AIR SUPREMACY.

Evening Star, Issue 16045, 23 February 1916, Page 6

AIR SUPREMACY.

GERMANS WORSTED IN RECORD DAY'S WORK. AUSTRIAN AND RUSSIAN RAIDS. LONDON, February 22. (Received February 23, at 8.5 a.m.) The communiques show that yesterday was a record-breaker for aeroplane attacks. Apart the destruction of a Zeppelin and the great air raid at Don. air raids and aerial fighting are reported in all the war theatres, including Austrian raids on Brescia and Milan (resulting in small damage), and Russian raids on Buczacz (on the Strypa, Galicia) and Manasterjisk. The French brought down a Fokker, an Albatross, and a third machine in various sectors. Seven machines also fought four enemy aeroplanes at Hattonehatel, two being brought down, -while the others fled. ( A French chaser squadron attacked 15 German machines, and forced the squadron to fight at Revigny, and brought down one. A French, squadron of 17 dropped 70 bombs of heavy calibre on the German aerodrome at Habsheim and the coods station at Mulhouse. ° A French squadron of 28 bombed the enemy's munition factorj at Pa<*ny-sur-Moselle, and all t\ie> machines returned safely. The Zeppelin reported in flames at Brabant la Roi was shot through by an incendiary shell from an armored motor car. NEW SHELL TO SETTLE ZEPPELINS. LONDON, February 22. (Received February 23, at 8.20 a.m) Apropos of the Joss of the Zeppelin, it is stated that is Js possible to mako an incendiary non-explosive shell nlauily visible at night durint its wholo 'flight It develops such terrific heat that it mu=t inevitably set fire, to a Zeppelin if it struck one. THE DON RAID. BIG BRITISH SUCCESS. LONDON, February 22. (Received February 23, at 8.5 a.m.) Sir Douglas Haig reports that 26 British aeroplanes attacked enemy depots at Don, doing extensive damage to the stores and railway. Enemy aircraft recently made several night attacks on various towns in our area, with no military results, but a few civilians were killed. AUSTRIAN GENERALS BOMBED. BASLE, February 22. (Received February 23, at 10.10 a.m.) It is authoritatively stated from Vienna sources that Russian aeroplanes dropped 30 bombs on the Austrian Staff Headquarters in Eastern Galicia. NATURE ASSISTS. FRIEDRICIISHAFEN HANGARS ■WRECKED BY HURRICANE. PARIS, February 22. (Received February 23, at 8.20 a.m.) Reports in Swiss papers affirm that a hurricane partially demolished the Zeppelin sheds at Fricdrichshafen (on Lake Constance, the headquarters of tho Zeppelin industry). REORGANISING THE SERVICE NEED HUMOROUSLY INSTANCED. COMEDY OF ERRORS. LONDON, February 22. (Received February 23, at 9.20 a.m.) Lord Derby is regarded as likely to be appointed chairman of the committee to co-ordinate the naval and military branches of the air service, with Sir David Henderson assisting- him. Mr Eonnett-Goldingielated in the Hou.ee of Commons that during a raid on Kent in January a British aeroplane mistook a British seaplane for a German. A battle ensued, and. the anti-aircraft gunners, witnessing the fight, turned their guns upon 'both. Tho damage to the tower of Walmer Church injured some men in barracks there. GERMAN AIR SERVICE. TYPICAL ORGANISATION. A DETAILED STATEMENT. LONDON, February 22. (Received February 23, at 9.20 a.m. _ The ' Daily Telegraph,' in an authority live review of the German air service, points out that until the summer of 1915 the British and French aeroplanes had obtained a clear ascendancy, owing to the superiority of their pilots and 'the fact that their machines were better adapted to the strees of a protracted campaign. Since then,, however, tho Germans, by a

lavish use <>t nimy powciful aeroplanes and a. concentration of the llower of their air service an the west iron I;-, contrived to ruconquer the highways of'the air. Thero arc 651 German machines now li active and even more in reserve. The Gmwii: aviation establishment, consists of 95 squadrons, each comprising seven aeroplanes, of which 79 aro field squadrons. One squadron is allotted to every army corps, eight squadrons are specially detailed for artillery observation, and there arc four fortress squadrons. Each Gorman field squadron consists of three aeroplanes for observing artillery fire, and these are unarmed, provided with wireless, and aro usually of the Aviatik or Albatross design; two"fighting machines", armed, without wireless, mostly of the Fokker design ; one heavily armed and aimored plane, with wireless; and one machine in .reserve. Tho ammunition carried varies from 600 to 1,000 rounds, and the wireless equipment weighs 451b. The organisation includes many training centres. Each army has a complete avia," tion park, with stores, reserve machines, spare parts, and workshops. Official reports in 1915 placed the Austt'o-Gernian losses at 210 aeroplanes and 17 captive balloons, hut their real losses were much higher. SUEZ RECONNAISSANCE. A COUP CONFIRMED. CAIRO, February 22. (Received February 23, at 5.20 a.m.) Official: A British aviator, when on reconnaissance duty on Sunday over the ei.omy\j advanced posts eastward of the hvez Canal, descended and dropped a 1001b bomb and destroyed a power station at El Hassana.