Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1918 — Perfecting America's Aerial War-Eyes [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Perfecting America's Aerial War-Eyes

!■ 7 1 1 lARDLY a train moves ; j ' jKiJV I within five miles back of ■,, I the German trenches or I M JL I a squadron of men come u P * or relief or digging is begun on a new series j JJ of emplacements but a pair of keen eyes, steadily watching from great observation balloons just behind the allied front, takes notice of It. Every movement, every activity is registered until a schedule of the usual enemy routine-Is built up and the average amount of motion known. Any departure from this schedule Is suspicious, writes a captain In the avigation corps in the New York Sun. A train running late or With more cars than usual, men In the trenches being relieved too frequently, new roads or emplacements being built too earnestly, give the first hint that Fritz across the line, is up to something. w A keen balloonist notes any of these ■changes, and at once telephones down to the ground: “An extra train of six ■cars passed at 10:40.” Half a mile farther down the line another pair of eyes reports: “Large convoy moving up to front, range so and so.”

Still a little farther down another auspicious circumstance is noted, until the general staff down below, assembling all these straws, foresees the beginning of a big offensive across the line. Counter-measures are taken, batteries directed, convoys and trenches -smashed up, and the enemy’s plans thrown askew. Possibly, however, the offensive is to come from the balloonist’s own side. The observer ascends with full knowledge of all the details of action, emboldened, probably, to move up much nearer the German lines than usual in the belief that the enemy’s artillery will be driven off. The opening bombardment Is a time of ceaseless and vital work, spotting «hot by shot, watching for new enemy batteries to open up, moving the barrage fife back and forth with the advance of the troops. Any error here may send the steel wall Into the observers’ own troops or cost scores of lives later by failure to make a complete demolition of the enemy’s defense. Work of Vita! Importance. “Hostile airplane overhead” Is apt to break In through the telephone wire at any moment. A German aviator more adventurous than his feHows Is swooping down, perhans under a protecting cloud, In an Krempt to put out the ever-watch-ful eyes. The observer makes ready his parachute, the machine guns on Yhe ground bel«w click off a rain' of lead at the invader, and the windlass men start bringing the big envelope to ground with all possible speed.

Perhaps the invader is driven off; perhaps the balloon is set afire and the balloonist forced to parachute to the ground. In either case it is all a part of the day’s work which adds adventure and romance to the responsible work done by the balloonist. Such is briefly—very briefly—the ■duty and work of the balloon observer. •Calm, patient, ever watchful he rides far above the ground as the great envelope sways on its cable. The balloon service abroad had been ■carefully if modestly developed for military purposes, and the moment that the war settled into the trenches came into its own because it was at once discovered that work could be done with them which could be done In no other way. Balloon observation began to assume vital importance, until now hardly a mile of the front lines is without its big, clumsy envelope. A constant, ceaseless vigil is maintained over every move of the enemy, over every shell fired by either side, so that friends below may be saved from, surprise and enemies across the lines may feel the weight of every shell hurled at them. The United States is building up such a force literally from nothing. Last November the old field out West was overgrown with weeds, the gas reservoir out of repair, the whole place stagnant. In the last few months, however, the field has been cleared and brought back to activity, the, air once again Is filled with big, friendly balloons, and keen-faced men are being trained for Immediate service abroad. * Already the first American detachments are in France, the vanguard of a large American ballobn force which ultimately will be as complete as any other branch of the army. Duties of Observers/ The work that this force will do will be Invaluable, With the airplane spotters and photographers, it will complete the vast air Service which It is expected will blind the German army and prepare the way for the artillery and Infantry to break up the

German-military resistance. Its minute by minute observations will head off all enemy surprises and will at the same time make it possible for Americans and American munitions to secure the maximum of destruction on the other side of No Man’s Land. Few of us here realize that the big envelopes commonly ascend as high as 4,500 feet and that they stay for hours poised in midair to perform the responsible duties assigned to them. Usually the ascent is made anywhere from two and one-half to' four and one-half miles front the enemy’s front line trenches, depending on the power of his artillery, the direction of the wind and the activity of the salient.. In any case the* observer has a circle of vision of about eight miles, and is able to pierce far back into the enemy’s lines. The most detailed and up-to-the-minute maps, the finest kind of field glasses, and instant communication with the ground make the balloonist a master of everything spread out before his gaze. When the American troops are preparing to go over the top an unusually large number of balloons will be concentrated as secretly as possible masked camps In order not to betray what is about to take place. At the appointed moment they will take the air and divide up every detail of the battle among them. Some will record the heavy artillery fire, shot by shot; others will see to it that the work of demolition behind the enemy’s lines is effective.;, others will guard . against any re-enforcements or traps. Keep Watch on -Foe.

As the troops go over they will check closely the German batteries, the shifting of their infantry and the assembling of supplies. As the American forces advance the balloons will move forward also in unison with them along routes previously prepared. Observations for the barrage will be sent down repeatedly, so that it may move back and forth with the men and details sent so that the enemy’s guns setting up the destructive coun-ter-barrage may be silenced. To do this the American balloonist must know every detail of the enemy’s land opposite him, for a mistake on his part may cost the lives of scores of men below. No new battery should ,open up across the lines without its location being spotted on the detail map, the number and size of the pieces and their objective noted, and

counter-fire preparations made against it. No new troops should move into the enemy trenches without being fully known, numbers as well as routes —most difficult work of all —for the German has many wily devices for simulating gunfire and camouflaging movements. And the work also will not be without dangers* and difficulties, though the chances of a fatal outcome are not large. If it is not .a swooping airman bent on setting the big gas bag on fire, it may be a rain of shrapnel seeking the same, objective, or of percussion shells endeavoring to blow up the windlass below and set the big bag adrift in a wind blowing across the German lines. Naturally, every precaution in the way of protecting airmen and anti-aircraft guns are on hand, but even at that constant vigilance Is essential. Plans Progressing Rapidly. Plans for all this work are now progressing at a gratifying rate. The American balloon program has been aided by the best and latest developments abroad, while manufacture presents but a few difficulties, owing to the resources of the big American rubber companies. The great need, as with all the air program, is for men of the type and ability needed, men for officers’ commissioned as observers and men for the enlisted squadrons to do the delicate mechanical work necessary.

Men who are being selected as observers and who will all be commissioned as officers should have physical endurance, acute vision, an appreciation of distances and localities, and; above all, a sense of responsibility and thoroughness In keeping with the importance qf the work assigned to them. ;- They may be somewhat older than aviators —preferably from twenty-five to thirty-five—and of somewhat less severe physical requirements. A special training is given in winds, military observation, meteorology and ballooning before a cadet receives his officer’s commission and his post above the trenches in France, in order that the high standards prevailing throughout the air service generally may be upheld. For the enlisted men Who will form the squadrons, gas works employees, rope riggers, cordage Workers and mechancians are especially fitted.