he western confines of Belgium, near Ypres,
the British employed numerous aircraft, many of
them biplanes, and at all times they were in the
air, reporting observations. Many of the flying
fights have been recorded, and the reports when
published will be most thrilling reading.

HOW AEROPLANES REPORT OBSERVATIONS.--It
may be of some interest to know how aeroplanes
are able to report observations to the commanders
in the field, from the airship itself. Many
ingenious devices have been devised for this purpose.

SIGNAL FLAGS.--The best known and most universally
used method is by the use of signaling
flags. Suppose the commander of a force is desirous
of getting the range of a hidden battery,
or a massed force in his front. The observer in
the aeroplane will sail over the area at an understood
altitude, say one mile in height.

The officer in charge of the battery, knowing
the height of the airship, is able, by means of
the angle thus given him, to get the distance between
his battery and the concealed point beneath
the airship. The observer in the airship, of
course, signals the engineer officer, the exact point
or time when the airship is directly above, and
this gives him the correct angle.

The guns of the battery are then directed and
fired so as to reach the concealed point. It is
now important to be able to send intelligible signals
to the officer in charge of the battery. If the
shot goes beyond the mark, the observer in the
airship raises the flag above his head, which indicates
that it was too high.

HOW USED.--If the shot fell short he would
lower the flag. If the shot landed too far to the
right, this would be indicated by the flag, and if
too far to the left, the signal would, in like manner,
be sufficient to enable the gunners to correct
the guns.

When the exact range is obtained the observer
in the ship waves the flag about his head, in
token of approval. All this work of noting the
effect of the shots must be taken while the airship
is under fire, and while circling about within
visual range of the