AERIAL FIGHTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 15

AERIAL FIGHTING.

Sir Douglas Haig reports great activity on the part of British aviators, both by day and night. Bombs were dropped on aerodromes, railway station, billets, ammunition dumps, and fiidings at Nigclmunster, St. Quentin, Metz, Menm, Rosignoy, Guire, and Mainz. A largo fire followed at Mainz. Nineteen German machines were brought down and 10 others driven clown. Three British machines are missing. Sir Douglas Haig congratulated the First Brigade of the Flying Corps on bringing down 18 enemy aeroplanes in one day. Sir Douglas Haig reported on the 10th: Between La Basseo Canal and Ypres we dropped 600 bombs into billets and aerodromes, ■ also on an important rail centre north-east of St. Quentin. A large number of our machines carried out a particularly successful attack at a low height on three aerodromes, directly hitting the hangars and machines in the open, each aeroplane returning. At a height of 100 ft the machines fired on favourable ground targets, causing casualties, and scattering a company of infantry in all directions. The air Gghting is heavy. We brought down 10 enemy machines and drove down 10 others. Two of ours are missing. We to-day dropped 1| tons of bombs on the Daimler Motor Works at Stuttgart in broad daylight. Several bursts were observed at a railway station, where a stationary train was set on fire. There were three bursts on a munition factory south-east of the town, and other bursts on the Daimler Works and buildings. Hostile machines withdrew after weakly attempting an attack on our formation. One of our machines has not returned, owing to engine trouble. A French communique states that French aeroplanes dropped 14 tons of bombs on enemy works behind the lines. Italian aeroplanes bombed Pola as a reprisal for the bombing of A 7 enice. Extensive fires were seen for 30 miles. The Press Bureau reports that the enemy dropped in January during the day time 221 bombs and at night timo 11261 bombs In the .area under British occupation in France, while the_ British naval and military and Australian air services dropped 5900 bombs in the day time and 1753 at nisxht time in enemy areas. The Daily Express's Paris correspondent states that there are 180 squadrillas of German aeroplanes on the west front, totalling 1080 machines —i.e., six machines to each squadrilla. German aeroplanes dropped bombs in the neighbourhood of Fontanka and Chandel, in Russia, killing two and injuring eight persons.

RAIDS ON ENGLAND. The Press Bureau reports: Enemy aeroplanes crossed the east coast of England at 11 p.m. on Thursday, and proceeded towards London. The raid surprised London, and marked a new eneiUy departure in the utilising of aeroplanes on moonless nights. Tho raid has been designated the "Aurora Borealis" raid. Tho glow in the northern sky gave a light resembling summer, and was ample to enable the aviators to steer for the North Sea. It lasted until S o'clock in the morning, and band*? of red and white light illuminated the water, though only the northern glow was 'visible in London. Though tho raid was a great surprise to the public, there was, a remarkable barrage, and the speed with which the British airmen went aloft showed that the authorities had not been taken unawares. There were 11 killed and 46 injured in the raid. It is feared that six others are still buried in the wreckage. Seven or eight aeroplanes carried out the raid, two of which bombed London. The first two raiders, following the Thames, turned back before they reached the capita], a third crossed the Essex coast and bombed the south-west and north-west districts of London, a fourth crossed into Essex and dropped bombs on North London and proceeded south across tho capi-

tal. After dropping mora bombs in the northern district the. remaining machines turned back. Some damage ha 3 been done to property, and several houses were, demolished. RAID ON PARIS. French official reports state: Between 10 and 12 squadrons participated in an air raid on Paris. They were hotly received by the-Anti-aircraft Corps with 60 aeroplanes. A Gotha was brought down at Compiegne with four passengers aboard. They wera incinerated. There are reported to have been 11 killed _ and 41 injured in the Paris suburbs air raid.