France suffers, however, to a
certain degree from the length of her battle-line, which is over
200 miles in length. The French aerial fleet has been
particularly active in the Vosges and the Argonne, where the
difficult, mountainous, and densely wooded country has rendered
other systems of observation of the enemy's movements a matter of
extreme difficulty. The Germans have laboured under a similar
handicap in this territory, and have likewise been compelled to
centre a considerable proportion of their aerial fleet upon this
corner of the extended battlefield.
It is in this region that the greatest wastage has been manifest.
I have been informed by one correspondent who is fighting in this
sternly contested area, that at one time a daily loss of ten
German machines was a fair average, while highwater mark was
reached, so far as his own observations and ability to glean
information were concerned by the loss of 19 machines during a
single day. The French wastage, while not so heavy upon the
average, has been considerable at times.
The term wastage is somewhat misleading, if not erroneous. It
does not necessarily imply the total loss of a machine, such as
its descent upon hostile territory, but includes damage to
machines, no matter how slight, landing within their own lines.
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