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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 198, 25 September 1914, Page 6

In the-.early .-days of the great war the world heard much about the air-arm of the German forces. The exploits of the Zeppelins and. the Taube aeroplanes were recounted v daily with graphic details. In fact, so persistently 'did' the cablegrams recount the successes of the enemy.'s warplanes that the impression was conveyed of.,a. v pro-, nounced inferiority on the part of the Allied aviators. Sir John .'.French's latest dispatch, a soldierly aeeount of soldierly achievements, explodes the suggestion of German dominance in the air. ''lt is interesting to note,'' says, the dispatch, inter alia, "that the Royal Flying Corps, who have been' out on reconnaisance duty every day since their arrival in France, have never, seen a Zeppelin. .. ." Now that the various war correspondents at the front have shake!n off the rfirst emotions of battle, and their: nerves have become normal f we may expect (by favour of the censor) to receive fewer cock-and-bull stories of operations by and against the enemy. It is evident that during the first month of fighting, there has been a good deal of .pa'iiicky information forwarded from the front, including the absolutely fierce tales (if the sinister Taube 'planes. , Sirtwice enlightened the this point, and that the allied airmen have not been idle is'further demonstrated by the daring descent of British aero- ; planes on the Zeppelin sheds at Dusseldorf on the lihine. This town is some I'OO miles S.E. of Antwerp, and the exploit of Lieutenant Collett will rank with any', that' has 'been achieved from the German side. What damage the Britisher's bombs did .to the sheds is not ascertainable, as the intrepid Collett had to leave immediately owing to the fact that the garrison had found his range, but this attack will show the Germans that any more such cowardly attacks as have been made on Antwerp will be met with reprisals. TJie Admiralty has warned the enemy to.-this effect. When the whole story of this phase of the war comes to be.told it will probably be found that from first to last the French and British airmen were at least the equal of those of the eiicmv. ..■■■■■/-■.-.■