comparison chaotic and instinctive； perhaps the very readiness
for a conscious orderliness that makes the German so formidable
upon the ground； so thorough and fore…seeking； makes him slow and
unsure in the air。 At any rate the experiences of this war have
seemed to carry out this hypothesis。 The German aviators will
not as a class stand up to those of the Allies。 They are not
nimble in the air。 Such champions as they have produced have
been men of one trick； one of their great men； Immelmannhe was
put down by an English boy a month or so agohad a sort of
hawk's swoop。 He would go very high and then come down at his
utmost pace at his antagonist； firing his machine gun at him as
he came。 If he missed in this hysterical lunge； he went on
down。。。。 This does not strike the Allied aviator as very
brilliant。 A gentleman of that sort can sooner or later be
caught on the rise by going for him over the German
lines。
The first phase； then； of the highest grade offensive； the
ultimate development of war regardless of expense； is the
clearance of the air。 Such German machines as are up are put
down by fighting aviators。 These last fly high； in the clear
blue of the early morning they look exactly like gnats； some
trail a little smoke in the sunshine； they take their machine
guns in pursuit over the German lines； and the German anti…
aircraft guns； the Archibalds； begin to pattern the sky about
them with little balls of black smoke。 From below one does not
see men nor feel that men are there； it is as if it were an
affair of midges。 Close after the fighting machines come the
photographic aeroplanes； with cameras as long as a man is high；
flying lowat four or five thousand feet that isover the enemy
trenches。 The Archibald leaves these latter alone； it cannot
fire a shell to explode safely so soon after firing； but they are
shot at with rifles and machine guns。 They do not mind being
shot at； only the petrol tank and the head and thorax of the
pilot are to be considered vital。 They will come back with forty
or fifty bullet holes in the fabric。 They will go under this
fire along the length of the German positions exposing plate
after plate； one machine will get a continuous panorama of many
miles and then come back straight to the aerodrome to develop its
plates。
There is no waste of time about the business； the photographs are
developed as rapidly as possible。 Within an hour and a half
after the photographs were taken the first prints are going back
into the bureau for the examination of the photographs。 Both
British and French air photographs are thoroughly scrutinised and
marked。
An air photograph to an inexperienced eye is not a very
illuminating thing； one makes our roads； blurs of wood； and
rather vague buildings。 But the examiner has an eye that has
been in training； he is a picked man； he has at hand yesterday's
photographs and last week's photographs； marked maps and all
sorts of aids and records。 If he is a Frenchman he is only too
happy to explain his ideas and methods。 Here； he will point out；
is a little difference between the German trench beyond the wood
since yesterday。 For a number of reasons he thinks that will be
a new machine gun emplacement； here at the centre of the farm
wall they have been making another。 This battery hereisn't it
plain？ Well； it's a dummy。 The grass in front of it hasn't been
scorched； and there's been no serious wear on the road here for a
week。 Presently the Germans will send one or two waggons up and
down that road and instruct them to make figures of eight to
imitate scorching on the grass in front of the gun。 We know all
about that。 The real wear on the road； compare this and this and
this； ends here at this spot。 It turns off into the wood。
There's a sort of track in the trees。 Now look where the trees
are just a little displaced！ （This lens is rather better for
that。） /That's/ one gun。 You see？ Here； I will show you
another。。。。
That process goes on two or three miles behind the front line。
Very clean young men in white overalls do it as if it were a
labour of love。 And the Germans in the trenches； the German
gunners； /know it is going on。/ They know that in the
quickest possible way these observations of the aeroplane that
was over them just now will go to the gunners。 The careful
gunner； firing by the map and marking by aeroplane； kite balloon
or direct observation； will be getting onto the located guns and
machine guns in another couple of hours。 The French claim that
they have located new batteries； got their /tir de
demolition/ upon them in and destroyed them within five
hours。 The British I told of that found it incredible。 Every
day the French print special maps showing the guns； sham guns；
trenches； everything of significance behind the German lines；
showing everything that has happened in the last four…and…twenty
hours。 It is pitiless。 It is indecent。 The map…making and
printing goes on in the room next and most convenient to the
examination of the photographs。 And； as I say； the German army
