vring over the hostile
lines, and gathering invaluable information as to the disposition and
movements of the opposing forces.

But it is probably in connection with naval operations that the British
aerial fleet excels. The waterplanes have established their supremacy
over the naval dirigible in a striking manner. British endeavour
fostered the waterplane movement and has carried it to a high degree
of perfection. The waterplane is not primarily designed to perform long
flights, although such may be carried out if the exigencies demand. The
practice of deputing certain vessels to art as "parent ships" to a
covey of waterplanes has proved as successful in practice, as in theory.
Again, the arrangements for conveying these machines by such means to a
rendezvous, and there putting them into the water to complete a certain
duty, have been triumphantly vindicated. At the time this idea was
embraced it met with a certain degree of hostile criticism: it was
argued that the association of the two fighting, machines would tend
towards confusion, and impair the efficiency of both.

Practice has refuted this theory. The British aerial raids upon Cuxhaven
and other places would have been impossible, and probably valueless as
an effective move, but for the fact that it was possible to release the
machines from a certain point upon the open sea, within easy reach of
the cooperating naval squadron. True, the latter was exposed to hostile
attack from submarines, but as results proved this was easy to repel.
The aircraft were enabled to return to their base, as represented by the
rendezvous, to be picked up, and to communicate the intelligence gained
from their flight to the authorities in a shorter period of time than
would have been possible under any other circumstances, while the risk
to the airmen was proportionately reduced.

The fact that the belligerents have built up such huge aerial navies
conclusively proves that the military value of the Fourth Arm has been
fully appreciated. From the results so far achieved there is every
indication that activity in this direction will be increased rather than
diminished.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War, by
Frederick A. Talbot

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AEROPLANES AND DIRIGIBLES OF WAR ***

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