After
it began, they were overwhelmed and numerically unable to perform all
the aerial missions required. The fighting enemy escadrilles, with their
new series of machines and their improvements, won for a few days the
complete mastery of the air. Our own airplanes were forced off the
battle-field, and driven from their landing-places by cannon. Meanwhile
the Verdun battle was changing its character. General Petain, who took
command on February 26, restored the order which had been compromised by
the bending of the front, and established the new front against which
the Germans hurled their forces. It was also necessary for him to
reconquer the mastery of the air. He asked for and obtained a rapid
concentration of all the available escadrilles, and demanded of them
vigorous offensive tactics. To economize and cooerdinate strength, all
the fighting escadrilles at Verdun were grouped under the sole command
of Major de Rose. They operated by patrols, sometimes following very
distant itineraries, and attacking all the airplanes they met. In a
short time we regained our air supremacy, and our airplanes which were
engaged in regulating artillery fire and in taking aerial photographs
could work in safety.
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