A German Pilot taking Aerial Reconnaissance Photographs over the Western Front, 1917 (pen &...

A French Spad attacking a German Army Air Service Albatross C.X. Artillery Cooperation and Reconnaissance machine. The German pilot, who is taking reconnaissance photographs with a camera fixed on to the side of the plane, appears unaware that he is about to be attacked. One of the many innovations of the First World War was the use of aircraft for reconnaissance purposes. As stalemate developed on the ground, with both sides unable to advance even a few hundred yards without a major battle and thousands of casualties, aircraft became greatly valued for their role in gathering intelligence on enemy positions. Large reconnaissance planes were used to scout enemy positions and bomb their supply bases. Because these planes were large and slow, they made easy targets for enemy fighter aircraft. Lt. Richard Barrett Talbot Kelly’s account of the First World War is recorded in 'A Subaltern’s Odyssey' (1980).