Our airplane school scattered in different parts of the country are among our most active training centers. This view on the field of the aviation school at Mineola, N.Y. indicates the activities at these camps. This new phase of army training has assumed the greatest importance. Probably more depends on aviation than any other single element in modern warfare. Not only are the aviators the eyes of the army and navy, but they are a powerful and effective fighting force with their machine guns and bombs. With a sudden sally they can swoop down on a relief column back of the enemy’s lines and decimate its ranks cutting off the reinforcements intended for the hard pressed front. They can blow up ammunition depots, supply stations, and even munition works far behind the opposing lines. Curiously enough, on the sea they are the worst enemy of the submarine whose presence far beneath the surface of the water they can detect like a fish hawk and drop their depth bombs without danger to themselves. Air supremacy will greatly hasten our complete victory over the diabolical forces confronting us, so we must speed the construction of machines and the training of men for this work.
