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aviation - that is, the aviation which specializes in attacking troops and formations on the ground. They called this branch of aviation "battle squadrons", gave them special aeroplanes and an especial manner of operating. To counteract these, we organized a special branch of our pursuit aviation which we called "low flying pursuit." The patrols of this branch each had ten kilometers or six miles of front assigned. They operated in two tiers, at about 200 and 600 to 800 feet respectively. The lower patrols contained two planes, the upper ones three. They kept very close liaison with the anti-aircraft artillery and machine-guns. The enemy usually attacked in a succession of battle flights of from four to six planes each. Our low flying pursuit planes were seldom able to see them, because the enemy flew so close to the ground. The anti-aircraft artillery, however, could spot them with facility, and their fire would immediately call the attention of the low flying pursuit, which, from its method of operation, would usually bring from seven to nine pursuit ships against a single battle flight of the enemy. The pursuit group which handled the low flying pursuit shot down 110 German ships, and lost only 10 of their own in the month of October. No other aviation specialized in this as ours did, on account of the difficulty and danger of the operation. 

Having provided to the greatest extent possible for the aviation directly attached to the troops, and the pursuit aviation for their protection, we decided to concentrate the mass of our bombardment and ground attack aviation on the main axis of our advance, so as to clear the way as much as possible for the infantry in its advance, and at the same time cover our dangerous centre from their attack. From the manner of the German air concentration against us and from their methods, which I had watched in the battle of Verdun in 1917, I was convinced that they would commence by operating against our flanks, and particularly against our right flank on the first day, because they would think it possible that