A BUSY WEEK

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 19 August 1918, Page 5

A BUSY WEEK

RESULTS DISASTROUS TO GERMANS.

_ . LONDON, Aug. 17 lhe past week was unparalelled as regards air activity. "I he results • are disastrous to Germany and encouraging to us. The battle began on the eve of the Somme offensive was the biggest during the war period in the number of machines engaged, the intensity of the fighting and the magnitude of the eneSf \^ff 8 during the fighting, especially on the first day between Albert and Amiens, on the Roye Road The important feature is the effect on Lrc~fnHni^ Tl«>«gh the enemy was largely reinforced on the first day, hIS I"!Ii CV VaS subsequently markedly yeaker. His scouts operated in larger formations, probably owing to his losses, but the British attacked with undimini I lshed determination, inflicting even ' heavier losses. j The total for the week is 339 de-! 123 and d"Yen down unco"'tjoiahle I There was an enormous amount of other activity behind the enemy's lines 020 tons of oombs being dropped with notable siiccess. Our airmen continuously bombarded the Somme bridges day and night, in which the lessons the -British airmen learned on the Piave were applied with signal effectiveness. —Reuter. „-, . LONDON. Aug 17 (1 a.m.) I a . <£ dm* raJ^ re P°rts: Between August Sth and 15th, the Air Forces j dropped 60 tons of bombs upon the Zeebrugge and Ostend Docks, the Varsein- I acre aerodrome, La Brugeoise works,) aY- j^?3 i dof ks-- ""d on Blankenbergh and Middlekerk, also on many enemy batteries and billets. As the result of the Varssmaere attack we fired six aeroplanes and hangars. W e hit two Gotha hangars, on e being demolished. We also j fai-ed large petrol dumps. j . We successfully attacked enemy shiu- ' pmg, directly hitting a destroyer. A big explosion was observed later T\ c destroyed 16 aeroplanes and drove down 10. Three British machines have not returned. , A French aviation communique reports : Our bombing squadrons dropped 32 tons of projectiles in the battle zone and also behind the enemy front. Several railway stations were hit, notably lergmer, Noyon, Mezieres, and Thionvile. —Aus.-N.Z. C.A. and Reuter