BRITISH AIR WORK.

Evening Star, Issue 16847, 24 September 1918, Page 3

BRITISH AIR WORK.

A MEMORABLE WEEK. Australian and N Z Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, September 22. Sir Douglas Haig reports; There has ben active aeroplane work, despite the bad weather. We brought down 15 hostile machines; eight British planes are missing. WELLINGTON, September 25. Tho following weekly official review has been issued by the Ministry of Information ; After five clays of almost perpetual storm and rain, the week’s air war culminated in a remarkable burst of fighting on the British western front and over Germany itself. Notwithstanding unfavorable air conditions from Tuesday to Saturday night, the British airmen seized every opportunity to press home tho advantages gained in recent operations. In intervals of fine weather they took many photographs, and dropped more than 20 tons of bombs on enemy organisations behind the lines.

On the 15th inst. improved weather produced most marked aerial developments, .and large numbers of enemy machines were encountered on the German side of the line. Considering their recent heavy losses, the enemy squadrons worked in large formations, and fought bitter combats. In two days’ fighting _ 32 British machines were reported missing 5 but 72 German machines were destroyed, 27 brought down, and one kite balloon brought down on fire, making a total “ bag ” of 100 enemy aircraft in 48 hours. While these battles were proceeding the British bombing squadrons were most active, dropping more than 60 tons of bombs on military objectives behind the battle line. On the 16th inst. British reconnaissance machines established a record, bringing back a larger number of aerial photographs than ever previously recorded in a single day’s work. The Royal Air Force’s independent force, acting in concert with the French and American attack on_ the St. Mihiel salient, easily surpassed its own records, both in number of objectives attacked and weight of bombs dropped. Probably there has never been a more formidable and persistent air assault than the Rhine country suffered from British airmen during the. past week. Between the 13th and the 16th, inst. 34 separate raids were \

made. Twelve went for the vital railway juntcr triangle at Metz-Sablon, four against ilie Courcelles’ junction, seven against the railways at _ Arnaville, Ohrange, Saarbrucken, Kaiserslautern, and Marinz, while heavy attacks were also made on enemy aerodromes at Buhl, Boulay, Frascaty, and Hagenau. Such repeated attacks on the same pln-oas were necessary as measures against perpetually renewed German repairs and machineproduction. In addition, destructive raids were also made on chemical and aeroplane factories at Mannhein, the Daimler works at Stuttgart, and dock sidings at Karlsruhe. Fifty-nine tons of bombs were dropped during the five days, which is equal to more than half the total weight of bombs dropped during the whole of the preceding month. Material results are clearly shown by photographs and other records, and a large number of direct hits were obtained on all the objectives. British airmen continue to do successful work in conjunction with the allied offensive in the Balkans and Italy. Besides maintaining all their usual patrols, they attacked vigorously naval and military works at Bruges, Ostend, Stahillo. Mariasaarter, Zevecote, etc. Over one of these places on the 16th Inst, no fewer than eleven enemy machines _ wero dewith seven more driven down, while only two British machines failed to return. SEA TRANSPORT. HUGE REQUIREMENTS FOR AMERICAN ARMY. ALL ELSE SUBSIDIARY. NEW YORK, September 22. _ Officials point out that, with the American and allied yards working at their fullest capacity’, the danger of U boats starving Europe has apparently ended. The United States is now operating 203 shipyards, with 1,020 ways. WASHINGTON, September 22. Mr Hoover, Food Controller, in a statement, says it will bo necessary to ship 17.650.000 tons of meat, fats, breadstuffs, sugar, and feed grains to Europe from the United States oy July, 1919, to make possible the sending of an American army of 3,500,000 to Franco by next summer, and to adequately provision tho allied nations. Mr Hoover points out that to obtain the necessary tonnage for tho transportation of food and troops it will be necessary' to withdraw allied ships from the Australian and South American trade, transferring them to the service between Europe and North America. Tho Shipping Board constructed in August 261,039 tons of shipping, as compared with total allied losses for that period amounting to 259,400 tone. The United States ways are now double the total shipway’s for the rest of tho world. It is officially announced that 356 ships, aggregating more than 2,000,000 tons deadweight, had been completed at the yards under the supervision of the Emergency Fleet Corporation np to September 14: in addition, during the same period 264 ships were launched, aggregating 1.223.000 tons deadweight. 40th REINFORCEMENTS. REPORT AS TO INVALIDS. General Richardson has reported to the Minister of Defence that the side rate among the troops of tho Fortieth Reinforcements is stall diminishing. The total number in the Fago Hospital, Salisbury Plain, is 41, of which all are doing well except 71202 Gunner J. Dunn, who is dangerously ill. Tho number in Cod ford is 116, of ‘whom the following axe dangerously i 11:—79279 Private A. W. Moody, 42965 Gunner A. V. Scaly, 70341 Private G. B. Rodger; also seriously i 11—76576 Private T. Kedfher, 79552 Private S. G. Skinner, 74906 S. A. Chisholm. Hie medical officers at Oodford are hopeful that there will bo no further deaths. [The cable news in tins issue accredited to ‘ Tho Times ’ has appeared in that journal, but only where expressly statedi is such news the editorial opinion of ‘ The Times.’]