AERIAL WARFARE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3292, 18 April 1917, Page 15

AERIAL WARFARE.

Sir Douglas Haig reports: Aerial activity was continued on Sunday, the Bth inst., with great energy. Several successful bombarding raids were conducted. The machines co-operated with the artillery with excellent results. Two enemy machines were destroyed, and 15 others were "downed." Ten of our aeroplanes are missing. Valuable aeroplane work has been accomplished. In many cases our airmen tised their machine guns on hostile reinforcements. Bombdropping expeditions were carried out on a large railway station, and three trains were hit. In Havincourt Wood we brought down five hostile aeroplanes. Three of ours are missing. Our aeroplanes on Thursday (12th) and Friday (13th) dropped large quantities of explosives with good results on enemy stations and ammunition depots and aerodromes. Wo successfully attacked enemy infantry convoys with machine guns. Four German aeroplanes were brought down and six were driven down. Twelve of ours have not returned. A French official message states: Wo brought down 21 aeroplanes on the 14th inst., and four were compelled to land badly damaged. A German official message states: Seventeen enemy aeroplanes and two captive balloons were brought down on Sunday, Bth inst. The enemy lost on the west front on Thursday, 11 aeroplanes and on Friday 24. On the 14th the British, French, and Americans lost 21 aeroplanes and two balloons. BRITISH AIRMAN'S HEROISM. The Times correspondent with Headquarters relates: One of the most gallant deeds was that of a solitary airman returning from a distant trip. Ho was attacked by a large party of enemy machines, and fought until his ammunition was exhausted, and he himself and his machine were almost shot to bits One of his eyes was literally' shot out, there was a bullet in his body, and one foot, was smashed. Despite all this, he made his report and apologised for making a rough landing because his smashed foot impaired his control. Then, bis duty done, ho died. No honour, whether the Victoria Cross or anything else, could adequately measure such a deed.