AVIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17322, 23 May 1918, Page 5

AVIATION

SUPREMACY ON THE WEST. BRITISH OBTAIN MASTERY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. NEW YORK, May 21. The British Mission has announced that British aviators have established control of the air in their section of the west front. Practically all combats take place over the German lines. AMERICAN AIRMAN'S DEATH. A GALLANT END. NEW YORK, May 21. The New York Times correspondent with the American army in France 6tates that Major Lufberry volunteered to attack a giant German aeroplane, the engines of which are armour-plated, and whose gunners wear steel suite, while the pilot sits in a steel house. Several American airmen kept np a stream of fire against the German plane, but without result, and the scene resembled swallows pecking at a giant bird of prey. Then Major Lufberry attacked, but his tank got ablaze, and he leaped from his machine at a height of 2000 ft. RAID ON LONDON. ' A MAGNIFICENT BARRAGE. LONDON, May 21. Sunday's air raid was one of the biggest yet attempted. A large number of enemy machines participated, and attacked the capital in relays. Everywhere the barrage was magnificent. ° . British airmen also fiercely attacked tho invaders, and American airmen assisted them for tho first time. THIRTY gothas engaged. A HOT FIGHT. FIVE RAIDERS DESTROYED. Auitralian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. • LONDON, May 21. -Ihe Press Bureau states: Probably 20 or . 30 Gothas participated in Sunday's raid. One group entered the Thames Estuary at 11 p.m., and skirted the North ■^ c "t coast, where they were heavily sneiiea. British airmen engaged one Gotha at 11.60 p.m. at close range. The Gotha disappeared in the clouds, and shortly after7fwvvf bU !f\ u to JJ ames at a height of YOOGft, and fell a blazing "wreck. The other Gothas of this group travereed Kent, dropping bombs, but did no damage. The other group entered Essex and reached London, where a Gotha was brought down by gunfire. A few dozen bombs were dropped in London district, damaging some small dwelling-houses. ihe casualties were nowise heavy or proportional to the material damage (? nor was the material damage proportionate to the effort). All the raiders were hotly engaged by our anti-aircraft defences. Some of them attempted to descend in the Thames Lstuai-y, -while the others proceeded eastward overland. Some of the latter were probably severely damaged in attempting to penetrate the London defences. At least three or more failed to escape. Two were brought before thev crossed the coast, one of them being destroyed by British airmen. A fifth fell in flames in the sea while a sixth and seventh were reported to have been observed falling sea 'i this is not confirmed. t Ihe casualties were 37 killed and 161 injured. Except for two outbreaks of fire in larger premises, which were soon controlled, the damage wa6 confined to the wrecking of smaller dwelling-houses by the concussion of the bombs. The Daily Express has high authority for stating that the number of invaders brought down is mainly due to the latest system of concentrated high-explosive guni? the efforts of the British aviators who forced the enemy within range of our anti-aircTaft batteries. High explosives can now be directed to a far greater height than before, while the rapidity with which the range can, be adjusted is a feature of the newest guns. TWO MORE AEROPLANES DESTROYED. LANDED IN DENMARK. Reuter's Telegrams. .. COPENHAGEN, May 21. (Rcccivcd May 22, at 8 p.m.) A telegram states that a steamer and a fishing boat have arrived at Gothenburg each of which saved two German airmen from two aeroplanes of a large now typo which were forced to descend in the vicinity of the Dogger Bank owing to shortage of petrol. The Germans destroyed the aeroplanes. From this it would appear that the Loudon air raiders suffered further losses on the routo home.