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An aerial photograph of the region around the target was given to me. I still have it, bearing lines that I drew on it in ink. Two lines were drawn through the target, one marking the direction of fire from the battery, the other at right angles to the first. Other lines were drawn parallel to these, separated by intervals corresopnding to 100 meters on the ground. My job was to spot each shellburst in relation to those lines and to report in Morse code how far it was off target; so many meters over or short, so many to the right or left.  I went over the photograph with Denis to make sure he knew the locationof the target.  Both of us knew also the location of the battery of 75's we were to work for.  Once in the air he and I could converse through our speaking tubes, but Denis did not understand English as all and I could speak French only in scraps.  He was however an old hand at reglage and he knew the plan.  I expected to need only two words of French, "Allez" and "Tournez". but our mission was not to be that simple.  For some reason I never learned, the battery commander decided after we were already in the air to change the game plan.  He told me that, and gave me my new instructions, by displaying on the ground certain panels of white cloth.  It was the only way he had to communicate with me.

The number, shape and arrangement of those pieces of cloth conveyed code messages to the observer.  This language did not of course lend itsefl to subtle nuances of meaning.  It did suffice to express the simple thoughts an artilleryman was most likely to have about the aiming of his guns.  Every obwerver had to memorize a dozen or so panel arrangements and their meaning.

As soon as we were aloft that morning I unrolled my aerial and began sending the call letters of the battery, just to let them know we were coming.  When we arrived over the battery I found displayed a panel signal that meant "Wait a few minutes". Denis could see tht signal too, but he had no idea what it meant.  Pilots never had occasion to learn that code.  His French observers could give him whatever explanations were needed, but I could not.  I just said "Attendez". He seemed to understand the word, but probably thought I was holding up proceedings for reasons of my own.  Anyway there was nothing he could do until I have him the word to start a run toward the target.  So he circled around.