That the German aviators are at a disadvantage in fighting against the
Allies' aeroplanes armed with machine guns was freely admitted by Gen.
von Heeringen, who said significantly that that would be attended to in
the near future.
"French aeroplanes have paid me a number of visits," the commanding
General said with a laugh, "Our aviation camp seems to be an attraction
for them. We have shot down six of them in the last few weeks. Our
gunners are really only just beginning to get the hang of it, with
practice. The trouble in peace time was always to find some sort of a
target to train our gunners in the use of the new motor gun. We couldn't
very well ask of our own aviators to go up and let themselves be shot
at. But now the French are affording us just the moving target we have
been looking for, and our shooting is improving splendidly."
Gen. von Haenisch, von Heeringen's brilliant Chief of Staff, who as
former Inspector General of the aviation arm had more to do than any
other one individual with bringing German military aviation to its
present high pitch of efficiency, supplemented his chief's remarks by
saying:
"We recently brought down a French aeroplane from an altitude of 8,100
feet. Our new gun can shoot four miles high."
I had the interesting experience of visiting an aviation camp in the
field, inspecting a full sample line of aero bombs, and looking over the
very latest thing in German military aeroplanes, a big new Aviatik
biplane.
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