been favoured by Fortune in this respect. Their aerial navy is
likewise concentrated upon a single frontier, although a pronounced
proportion has been reserved for service upon the Mediterranean
sea-board for co-operation with the fleet. 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. In the difficult country of the
Vosges many aeroplanes have come to earth somewhat heavily, and have
suffered such damage as to render them inoperative, compelling their
removal from the effective list until they have undergone complete
overhaul or reconstruction. Upon occasions this wastage has been so
pronounced that the French aviators, including some of the foremost
fliers serving with the forces, have been without a machine and have
been compelled to wait their turn.

I am informed that one day four machines, returning from a
reconnaissance in force, crashed successively to the ground, and each
had to be hauled away to the repair sheds, necessitating withdrawal
from service for several days. Unfortunately the French, owing to their
decision to rule out certain machines as unsuited to military service,
have not yet perfected their organisation for making good this wastage,
although latterly it has been appre