THE HORNET FLEET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3993, 28 July 1915, Page 7

THE HORNET FLEET.

AEROPLANES FOR THE ARMY. AN EMPIRE MOVEMENT. No branch of the British Army in this war - lias been more thoroughly efficient and ontorprisng than the airmen, and no branch has done, better work since the first weeks of tlce war. Not merely hare the army airmen done their primary duty as scouts for the army, but they have also developed strong offensive activities in common with their friends of the French Army. Tito Germans have done a certain amount of air scouting with their Aviatiks and their Taubes, but they have never yet undertaken any extensive operations of an offensive nature against military objects. Their attacks have invariably been on cities which have no military value or significance; whereas the Allies have invariably replied by raids on points of 1u i 1 ita ry siren gth.

V> hen the Germans throw bombs on the churchgoers at Nancy the British threw return .bombs on the airship shed's at Friederielisliafeii. When the Germans 'killed three women in the streets of Paris the French flew over Ludwigshafen in force and damaged seriously the chemical works there which are engaged in making high explosives for the German artillery. The Overseas Club lias by a happy inspiration taken this braucli of the service as the object of a patriotic movement in which it seeks to unite the oversea parts of the Empire. The object is to furnish the British Government with an Imperial aircraft flotilla as a gift from its members oversea. Two of these have already been presented to the War Office, and this week a draft lias been received from the inhabitants of Hongkong covering the sum necessary to purclnise two more.

The aeroplanes which are now recommended. by the War Office are Vickers’ gun planes, with 100 h.p. Gnome engines, which ar© the last word 1 in aircraft. They can be delivered complete with gun for £2250. The next best thing is the 70 h.p. Renault 8.T., which costs complete £ISOO.

This appeal has an additional interest for New Zealand in the fact that there are at least two New Zealand officers at tho present moment engaged with the Royal Flying Corps it the front, Lieut. Cuthbert Maclean, of the Royal Fusiliers, and Lieut. R. Balcombo Brown, of the Royal Artillery.