For
these reasons the fight is fought to a conclusive finish.
To aspire to success in these combats waged in the trackless
blue, speed, initiative, and daring are essential. Success falls
to the swift in every instance. An aeroplane travelling at a
high speed, and pursuing an undulating or irregular trajectory is
almostimpossible to hit from the ground, as sighting is so
extremely difficult. Sighting from another machine, which
likewise is travelling rapidly, and pursuing an irregular path,
is far more so. Unless the attacker can approach relatively
closely to his enemy the possibility of hitting him is extremely
remote. Rifle or gun-fire must be absolutely point blank.
When a marauding aeroplane is espied the attacking corsair
immediately struggles for the strategical position, which is
above his adversary. To fire upwards from one aeroplane at
another is virtually impossible, at least with any degree of
accuracy. The marksman is at a hopeless disadvantage. If the
pilot be unaccompanied and entirely dependent upon his own
resources he cannot hope to fire vertically above him, for the
simple reason that in so doing he must relinquish control of his
machine.
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