As aircraft started to be used against ground targets on the battlefield, the AA guns could not be traversed quickly enough at close targets and, being relatively few, were not always in the right place (and were often unpopular with other troops), so changed positions frequently. Soon the forces were adding various machine-gun based weapons mounted on poles. These short-range weapons proved more deadly, and the "Red Baron" is believed to have been shot down by an anti-aircraft Vickers machine gun. When the war ended, it was clear that the increasing capabilities of aircraft would require better means of acquiring targets and aiming at them. Nevertheless, a pattern had been set: anti-aircraft warfare would employ heavy weapons to attack high-altitude targets and lighter weapons for use when aircraft came to lower altitudes.
as aircraft started to be used against ground targets on the battlefield the aa guns could not be traversed quickly enough at close targets and being relatively few were not always in the right place (and were often unpopular with other troops) so changed positions frequently soon the forces were adding various machine-gun based weapons mounted on poles these short-range weapons proved more deadly and the "red baron" is believed to have been shot down by an anti-aircraft vickers machine gun when the war ended it was clear that the increasing capabilities of aircraft would require better means of acquiring targets and aiming at them nevertheless a pattern had been set anti-aircraft warfare would employ heavy weapons to attack high-altitude targets and lighter weapons for use when aircraft came to lower altitudes