The War in the Air, vol. 2

CHAPTER II. The Western Front to the Battle of Loos.

CHAPTER II. The Western Front to the Battle of Loos.

CHAPTER III. The months before the Somme Struggle.

Features of the Fokker monoplane. Lieutenant Max Immelmann. Some aspects of air fighting after the battle of Loos. The B.E. 2c. 2nd Lieutenant G. S. M. Insall awarded V.C. The Fokker takes toll. Distant reconnaissance becomes difficult or impossible. A drastic change of tactics. Formation-flying introduced.

LIST OF MAPS

6. The Battle of Loos .....

BOMBING POLICY REVIEWED 117

the instruction, were being trained for this purpose, but as they might have to be reinforced temporarily by detach- ments from the aeroplanes allotted to armies, a proportion of their pilots should still be trained in bomb-dropping. On August the 7th, at a conference between representa- tives of the British and French aviation services, the future bombing policy was considered. It was concluded that attacks on trains on the move afforded the best means of stopping railway traffic. A train damaged in a cutting may block a line for several days. If the train is set on fire, the rails will probably buckle so that such carriages as have not been derailed cannot be pulled or pushed along the line, which will have to be relaid as well as cleared before a train can pass. By blocking one line in this manner one day, another on the next and so on, the whole of the enemy's railway movements may be temporarily dis- located. It was recognized that this form of air attack could only be effective if it took place on a large scale and in close co-^operation with the main operations. An important result of the conference was an agreement that in the event of an attack being ordered against the enemy's railway communications the French and British aviation services would combine, and that in the mean- time the two services should interchange information as to the enemy's railways, the training of pilots in bomb-dropping, and the development of bomb-sights. The policy of co-ordination between the two Allied air services in strict conjunction with ground operations was a distinct step forward, and was put into effect at the battle of Loos, with what results shall be seen.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Third Army take over the line north of the Somme in July, 191 5. The Fourth Army put into the line between Gommecourt and Curlu. Formation of the IV Brigade. Squadrons increased from twelve to eighteen aeroplanes. Photographing the German defence systems. Objects of the Somme Offensive. Distribution of Corps Squadrons for the battle. Offensive patrols. Co-operation with the VII Corps in the subsidiary attack at Gommecourt. The head-quarter Ninth Wing. The bombing plans. Statistics of the Flying Corps concentration. Strength of the German air service on the Somme. The death of Max Immelmann.

CHAPTER V. The Battles of the Somme, 1916 {Con-

CHAPTER V. The Battles of the Somme, 1916 {Con- cluded) ..... pp. 272-334 The great attack of the 15 th of September. First use of Tanks. Notable contact patrol reports. Co-operation with artillery. Bomb- ing attacks. A summary of the day's fighting in the air. Air work on the 1 6th.

APPENDICES

VIII. Royal Flying Corps Statistics for the Battle of the Somme 471-2

THE MONTHS BEFORE THE SOMME STRUGGLE

Thus whilst the British army was preparing to take on the bigger part, the French army threw its whole might into the Verdun struggle. When on the 21st of May 191 6 the Germans, after weeks of bitter fighting, stormed and captured Mort Homme Hill, the situation seemed so grave that General Petain pressed his commander-in- chief for an early beginning of the Somme offensive, but Joffre bade him hold on yet a little longer. Still the Ger- mans moved forward. On the 7th of June Fort Vaux fell to them, and once again Petain prayed for relief. His request was granted. It was decided that the offensive should begin as soon as possible and it was actually launched on the ist of July. The bombardment prelimi- nary to the offensive opened on the 24th of June, and on that day the Germans reached the furthest point in their advance to Verdun, and although they did not abandon the struggle until the end of August, the seriousness of the threat to the great fortress was removed.