WAR IN THE AIR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17076, 27 January 1916, Page 7

WAR IN THE AIR.

RECENT LOSSES.

DUELS ON WESTERN FRONT

By Telegraph—Press Association —CopyrightLONDON, January 25.

Mr H. J. Tennant, Under-Secretary for War, in the House of Commons, said that four military aeroplanes had pursued the Kentish raiders, who were too distant, to he overtaken. Mr Tennant added that during the past four weeks thirteen British aeroplanes had been lost on the western front, and nine or eleven Gorman. We had used 128 machines in our raids, while the enemy used twenty. The number of our aeroplanes crossing the enemy lines was 122 1, against 310 enomv aeroplanes crossing our lines. Ali aircraft lights hod occurred over or behind the enemy lines. Owing to the westerly wiud, the Germans, when hit, planed down, whilst ours could not. Therefore it was impossible to give a correct comparison of the actual losses.

THE FOKKER.

GUNS ARB USELESS. “TIME FOR BOLD POLICY.” “Times" and Sydney "Sun” Services. (Received January 26, 5.10 p.rn.) LONDON, January 25. Mr Beach Thomas, writing from ths headquarters in France, outlines tip Allies' astonishing predominance in the air during 10J.5. They were frequently hovering over German centres in Belgium unmolested, the German airmen not venturing to pursue them. The reconnaissances wore exceeding a thousand' per month, and there were lew casualties. The Now Year brought the Fokker, heralding a change. ’Though it had not given the enemy theinitiative, it had unquestionably arrested --he Allhs’ almost insolent command of the air by improving the German defences. “ The remarkable development in the ail - is that the defence is now vested in fliers. Anti-aircraft guns are practically useless, and it is, therefore, essential to find' an answer to the Fokker, which it greatest mistake to underestimate.” “ The Timer’s” aeronautical correspondent says the real facts about the Fokker arc that the Germans axe employing a machine which is considerably interfering with our airmen s daily work. There :s reason 1 to believe that we have a machine as good or better, but the question is whether it exists in sufficient numbers to neutralise the enemy’s effort. Mr Tennant s speech was a further instance of sloppiness in information given to the llouso of Commons on aircraft matters. The Fokker was ca.pable of flights over the British lines, but was not intended for that purpose. Tt was not the German habit to fly over the enemy a lines, as we do. Why have we not got big engines when we are ahead of the world in design? When we employ better machines than the Germans they will not lose time in the production of machines that are better still, and presuniabJj r they are already en-ga-gecl in work to that end. Our authorities must be ready, and. look ahead for the next developments. Now is the time for a bold, far-seeing policy in aircraft.

VISIT TO DOVER.

THE GERMAN VERSION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, January 25. A Berlin wireless message says:— “ One of our seaplanes, on the night of January 22, bombed the railway station, barracks and docks at Dover. 'On the afternoon of January 23 two of our seaplanes bombed the airship shed at Hougham, west of Dover, causing a large fire.”

RAID ON DUNKIRK.

ENEMY DROP BOMBS. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, January 25. The Admiralty announces that a report received from Dunkirk states that two aeroplanes dropped bombs on Dunkirk this morning. A German seaplane was forced into the water by a British machine northeast of Nieuport this morning.