• On Monday the Press Bureau issued a narrative of
the fighting in France from September 4th to 10th, both days inclusive. It ends with a eulogy of the Royal Flying Corps. "It is impossible either to award too much praise to our aviators or to over-estimate the value of the intelligence collected, more especially during the recent advance." General Joffre sent to the corps a special message of gratitude. During a period of twenty days up to September 10th a daily average of more than nine reconnaissance flights of over one hundred miles each was maintained. Observation was the chief duty ; bomb-dropping has been little practised.
Hostile craft, however, have instantly been attacked by one or more British aeroplanes :—
" This has been so far successful that in five cases Gorman pilots or observers have been shot in the air and their machines brought to the ground. As a consequence, the British Flying Corps has succeeded in establishing an individual ascendancy which is as serviceable to us as it is damaging to the enemy. How far it is due to this cause it is not possible at present to ascertain definitely, but the fact remains that tho enemy have recently become much less enterprising in their flights. Something in the direction of the mastery of the air has already been gained."
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