
This problem of aerial warfare is now very much in the minds of those
who are concerned in the military flying work of France, Germany, and
Russia. Quite recently, for example, one of Russia’s chief advisers, in
the matter of war aeroplanes, declared: "It is now clear that future
wars will be begun in the air, and that nations will be best prepared
that are well-equipped with military aeroplanes." This statement,
bearing out others previously quoted, shows how general is the view that
aerial fighting will play a prominent part in any application of the
aeroplane to actual war conditions.
Apart from the "cruiser" type of machine, previously described, it is
suggested by many experts that a fighting aeroplane, carrying a heavier
gun or guns—a sort of aerial "Dreadnought," in fact—should be
constructed. The aim of such a machine would be to attack antagonists at
long range.
Provided that they could vanquish aerial foes, these armed aeroplanes
would, no doubt, turn their attention to the bombardment of
fortifications, and land forces; and, the resistance of an enemy being
crushed, the air-scouts would be free to fly where they pleased.
Thus a reverse in the air would prove a very serious matter indeed, for
any army. The Commander-in-Chief would have all his plans laid bare by
the unhampered movements of the enemy’s aeroplanes; and, at the same
time, he would be unable to obtain any data concerning his antagonist’s
dispositions. This, of course, would be apart from the damage that
attacking aeroplanes might effect by bomb-dropping and machine-gun
firing.
Many experts, indeed, are found to declare that a defeat in the air
would be followed by a reverse on land. It is clear, at any rate, that
great importance will attach to this aerial fighting.
A machine regularly equipped for aerial warfare has yet to be
introduced—but it is merely a question of time, and probably a short
time at that, before such a machine is built and tested.
The handling of such fighting aircraft will have to be learned, also the
best modes of approaching and attacking a hostile aeroplane.
Experimental machines will have to be built, and flown, and as effective
manœuvres as possible carried out. But it will be a great war, of
course, which will teach the real lessons concerning the offensive
possibilities of the aeroplane.
Until then, of course, much must remain more or less theoretical. But it
behoves great nations to beware of these grim potentialities of the new
"arm."