up for
half an hour when they sighted, four miles from the shore, two
submarines side by side on the surface. The place was favorable for
attack, the sea being shallow there, and the aviators hoped that the
enemy boats would be unable to escape by diving. The seaplane quickly
dived to about 200 meters above the sea and attacked the submarines,
one of which succeeded in escaping, the other boat, however, was hit
by two bombs, which broke open its hull and caused it to sink in a few
minutes.

Owing to the great range of vision afforded by a seaplane, both
horizontally and vertically, owing also to its considerable speed and
ease of maneuvering, marine aeroplanes have proven formidable foes for
submarines, which they can easily overtake and destroy with bombs.
Especially is this true when a submarine is steaming partly submerged,
with only its periscope visible above the sea, for, whereas, the
submarine's outline is easily detected from great heights, the
periscope has but a limited range of vision horizontally, and none
vertically.

Another instance of how aeroplanes can be used for attacking war
vessels was furnished by the feat of a British aviator who attacked a
Turkish army transport on August 12, 1915, in the Marmora Sea and sank
the vessel with a heavy projectile, which, it is claimed, weighed over
200 pounds.

Although not yet sufficiently developed to fulfill the functions
for which they are ultimately intended, i. e., strategical
reconnaissance and offensive action against vessels of war and
coast fortifications--seaplanes have played a very useful role in
tactical operations, and particularly in convoying troop ships, as
well as in "spotting" for naval guns. Whenever the comparatively
limited range of seaplanes precluded their employment for
long-range reconnaissances or bombardment, airships were called
upon to carry out these duties.

In the matter of airships, Germany was markedly favored by the
possession of the Zeppelin type, whose speed and endurance is still
unequaled by the smaller, nonrigid dirigibles which constitute the
chief bulk of the British, French, Italian, and Russian fleets of
"lighter-than-air" machines.

Obviously, the employment of airships is fraught with even more
danger, on account of the large hull exposed to enemy fire, than that
of aeroplanes. A great number of Zeppelins have been destroyed either
by antiaircraft guns or by storms, although the gallant feat of the
late Flight