Chapter XVIII

AIR CRAFT AND MOTOR VEHICLES IN WAR 381-390
History of development 381
Precursors of air craft of today 381
Aeroplanes and airships 381
Development of scope in military operations 381
Tendency to exaggerate importance and minimize limitations 381
CHARACTERISTICS 381-383
Aeroplanes, flying radius, speed, carrying capacity,
starting and landing, susceptibility to hostile fire 381-382
Dependability for immediate service 381
Machine and engine fragile 382
Care and repair of aeroplanes. Need of highly trained personnel 382
Development. Types of craft, destroyers, battleplanes,
artillery spotters, scouts 382
Equipment. Organization. Motor trucks as tenders 382
Airships, flying radius, speed, ability to hover over spot,
carrying capacity, effect of rain and darkness 382-383
Reconnaissance, wireless equipment 383
Target afforded 383
Large crews required 383
Bases of operation 383
Balloons. Hydroaeroplanes 383
Armor and armament of aircraft 383
DUTIES OF AIRCRAFT. Strategic and tactical reconnaissance 383-384
Verification by actual contact 384
Prevention of hostile reconnaissance 384
Direction of artillery fire. Air raids 384
Messenger and staff duty 384
PRACTICABLE HEIGHTS FOR OBSERVATION 384-385
Altitude and speed demanded by reconnaissance 385
Fire of small arms and anti-aircraft artillery 385
Use of field glasses 385
Relative vulnerabilities of airships and aeroplanes 385
DEFENSIVE MEASURES 385-386
Command of the air. Tactics of aircraft 385
Anti-aircraft artillery. Methods of fire 385-386
POWERS AND LIMITATIONS OF AIR CRAFT 386
THE MOTOR CAR IN WAR 387-390
Tactical movements of troops by auto 387
Facility of loading, dispatch and unloading 387
Difficulty of interrupting motor transport 387
Concentration of reserves at critical points 387
Motor cars in retreat and pursuit 387
Motor transport for artillery 387
Armored cars 387
Overseas operations 388
Motor cars for staff transportation 388
Motor trucks for supply. Advantages over animal transport 388
Motor kitchens 388
Effect of motor transport on distance of an army from its base 388
Economic size of motor trucks for supply 388-389
Use of motor trucks on railroads 389
Motor ambulances 389
Service of information. Motor patrols 389
Motors as adjunct to aero service 389
Necessity for motor cars in modern war 389
Employment of motor cars in groups of the same type 389-390
Animal transport for field and combat trains 390