BRITISH AIR ACTIVITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 168, 16 July 1918, Page 6

BRITISH AIR ACTIVITY.

THE PAST WEEK'S RESULTS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Details of the work of British airmen are given in the weekly review of the war situation received by the GovernorGeneral from the Secretary of St&te for' the Colonies, for the period ending July 13: "British airmen continue steady aggressive iwork on all fronts, diversified by successful local air fights aud by longdistance raids, both in Germany and the East," the message states.- ' "On the western front, despite rain, mist, and clouds, British airmen have kept a close ■watch 'on enemy movements, have 'bombed his dumps and hutments, have attacked infantry and transport with machine-guns, and have helped the artillery to destroy enemy batteries, besides taking thousands of photographs of his positions. The aerial lighting thu3 entailed hue resulted in heavy enemy losses. Enemy machines, to the number of 52, were brought down, and 37 winged, [making a total of 89, while only 17 British machines arc reported missing. When the Australian infantry trfok Hamel on ..luly 4 British airmen cooperated brilliantly. The attack was preceded by an air assault. Britieh aviators flew close ever the roofs of the ruined cottages, dropped several hundred bombs, and fired nearly 50,000 rounds of machine-gun ammunition on the defences. "The Independent Royal Air Force continues its bombing raids into Germany, aiming at important junctions and munitions centres west of the Rhine. British format:ons attacked Metz-Sablon, Saarbruckcn, Osblenz, and Karthauee, while single raids were carried out on Boulay, Mannheim, Thionville, Falken-, berg, Kaiserslautcrn, and Luxemburg. All j our machines returned safely, despite desperate air resistance at Metz and Sanrbrucken. which resulted in one enemy machine being destroyed and two others helplessly winged. The Navy and air forces again co-operated in attacks on German naval "works on the Belgian coast with excellent results. Bombs were seen to 'burst on vital points in the harbour entrance, powder factory, warehouses, and quay at Ostend, round the lock gates at Zeebrugge, and on shipping at Bruges. A Britifa formation attacked 16 hostile machines, three of the enemy being winged ariji three brought down in flames, with no British damage. British machines have taken thousands of photographs in Italy, and have brought down six enemy aircraft. Similar success wae achieved on the Balkan and Palestine fronts, and half a ton of bombs was dropped effectively on Constantinople on