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The taking of obliques from low altitudes became customary and they proved invaluable to the Command in planning future operations. Until this date all our photography had been vertical. Visual reconnaissance missions were dispatched at dawn and twilight; artillery surveillance and other reconnaissance were carried out whenever necessary.

In the opening days, the corps and divisional artillery surveillance planes met with considerable success in reporting any activity of hostile batteries. But the rapid movement of both artillery made it impossible to carry out scheduled adjustments for it was seldom the Air Service could keep informed of the location of artillery units. It was impossible to have regularly assigned batteries for conduct of fire on fugitive targets. These conditions obtained until the halt at Vesle, with Air Service aerodromes 40 to 60 kilometers behind the point of attack. In a few instances observers did secure fire on fleeting targets and at these times valuable results were obtained. In addition, the same difficulties arose as were prevalent before July 18th; those due to inexperience of the artillery radio stations, panel crews and general lack of knowledge by artillery units in the use of airplane as a means of adjustment. 

An artillery surveillance plane was in the air constantly.