it
was possible for them to come. It is horrible; one has no rest day
or night."

Although, for reasons into which it is not necessary to enter here, only
a comparatively small percentage of the efforts of the Independent Force
were directed against the industrial targets for which the force had
been created, yet by the end of the war the strategic conception of air
power was bearing fruit, and the Air Ministry had in hand measures for
bombing which would have gone far to shatter German munitionment. The
defence measures forced upon the Germans within their own country were
reacting on their offensive action at the front, which was at the same
time denuded of fighting aircraft at various points to meet the menace
of our strategic force at Ochey.

ORGANIZATION.

As in peace on a small, so in war on a large scale, the history of the
organization of aircraft, while we were fighting for our national
existence and competing with similar enemy expansion, is one of
continuous development, of decentralization of command and co-ordination
of duties. Headquarters, the Squadron and the Aircraft Park, as
originally conceived in peace, though subject to variations in size,
remained the basis of our organization. For instance, the original
eighteen machines of our squadron were increased to twenty-four for
single-seater fighters and reduced to six in the case of the
super-Handley Page bombers. The four squadrons originally operated
directly under Headquarters, were soon allocated to Corps for tactical
reconnaissance and artillery co-operation, while a unit remained at
Headquarters for strategical and long-distance reconnaissance and a few
special duties. The next step was in November, 1914, when two Wings,
composed originally of two, and later, of five squadrons each, were
formed, R.F.C. Headquarters retaining one squadron and the wireless
flight for G.H.Q. requirements. The Wing Headquarters co-ordinated the
work of the squadrons which were allocated to Army Corps.

A further development, in 1916, was the formation for each of the three
Armies of a Brigade, consisting of two Wings and an Aircraft Park.
One--the Corps Wing--carried out artillery co-operation and close
reconnaissance (including photography) with Army Corps, the other--the
Army Wing--carried out more distant reconnaissance and fighting patrols
under Army Headquarters. Our air superiority at the Battle of the Somme
in 1916 led us to expect German counter-