Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of WarTalbot, Frederick Arthur Ambrose
History
Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War
Talbot, Frederick Arthur Ambrose
Aeronautics, Military; Airplanes, Military -- History; Airships -- History; World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations
It appears that the French airmen have found a use for the aeroplanes
which are considered unsafe for further use. The motor and propeller are
removed and the dummy of explosives is strapped into position. The
laden glider is then taken aloft by means of an airship, and in the
concealment of the clouds is released, the rudder being so set as to
ensure a gradual vol-plane towards the suspicious position below. The
explosive cargo is set with a time fuse, the arrangement being that the
contents will be detonated while the machine is near the ground, unless
this end is accelerated by a well-planted shell from an anti-aircraft
gun. The decoy glider is generally accompanied by one or two aeroplanes
under control, which keep under the cover of the clouds until the
hostile aviators have been drawn into the air, when they swoop down
to the attack. The raiders are fully aware that they are not likely to
become the target of fire from the ground, owing to the fact that the
enemy's artillery might hit its friends. Consequently the antagonistic
airmen are left to settle their own account. In the meantime the
dummy machine draws nearer to the ground to explode and to scatter its
death-dealing fragments of steel, iron, and bullets in all directions.
Possibly in no other phase of warfare is subterfuge practised so
extensively as in the concealment of guns. The branches of trees
constitute the most complete protection and guns are placed in position
beneath a liberal cover of this character. The branches also offer a
screen for the artillerymen, who can lurk beneath this shelter until the
aeroplane has passed. To complete the illusion dummy guns fashioned
from tree trunks and the wheels of useless limbers are rigged up, and
partially hidden under branches, the idea being to convey the impression
to the man aloft that they are the actual artillery.
The aerial scout observes the dummies beneath the sparse covering of
branches. Congratulating himself upon his sharp eyesight, he returns
to his base with the intelligence that he has found the enemy's guns
he indicates their position upon the map, and in some cases returns to
notify the position of the weapons by smoke-ball or tinsel, when they
are immediately subjected to a severe bombardment. He follows the
shell-fire and sees the arms put out of action. He returns to camp
satisfied with his exploit, oblivious of the smiles and laughter of the
hostile artillerymen, who have their guns safely in position and
well masked some distance away. The dummies are imperfectly concealed
purposely, so that they may be discovered by the aerial scout, while the
real guns are completely masked and ready to belch forth from another
point. In one or two cases the dummies have been rigged up in such a
manner as to convey the impression, when seen from aloft, that a whole
battery has been put out of action, barrels and wheels as well as broken
limbers strewing the ground in all directions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account