AERIAL WARFARE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3265, 11 October 1916, Page 16

AERIAL WARFARE.

Pilots Frederick Sowery and Alfred Brandon (the latter the ex-New Zealander who distinguished himself in the raid of April 7) have been awarded Distinguished Service Orders for gallantry in attacking Zeppelins on September 23, -when two Zeppelins were brought down. After a spirited chase and a ding-dong battle Pilots Sowery and Brandon manoeuvred into position. Sowery had the better luck, and his shots struck the Zeppelin, which fell ablaze. Brandon stood by in case of emergency, and later on he also attacked the" raider, which surrendered. Brandon was subsequently invested with the D.S.O. by the King at Buckingham Palace. _ Correspondents at the front emphasise the daring of the British airmen over the German rear. Their attack on the Douai-Lille railway line disorganised the sending of reinforcements' to the Somme. The demoralisation caused by the mero approach of low-flying British airmen has been the subject of a German divisional order. Two British naval airmen who fell behind the German lines will be courtmartialled, because tracer bullets were found in their possession. These bullets are used by all belligerent machine gunners to correct the air. The British Government, through the American Embassy, have protested, intimating that tracer bullets were found in the Zeppelin downed in Essex. German messages state that French airmen raided Mannheim on September 22 and destroyed a Zeppelin 750 ft in length. A further* attack was carried out by the British Admiralty with naval aeroplanes on the airship sheds in the vicinity of Brussels. One machine has not returned. The Anglo-French brought down 200 aeroplanes at the front during September. The Germans claim to have brought down 116.

A German communique states: Captain Boclcko has downed his thirtieth aeroplane. 'The Aeroplane .newspaper states that Mr Orvillo Wright has presented his and Mr Wilbur Wright's patent rights to the British nation. The British Government early in the war paid £15,C00 on account of royalties for naval and military aeroplanes. Mr Orville Wright has decided not to renew his own patents, so that every manufacturer in the British Empire is free to uso them without royalty.