In
the interests of self-preservation A would be compelled to
change its course; in fact, B would be able to drive it in any
direction he desired, as he would command A's movements by
gun-fire.
The value of combined ahead and astern firing has been
appreciated, but there is one difficulty which at the moment
appears to be insuperable the clearance of the propeller. At the
moment astern-firing, if such it may be called, is maintained by
repeating rifles, but this armament is not to be compared with
machine-gun firing, as the latter with its capacity to pour 400
to 600 shots a minute, is far more deadly, particularly when the
weapon is manipulated by a crack gunner.
Up to the present the offensive armament of aeroplanes has been
confined to light machine guns such as the Hotchkiss, Berthier,
Schwartlose, and Maxim weapons. So far as the arming of
aeroplanes is concerned the indispensable condition is light
weight. With airships this factor is not so vital, the result
being that some dirigibles are mounted with guns, throwing one
pound bursting shells, fitted either with delay action or
percussion fuses, the former for preference.
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