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1918 Scientific American March 9
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Bombing and Getting Bombed
THE day of the bombing plane is here. It has been long coming and more than once we may have considered the pre-war writings of many a novelist,1918 Farman F.56: Farman pusher biplane of 170 horsepower. This machine is typical of the French bombing service. 1918 Scientific American March 9 picturing frightful air raids with their accompanying toll in lives and property, as far-fetched; but every indication points to the extensive employment of the bombing plane this year. Both sides are going to bomb railroads and factories and towns and camps far in the enemy country. This, we are told by men in a position to know, is going to be a war behind the lines, with the attackers winging their way high above the intrenched lines and massed guns.

How effective is aerial bombing? That is a question which is difficult to answer. The bombs used early in this war were small and therefore of very limited destructive power. Sighting was still crude. But with the present bombs weighing anywhere from 50 to 400 pounds the destructive power of these missiles has been increased many fold. It is said of the latest German bombs that their destructive power is tremendous; for the time being they hold first place. As things go in aeronautics, however, this superiority is temporary. Already our French allies are at work on a bomb far more frightful in its effects.
1918 Aerial Bombing 220mm Shell: A 220 MM shell with tail fins for bombing purposes, being prepared for a German target.
British and German bombing is generally carried out with large machines. The former are now making use of large Handley-Page biplanes, while the latter are using fleets of Gotha biplanes. Either of these twin-engine types can carry upwards of a dozen large bombs, and are ideal for this class of work. On the other hand the French air service, although capable of building large machines and, indeed, possessing several excellent twin-engined types, for some reason or other prefer to continue using comparatively small Farman pusher biplanes, each capable of carrying several small bombs or one large torpedo.

Germany, that exponent of ruthless warfare and frightfulness, has thus far confined her bombing activities to enemy cities, such as London, Dunkirk, Dover, Nancy and other centers of population in France and England. Hers has been a campaign against civilians, with not a shred of legitimate excuse on the grounds of military necessity. The Entente air fleets, on the other hand, have conducted a vigorous air campaign against German works, camps and rail-roads, with an occasional raid over a German city as a reprisal for German air attacks on civilians.

Just how effective legitimate air raiding is may be judged by one case. It is said on good authority that certain French bombing squadrons, attacking night after night, weather conditions permitting, have reduced the iron production in the Briey region by at least 50 per cent. The Germans occupying that district are so hampered in their work by the nocturnal raiders that there exists a state of semi-disorganization. The Krupp works on at least one occasion has suffered some loss, but nothing can be learned definitely until after the war—and perhaps not even then. But it is known that numerous German railroads have been hampered by air raids, especially at times when it proved mighty in-convenient to frenzied commanders endeavoring to rush up troops and artillery to some hard pressed section of the line.
It remains for 1918, however, to witness the greatest aerial bombing activities. Both sides are going to send vast fleets into the enemy country. civilians are going to suffer as never before—if adequate protection is not provided. In the case of the Allied countries it is to be hoped that defensive squadrons will be available in sufficient numbers to discourage the wholesale bombing of positions back of the line. For the side that can ward off enemy bombers while in turn sending its own bombing fleets far into hostile skies, is going to have a telling advantage in the year's campaigns.