It may be said, however, that air battles have
not been frequent and that they have been merely
incidents of the conditions under which they were
operated. The mission of the aeroplane is now
conceded to be purely one of observation, such as
we have described.
Both French and German reports are full of
incidents showing the value of observations, and
also concerning the effects of bombs. Extracts
from the diaries of prisoners gave many interesting
features of the results of aeroplane work.
CASUALTIES DUE TO AEROPLANES.--In the diary
of one was found the remark: "I was lucky to
escape the bomb thrown by a French aviator at
Conrobet, which killed eight of my companions."
Another says: "The Seventh Company of the
Third Regiment of the Guard had eight killed and
twenty-two wounded by bomb from a French aeroplane."
Another: "An officer showed us a torn coat
taken from one of sixty soldiers wounded by a
bomb from an aeroplane."
A prisoner says: "Near Neuville an aeroplane
bomb dropped on a supply train, killed four men,
wounded six, and killed a considerable number of
horses."
The Belgians, after their defeat and the capture
of Antwerp, were forced to the west along
the coast. In some way they learned that the
Kaiser was about to occupy a chateau near Dixmunde.
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