AERIAL WARFARE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 15

AERIAL WARFARE.

Sir Douglas Haig reports that during the pas'; week British aeroplanes dropped 16 tons of explosives on various targets behind the German lines, including railway stations, aerodromes, and ammunition dumps. Many thousand rounds by machine guns,were also fired by British aviators at various targets. The British made several successful aerial reconnaissances on Saturday, despite the lew clouds and high, winds. Nearly a ton of bombs was dropped on various targets. The observations made enabled our artillery effectively to engage hostile batteries. Our bombing machines, of which one is missing, made a successful raid in unfavourable weather on Saturday night. Nearly a ton of bombs' was dropped with good results on an important railway junction and at Couroellcs lo Motz. Two German machines were brought down, and two British machines are missing. The British Admiralty reports that our aircraft bombed the aerodrome at Houttave, midway between Zeebrugge and Ostend. An Amsterdam message states that the German naval yards at Ostend were seriously damaged by airmen, who shot down two German aeroplanes, the occupants of which were killed. French communiques state: During the last 10 days in January 28 enemy aeroplanes were brought down. Taking advantage of the fine weather, French ''chaser" planes have been successfully active, and real air battles were fought against German squadrons well over the German lines. Fight enemy machines were brought down, and five others fell seriously hit, being' probably destroyed. An important railway junction at Saarbruck was successfully bombed by the French air squadron, who were attacked by several groups of enemy aeroplanes, but all ours safely returned. Italian official messages state that enemy aviators- bombed Venice, Padua, Treviso, and Mostri, hitting the civil hospital at Treviso. There wero * altogether i 8 casualties. Anglo-Italian airmen attacked enemy troops and aviation ground, set fire tc ammunition, stores, and' brought down five enemy machines. The enemy bombed Venice, Mestri, and Treviso. Italian airships dropped a ton of explosives on an aviation ground south-east of Vittorio. The Allies brought down 56 enemy aeroplanes the past ,11 days. An airship dropped a ton of bombs on an enemy aerodrome at Mctta di Livenza, with excellent results. '•-> In Italy British aviators shot down last week 15 enemy aircraft and drove down one uncontrollable. One British machine was lost. Padua telegrams state that 10 enemy aeroplanes dropped 60 bombs in various localities. At Alberga Tulia they demolished the hospital, while the cathedral r.kurch of San Francisco and the ancient hospice of the Confraternita della Oa'rita were damaged. The British Foreign Office has informed Germany, through Holland, that unless the airmen Wookley and Scholtz arc released from servitude immediately and given proper treatment reprisals wJI bo taken. In Ihe House of Commons, Mr Mac Fherscn. Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office, stated that information had been received that the German authorities had placed officer prisoners in localities subject to air raids, and a similar action was contemplated in England.