ALLIED AIR SUPERIORITY MAKING ITSELF FELT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16876, 14 June 1918, Page 5

ALLIED AIR SUPERIORITY MAKING ITSELF FELT.

ENEMY ENDEAVOURING TO CONCEAL HIS LOSSES. Australian and N.Z. tßeceived. 7.15 p.m.) LONDON. June 12. The newspapers draw attention to the faet. that, the Germans are no longer reporting their air losses. This is clearly the result of the allied superiority. One British squadron brought down 106 enemy machines in six weeks, 22 of which were destroyed. Another squadron brought down 50 in a month. Mr. Percival Phillips says that British airmen have been active in the French zone between Montclidier and Xoyon, attacking the infantry with machine-guns and bombing concentration depots and camps. On Sunday night the British dropped over 300 bombs around Rove and fired 30,000 rounds. Two of our aviators had a remarkable escape after being brought down by an anti-aircraft gun behind the German lines. They had many exciting adventures in the enemy front trenches and in No Man's Land. The observer was stunned by the fall, but the pilot revived him, and both walked towards the French lines. They stumbled on a German heavy battery in action. The aviators were forced to lie in a hedge all day, but eventually they swam the river and reached a French post after hairbreadth escapes among German sentries, who frequently challenged and fired on them. On two.other occasions a German decoy machine signalled the approach of a British patrol. Six German Albatrosses swooped to the attack, and simultaneously another six Albatrosses appeared, confusing the first batch, who thought them British machines. A general '" dog-fight'' ensued, in which the British neatly brought down the German decoy and also two Albatrosses, and then withdrew, leaving the remaining Albatrosses fighting among themselves.