nly for eighteen days, was a success. The naval officers and
ratings were treated royally, as guests, and there was complete harmony
between the two services. The little Nieuport scouts brought reassurance
to the lonely artillery pilots on the front, and had a happy effect on
the German fighting pilots, who were led to suspect the presence of a
whole new squadron of Nieuports. On the 16th of April No. 29 Fighting
Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, which had been delayed by accidents,
arrived at Abeele, and the naval machines returned to Dunkirk.

This experiment showed the way and encouraged fuller measures. During
the battles of the Somme, which began on the 1st of July 1916, the Royal
Flying Corps maintained a resolute and continuous offensive over the
enemy lines. They suffered very heavy casualties, at a time when
training and construction at home, which were in process of development,
were unable to make good all the losses. Then the Admiralty, on the
urgent appeal of the Army Council, agreed to detach from the Dunkirk
command a complete squadron of eighteen fighting aeroplanes, under
Squadron Commander G. M. Bromet, for temporary duty with the army. The
squadron consisted of six two-seater Sopwiths, six single-seater
Sopwiths, and six Nieuport scouts. They arrived at Vert Galand
aerodrome, which is situated eleven miles north of Amiens on the
Amiens-Doullens road, on the 16th of October 1916. After three weeks
spent in machine-gun practice and flights to learn the country, the
first full day's work was done on the 9th of November. There were many
combats, and three enemy machines were driven down in a damaged
condition. This squadron continued to operate with the army in France.

By the beginning of 1917 there were in France, working wholly with the
army, thirty-eight Royal Flying Corps squadrons; that is to say,
nineteen artillery squadrons and nineteen fighting squadrons; and the
one fighting squadron belonging to the Royal Naval Air Service. It was
anticipated that the Germans, who had appointed a single officer,
General von Hoeppner, to take charge of all their military aircraft, and
had produced several improved types of machine, would make a great
effort in the spring of 1917 to recapture the air. To meet this effort
more fighting squadrons were needed. The machinery at home for the
reinforcement of the Royal Flying Corps was working at high pressure,
and could not at once supply the need. So an appeal was