AERIAL WARFARE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15561, 10 April 1916, Page 7

AERIAL WARFARE.

THE ZEPPELIjN'S. WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S RAID. LYING GEI?MAX CLAIMS. (By Cable. —Press .Association.—Copy-rigM.) (Received April 9th. 5.5 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, April 8. A German official communique says: '"Our naval airships on Wednesday night destroyed a large ironworks near Whitby, after previously putting out of action a battery of guns north of Hull. They also attacked factories at Leeds and a number of railway stations in industrial districts. The airships returned undamaged.''

Reporting on the raid on Wednesday night, the High Commissioner's message said: —"The air raid last night on the North-eastern Counties was apparently carried out by three Zeppelins. The first made an attack at. about 9.10 p.m.. and was driven off by antiaircraft >uns after dropping five bombs,

which caused no damage or casualties;. Numerous observers state that- this i Zeppeiin was struck by gun-fire. The second raider made its appearance in another locality at 10.15 p.m. .No, bombs were dropned. Another raider ; delivered an attack on a third locality, i Several bombs were dropped, but only j slight materia] damage was emisc-d. j The totai number of bombs dropped was j -1 explosive and '21 incendiarv. The j casualties reported are:—Killed, ono : child: injured, two men. one woman., and five children. No military damage j was done." ;

SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. 1 REPORT FROM HOLLAND. AMSTERDAM. April 7. It is reported that British roast batteries seriously damaged three Zeppelins during "Wednesday night's raid. ! BOMBING A RAIDER, j i LIEUT. BRANDON'S GREAT FEAT, i ATTACK IN THE DARK. (Received April 9th. 5.5 p.m.') LONDON, April S. Details of Sub-Lieutenant Brandon's feat show that ho left the aerodome under orders to patrol in the direction ■where the enemy aircraft were expected. He sighted his quarry and gave phase, driving his machine '"'all out." He lost sight of the airship, but finally sighted it again at his own level of GOOO feet. He rose another 400 feet, rounded the Zeppelin's bows, sharply turned above it, and liberated three bombs in olio sweep. Ho heard three distinct detonations from the rear of the airship. The latter fired round after round from its machine-guns. Brandon felt the bullets hit his machine, but ho was determined to make another shot. Ho saw sparks coming from the Zeppelin's stern. He flew towards its bow and dropped more explosive bombs, despite a heavy machine-gun fire. The Zeppelin was then lost in the darkness. ("Tiir.cs" and "Sydney Sun" Services.) LONDON, April 7. The latest Zeppelins have attained approximate invisibility as a result of the Germans' experiments. Searchlights lind increasing difficulty in picking up tho Zeppelins. When they are discovered they endeavour to elude the searchlights by rising rapidly. The country correspondents of "The Times" agreo that the latest Zeppelins have decreased in noisiness, indicating that tho persistent efforts to silence tho engines are becoming more, successful. Tho "Kolnische Zeitung" says that the series of air raids on England is due to a conversation between the Kaiser and Count Zeppelin, -who was recently summoned to "headquarters. The paper regret 3 the loss of Llo, and adds that England only saved the crew because she was afraid to repeat the shameful act of the King Stephen and Ll9. A RUSSIAN SUCCESS. "DIRIGIBLE" BROUGHT DOWN. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) PETR'OGR'AD. April 7. An official communique says:— "A Russian. a,viator brought down a German dirigible southwards of Dvinsk." [The message gives no indication as to whether the "dirigible" -was a Zeppelin or an airship of the Parseval type.]

FUTILE AUSTRIAN RAID TWO AEROPLANES LOST. (Received April 9th, o.u p.m.) ROME, April 8. An official communique says: — "Seven Austrian aeroplanes on Thursday night raided the Isonzo front. "Our aviators attacked them in the darkness, bringing down two Austrian machines." A THRILLING FIGHT. "BABY-KILLER" KILLED. BRITISH AIRMAN WINS D.S.O. The High Commissioner reports: — LONDON, April 7 (5.45 p.m.) The Press Bureau reports that-Flight-Commander R. J. Bone lias been awarded the D.S.O. for his gallantry in pursuing a hostile seaplane over 30 miles to sea, and forcing an action, in spite of the fact that ho himself was in a small land machine. Bone left tho aerodrome whilo the encmv was still in sight, aiid, making no attempt to climb steeply, he concentrated his attention on keeping the enavny in sight. . After pursuing him for nearly «3U miles, his machine, _ by a superior climb, attained a height of 9000 feet, 3000 feet above the enemy. From this position, by flying slightly nose down, he rapidly overhauled the enemy, and endeavoured to make a vertical divo, while firing his machine-gun. The enemy replied vigorously. FlightCommander Bone manoeuvred to get ahead of the hostile machine, and, having succeeded, he steered straight at him diving to pass below and turning with a vertical right-hand "bank" almost immediately under him. The enemy turned his machine away to tho left before they met, and the observer was visible hanging over the right-hand side of the fusilage. apparently dead or severely wounded. Flight-Commander Bone's speed carried him within 15 or 20 feet of the enemy, and he had no difficulty in keeping the sights of his gun on the German machine. He fired four or five bursts of about six rounds each until the enemy dived steeply with smoke pouring from his engine. The propeller stopped while Flight-Commander Bone's aeroplai;e was in a vertical position, but the machine was under control, and succeeded in landing safely.

Flight-Cnnuuander .Reginald John Bonc7 R.N. 1X5.0., attained his prosent rank on February 123 r d. 1915. His seniority as Lieutenant. 11.N.. dates from liecembor 31st, 1910. He took up aviation less than throe years ago, and was appointed to H.M.S. Hermes on September 17th, 1913. for instruction at the Centra! Flying School. He \>r.s previously in the submarine service. H" is 27 years of age. 1 ho fight described in the above message plaro on March 19th. I-our German seaplanes flew over Dover, Deal, Ramsgate. Margate, and Wostiiato. rironping 18 bombs and killing

three men. one woman, and five children. and injuring seventeen ii.cn. live women and nine children. FlightCommander Bone,. iu a single-seater acrophno. pursued one enemy seaplane thirty miles out T o sen, and after a iigh> lasting fifteen minutes. killed the observer and forced the seaplane into the -water.