It must descend to
the level where a clear view of the ground may be obtained, and
in the interests of safety it has to keep on the move. To
attempt to hover within 4,000 feet of the ground is to court
certain disaster, inasmuch as the vessel offers a magnificent and
steady target which the average gunner, equipped with the latest
sighting devices and the most recent types of guns, scarcely
could fail to hit.
But the airman in the aeroplane is able to descend to a
comparatively low level in safety. The speed and mobility of his
machine constitute his protection. He can vary his altitude,
perhaps only thirty or forty feet, with ease and rapidity, and
this erratic movement is more than sufficient to perplex the
marksmen below, although the airman is endangered if a rafale is
fired in such a manner as to cover a wide zone.
Although the aeroplane may travel rapidly it is not too fleet for
a keen observer who is skilled in his peculiar task. He may only
gather a rough idea of the disposition of troops, their
movements, the lines of communication, and other details which
are indispensable to his commander, but in the main the
intelligence will be fairly accurate.
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