s can be seen only above and below,--below, minus the dead angle
of the motor and the cock-pit. The pilot can easily lose sight of the
airplanes in his own group or that of the enemy, so that if he is alone,
he is in danger of being surprised. On the other hand, one condition of
his own victory is to surprise the enemy, especially if he attacks a
two-seated machine whose range of fire is much broader, or if he does
not hesitate to choose his victim from among a group. The Spad pilot
makes use of the sun, of fog, of clouds. He flies high in order to hold
the advantage of being able to pounce down upon his enemy while the
enemy approaches prudently, timidly, suspecting no danger.

The battle of the Somme was the most favorable for solitary airplanes,
or airplanes coupled like hunting-dogs. Since then methods have changed,
and the future belongs to fighting escadrilles or groups of machines.
But at that time the one-seated airplane was king of the air. One of
them was enough to intimidate enemy airplanes engaged in regulating
artillery fire and in short-distance scouting, making them hesitate to
leave their lines, and to frighten barrier patrols of two or even four
two-seated airplanes, in spite of their shooting superiority, into
turning back and disbanding. The one-seated enemy machines never
ventured out except in groups, and even with the advantage of two
against one refused to fight. So the one-seated French machine was
obliged to fly alone, for if it was accompanied by patrols, the enemy
fled and there was no one to attack; whereas, when free to maneuver at
will, the solitary pilot could plan ruses, hide himself in the light or
in the clouds, take advantage of the enemy's blind sides, and carry out
sudden destructive attacks which are impossible for groups. Our airmen
never speak of the Somme without a smile of satisfaction: they have
retained heroic memories of that campaign. Afterwards, the Germans
drilled their one-seated or two-seated patrols, trained them in
resistance to isolated attacks, and taught them in turn how to attack
the solitary machine which had ventured out beyond its own lines. We
were obliged to alter our tactics and adopt group formation. But the
strongest types of our enemy-chasing pilots were revealed or developed
during the battle of the Somme.

Moreover, our aviators at that time were incomparable; and in citing the
most illustrious among them one risks injustice to their companions
whose op