CHAPTER XXVAERIAL COMBAT
With every combat in mid-air some new theory is set up, some new conclusion arrived at, and as yet nothing can be definite. We may say for practical purposes that the strategical work is confined to seaplane and airship-scouting with the fleets at sea, and long-distance aeroplane raids into the enemy’s country; tactical work to reconnaissance trips over the neighborhood of the lines and the direction of artillery fire. The battle formation of the aeroplane squadron is now, and will in the future be similar to that of a fleet at sea. Even now the two methods of battle are closely akin.
There are three distinct phases of aerial combat to be considered—aeroplaneversusaeroplane, airship against airship, and aeroplane against airship. It is a difficult matter to decide which is the more useful as a fighting unit, but thus far one is inclined to say the light, high-powered aeroplane. Zeppelins and airships are for the mostpart clumsy and unwieldly. Seaplanes, again, are usually heavy and slow to answer to their controls.
The important factors are the lifting power of the machine and weather conditions. The property of “lift” is determined on the one hand by mechanical devices, and on the other by the balloon portion of the craft which is lighter than the air. Lift spells speed, endurance, and climbing powers, and therefore the machine with the greater lift is the better equipped for fighting purposes.
Next in order of importance is wind. The engine may be giving a speed of sixty miles per hour, and the craft be flying in the teeth of a 20 m.p.h. wind, thus its actual speed would be forty, not sixty, miles an hour. Again, two enemy machines, A and B, are approaching one another to give battle. Both have a speed of 60 m.p.h., but A is flying “down” with a fifteen-mile wind at the back of him. Their relative speeds would be: A seventy-five, B forty-five, or an advantage of thirty miles an hour for A; but on the turn—the majority of aerial combats are fought out on the principal of circling and wheeling—the advantage would be transferred to B. Good pilotageis of extreme importance; the pilot who is able to get the most out of his machine and knows it best will almost invariably gain the day.
Clouds are often made great use of by pilots. Almost every day we read of a machine dashing out from behind a bank of cloud, and taking another by surprise. On the other hand, clouds may prove disastrous to both combatants, owing to the peculiar property they possess of influencing the stability of the machine.
Lift, however, is still the great factor, since the fight always develops into a struggle for the upper berth, and is usually fought in an upward direction. It is climb, climb, climb; then, with the wind at his back, a last swoop down on the enemy—taking him in his most vulnerable position—and the fight is over. Various expedients are made use of to gain this end, such as getting between an opponent and the sun, “diving” suddenly and “looping.” With either aeroplane or airship it is the uppermost position that counts.
The type of craft most useful for this work is the high-engined biplane of the “tractor”—propeller to the fore—type, the machine-gun firing through the blades of the propeller. The essentials of these machines are speed and ability to climb quickly. The slower machines, with greater powers of endurance, are more useful for bomb-raiding and reconnaissance purposes.
Airship combat has yet to materialize. Many opinions and theories, often widely conflicting, have been put forward concerning the possibilities and probabilities of such conflicts, but nothing definite can be advanced until a battle between airships has taken place. The opinion of the majority of the experts is that an airship would be little better than useless to meet an airship, and for our own particular requirements—that is, the repelling of Zeppelin raids—aeroplanes are of more use; which brings us to the combat between aeroplane and airship.
Considering first their main qualities: the airship has great “lifting” powers, is more heavily armed, can climb at a faster rate, and has greater powers of endurance; whereas the aeroplane has greater speed, is more easily maneuvered, and is less unwieldy.
The tendency of the Zeppelin commanders is to increase rather than decrease altitude with every raid, which renders attack by aeroplane more difficult; but, on the other hand, aeroplanes are being built which can develop so remarkable a speed that they will soon be able to climb above Zeppelin altitude. When that occurs the Zeppelin menace will end for ever.