knows of this； and knows that it cannot prevent it because of its
aerial weakness。 That knowledge is not the last among the forces
that is crumpling up the German resistance upon the Somme。
I visited some French guns during the /tir de
demolition/ phase。 I counted nine aeroplanes and
twenty…six kite balloons in the air at the same time。 There was
nothing German visible in the air at all。
It is a case of eyes and no eyes。
The French attack resolves itself into a triple system of gun…
fire。 First for a day or so； or two or three days； there is
demolition fire to smash up all the exactly located batteries；
organisation； supports； behind the front line enemy trenches；
then comes barrage fire to cut off supplies and reinforcements；
then； before the advance； the hammering down fire； 〃heads down；〃
upon the trenches。 When at last this stops and the infantry goes
forward to rout out the trenches and the dug…outs； they go
forward with a minimum of inconvenience。 The first wave of
attack fights； destroys； or disarms the surviving Germans and
sends them back across the open to the French trenches。 They run
as fast as they can； hands up； and are shepherded farther back。
The French set to work to turn over the captured trenches and
organise themselves against any counter attack that may face the
barrage fire。
That is the formula of the present fighting； which the French
have developed。 After an advance there is a pause； while the
guns move up nearer the Germans and fresh aeroplane
reconnaissance goes on。 Nowhere on this present offensive has a
German counter attack had more than the most incidental success；
and commonly they have had frightful losses。 Then after a few
days of refreshment and accumulation； the Allied attack resumes。
That is the perfected method of the French offensive。 I had the
pleasure of learning its broad outlines in good company； in the
company of M。 Joseph Reinach and Colonel Carence； the military
writer。 Their talk together and with me in the various messes at
which we lunched was for the most part a keen discussion of every
detail and every possibility of the offensive machine； every
French officer's mess seems a little council upon the one supreme
question in France； /how to do it best。/ M。 Reinach has
made certain suggestions about the co…operation of the French and
British that I will discuss elsewhere； but one great theme was
the constitution of 〃the ideal battery。〃 For years French
military thought has been acutely attentive to the best number of
guns for effective common action； and has tended rather to the
small battery theory。 My two companies were playing with the
idea that the ideal battery was a battery of one big gun； with
its own aeroplane and kite balloon marking for it。
The British seem to be associated with the adventurous self…
reliance needed in the air。 The British aeroplanes do not simply
fight the Germans out of the sky； they also make themselves an
abominable nuisance by bombing the enemy trenches。 For every
German bomb that is dropped by aeroplane on or behind the British
lines； about twenty go down on the heads of the Germans。 British
air bombs upon guns； stores and communications do some of the
work that the French effect by their systematic demolition fire。
And the British aviator has discovered and is rapidly developing
an altogether fresh branch of air activity in the machine…gun
attack at a very low altitude。 Originally I believe this was
tried in western Egypt； but now it is being increasingly used
upon the British front in France。 An aeroplane which comes down
suddenly； travelling very rapidly； to a few hundred feet； is
quite hard to hit； even if it is not squirting bullets from a
machine gun as it advances。 Against infantry in the open this
sort of thing is extremely demoralising。 It is a method of
attack still in its infancy； but there are great possibilities
for it in the future； when the bending and cracking German line
gives； as ultimately it must give if this offensive does not
relax。 If the Allies persist in their pressure upon the western
front； if there is no relaxation in the supply of munitions from
Britain and no lapse into tactical stupidity； a German retreat
eastward is inevitable。
Now a cavalry pursuit alone may easily come upon disaster；
cavalry can be so easily held up by wire and a few machine guns。
I think the Germans have reckoned on that and on automobiles；
probably only the decay of their /morale/ prevents their
opening their lines now on the chance of the British attempting
some such folly as a big cavalry advance； but I do not think the
Germans have reckoned on the use of machine guns in aeroplanes；
supported by and supporting cavalry or automobiles。 At the
present time I should imagine there is no more perplexing
consideration amidst the many perplexities of the German military
intelligence than the new complexion put upon pursuit by these
low level air developments。 It may mean that in all sorts of
positions where they had counted confidently on getting away；
they may not be able to get awayfr