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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 awayfrom the face of a scientific
advance properly commanding and using modern material in a
dexterous and intelligent manner。
III。 THE WAR LANDSCAPE
1
I saw rather more of the British than of the French aviators
because of the vileness of the weather when I visited the latter。
It is quite impossible for me to institute comparisons between
these two services。 I should think that the British organisation
I saw would be hard to beat； and that none but the French could
hope to beat it。 On the Western front the aviation has been
screwed up to a very much higher level than on the Italian line。
In Italy it has not become； as it has in France； the decisive
factor。 The war on the Carso front in ItalyI say nothing of
the mountain warfare； which is a thing in itselfis in fact
still in the stage that I have called B。 It is good warfare well
waged； but not such an intensity of warfare。 It has not； as one
says of pianos and voices； the same compass。
This is true in spite of the fact that the Italians along of all
the western powers have adopted a type of aeroplane larger and
much more powerful than anything except the big Russian machines。
They are not at all suitable for any present purpose upon the
Italian front； but at a later stage； when the German is retiring
and Archibald no longer searches the air； they would be
invaluable on the western front because of their enormous bomb or
machine gun carrying capacity。 〃But sufficient for the day is
the swat thereof；〃 as the British public schoolboy says； and no
doubt we shall get them when we have sufficiently felt the need
for them。 The big Caproni machines which the Italians possess
are of 300 h。p。 and will presently be of 500h。p。 One gets up a
gangway into them was one gets into a yacht； they wave a main
deck； a forward machine gun deck and an aft machine gun； one may
walk about in them； in addition to guns and men they carry a very
considerable weight of bombs beneath。 They cannot of course
beget up with the speed nor soar to the height of our smaller
aeroplanes； it is as carriers in raids behind a force of fighting
machines that they should find their use。
The British establishment I visited was a very refreshing and
reassuring piece of practical organisation。 The air force of
Great Britain has had the good fortune to develop with
considerable freedom from old army tradition； many of its
officers are ex…civil engineers and so forth； Headquarters is a
little shy of technical direction； and all this in a service that
is still necessarily experimental and plastic is to the good。
There is little doubt that； given a release from prejudice； bad
associations and the equestrian tradition； British technical
intelligence and energy can do just as well as the French。 Our
problem with our army is not to create intelligence； there is an
abundance of it； but to release it from a dreary social and
official pressure。 The air service ransacks the army for men
with technical training and sees that it gets them； there is a
real keenness upon the work； and the