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we would go in the direction of Metz.

On the night preceding the attack with the opening of the preliminary artillery preparation, our night bombardment aviation made a simultaneous attack against their aerodromes, railway stations, and principal depots of supplies and command, so as to destroy as much as possible, and at the same time interfere with their system of command. Before dawn on the day of the attack, all our aviation was in the air - the corps observations and low flying pursuit working directly with the troops themselves, the pursuit barrages at medium and high altitude guarding the front and particularly the flanks, while our bombardment aviation hit directly at the enemy elements on our main axis of advance.

The effect on the enemy during the first day was staggering, as it always is when one has the power of initiative and makes a concentrated attack. Our artillery preparation was very well made, and the infantry advanced in fine style. On the second day the advance was a little slower, and the enemy aviation made very sharp attacks against our flanks, and endeavored in every way to attack our infantry with their battle flights. These were sharply replied to by our low flying pursuits, and most of the fighting was carried into the enemy's country.

The Germans, finding that their tactics did not make us spread a thin veneer of aeroplanes all along the front through which they could break easily at any point with large group formation, immediately formed into masses of more than from fifty to seventy pursuit ships, Fokkers, in a group. To make our infantry insist on a splitting up of our pursuit aviation so as to give local protection everywhere, the Germans made the most desperate attacks against all our balloons and put on additional spur into their battle flights. As we were on the offensive, most of the air fighting at altitude occurred on their side of the line. 

Our principle was always to have two pursuit and one bombardment