IN THE AIR

Otago Witness, Issue 3247, 7 June 1916, Page 21

IN THE AIR

NUMEROUS FIGHTS. PARIS, May 29. Official: Fifteen aerial fights occurred on Sunday. A Fokker attacked a French machine north of the Aisne and fired 1000 shots at it. The French pilot regained his lines, despite his machine being riddled. A second French aviator attacked and brought down the Fokker. Our aviators brought down two other enemy machines, while our motor guns brought down two at Verdun. AVIATION FATALITY. LONDON, May 29. Captain Grime Jones and Lieutenant Henry Tennant, the eldest son of the Under-secretary for War, were biplaning in Kent, when the machine side-slpiped. Captain Grime Jones was killed outright, and Lieutenant Tennant was seriously injured. RAIDS ON BRITAIN. LONDON, May 29. Mr Herbert Samuel, Home Secretary, announced in the House of Commons that since the outbreak of war the three naval attacks on Britain had resulted in the following casualties:—Killed, 141; injured, 611. The casualties from 44 air raids were: Killed, 409; injured, 1005. ZEPPELINS AND SUBMARINES. ROITERDAM, May 30. It is reported that 47 Zeppelins have been lost since the beginning of the war. Twenty-two submarines have been turned out of the Schwartzkopf factory during the last eight months. LATEST ZEPPELIN. PARIS, May 30. Swiss spectators declare that the latest Zeppelins at Lake Constance are of an enormous size, being nearly 250 yards long. Eaeh has four armoured cars and seven propellers. BRITISH AIRMEN. LONDON, June 1. The new Air Board has published its first periodical resume of the official air reports, with selected incidents. A lengthy list of air fights in May shows that British airmen did not hesitate to attack superior enemy forces. Names are not mentioned, but it was shown that, during a raid upon Dunkirk on May 21, an officer attacked four aircraft, bringing one down, and fighting tho others in turn until his ammunition was expended. On tho same occasion anothor officer who attacked an aeroplane was suddenly attacked behind by three Fokkers. He instantly attacked them, and they fled and escaped. A third officer engaged threo aircraft, bringing down two.