The fact that it is not possible to maintain cornmunication over
a distance exceeding some 20 miles is a severe handicap to the
progressive development of wireless telegraphy in this field. It
is a totally inadequate radius when the operations of the present
war are borne in mind. A round journey of 200, or even more
miles is considered a mere jaunt; it is the long distance flight
which counts, and which contributes to the value of an airman's
observations. The general impression is that the fighting line
or zone comprises merely two or three successive stretches of
trenches and other defences, representing a belt five miles or so
in width, but this is a fallacy. The fighting zone is at least
20 miles in width; that is to say, the occupied territory in
which vital movements take place represents a distance of 20
miles from the foremost line of trenches to the extreme rear,
and then comes the secondary zone, which may be a further 10
miles or more in depth. Consequently the airman must fly at
least 30 miles in a bee-line to cover the transverse belt of the
enemy's field of operations. Upon the German and Russian sides
this zone is of far greater depth, ranging up to 50 miles or so
in width.
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