AERIAL FIGHTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3344, 17 April 1918, Page 16

AERIAL FIGHTING.

ON THE WESTERN FEONT. Sir D. Haig's aviation report on the 9th stated: Our low-fliers dropped 10 tons of

bombs and fired many rounds of ammunition on hostile troops and transport. We brought down eight enemy machines and drove down nine; four of ours are missing. Our night-fliers dropped five _ and a-half tons of bombs on'the Douai Railway Station and Bapaume. Owing to mist and rain few nights were possible on the 9th. "When the weather improved on the 10th our airmen bombed and machine-gunned the enemy on the new battle-front between La Bassee and Armentieres. We brought down five enemy machines; two of ours are missing. Despite unfavourable weather our airmen bombed and machine-gunned enemy troops. The mist compelled pilots to fly at an average height of 200 ft, experiencing very. heavy gun-fire. The. enemy airmen' were also active. We brought down seven and drove down one; seven of ours are missing. .W/ e raided Luxemburg station at mid-day and dropped over a ton of bombs. Several bursts were observed. All our machines returned, despite considerable gun-fire. When the mist cleared on the < 11th our aeroplanes displayed great activity along the whole front. They made several longdistance reconnaissances, taking photographs. There has also been much fighting. We brought down 21 and drove down 14 enemy machines; four of ours reported as missing yesterday returned. We dropped over eight tons of bombs last night on Bapaume and villages southward - of the Somme, and on military objectives at Ostend and Zeebrugge. We successfully bombed the Sablons railway station, near Metz, to-day, -dropping 21 heavy bombs. All burst on railway sidings. Atmospheric conditions on the 13£h were favourable to a great concentration of our aeroplanes on the battle-front, and large numbers of low-flyers were employed bombing and machine-gunning roads packed with enemy troops. Thirty-six tons of bombs were dropped, and over 1.10,000 rounds of ammunition were fired. Other formations flying at a greater height engaged the enemy's areoplanes, which were extremely active on this sector. Forty hostile aeroplanes were brought down and 20 driven dpwn uncontrollable, in addition to two brought down by anti-aircraft guns. Three hostile balloons were destroyed. Twelve of our aeroplanes are missing. There was incessant bombing all night, over 22 tons of bombs being dropped on different targets, including Don and Douai, important railway junctions between Mezieres and Reims, and roads leading to the battle-front in the neighbourhood of Estaires.

On the 14th our low-flying aeroplanes reconnoitred the battle-front, dropping 1200 bombs on enemy troops and on the roads leading to the front. A few air fights occurred with indecisive results.

French communiques state that during March 28 enemy aeroplanes were brought down by French anti-aircraft defences. Two enemy aeroplanes were brought down by machine-gun fire on the 10th. Two German aeroplanes and a captive balloon were destroyed and 12 driven down damaged. We dropped 16 tons of'bombs on the station of St. Quontin, the aviation ground north of Montdidicr, and hangars at Champion, which were -destroyed. French aviators were most active in the fine weather on the whole front. French chnsing planes made 350 trips and fought 120 combats. Eight cnemy_ planes were brought down, and 23 fell behind their lines damaged. Five German captive balloons were destroyed. Our bombing planes (including Italian) dropped 48 tons of projectiles on various stations, cantonments, and convoys. Several fires and explosions were, observed.

A Gorman official report claims that the Anglo-French lost 330 aeroplanes during March. The Germans lost 81. A telegram from iStavanger that a British warship destroyed a Zeppelin off JaenVren (south-west coast of Norway, off the Skagor Back entrance). The Press Bureau announces that Majorgeneral F. H. Sykes has been appointed Chief of the Air Staff, consequent on the resignation of Major-general Trenchard. A great shed near Friedrichshaven, the original home of Zeppelins, was destroyed bv fire on Saturday night, .as the result of an explosion. The fla«es were visible throughout Eastern Switzerland.

RAIDS ON LONDON AND PARIS. Hostile airships crossed the Eaet Coast on the evening of the 12th and attacked certain Eastern and Midland districts. One or two raiders penetrated further inland,

where some bombs were dropped. Four airships participated in the raid. Two penetrated a few miles inland, another reached the Midlands, and a fourth nearly reached the north-west coast. The raiders travelled at a great height. No attempt was made to penetrate defended areas, and most of the bombs were dropped in the open country. Four houses were demolished in one place; otherwise the damage was inconsiderable. Five. persons were killed and 15 injured in the raid. There was a German air raid on Paris on the night of the 12th. The casualties were 26 killed and 72 injured. REPRISAL RAIDS ON GERMAN TOWNS. A Basle telegram states that 248 people were killed in a British air raid on Cologne. Half of the victims were soldiers in a troop train ready to start for the west front. The raid caused the greatest panic. The effectiveness of the Allied air raids in Germany is illustrated by the fact that the Second Chamber of the Bavarian Diet unanimously resolved to request the Government to urge the Imperial authorities to try to arrange for the mutual cessation of hostile air raids outside the zone of military operations. POOLING ALLIED PRODUCTION. The United Press correspondent learns that the Allies' production of aeroplanes has been pooled, resulting in greatly speeding up the manufacture of battle planes in the French and British factories. _ The United States will specialise in the building of bombing, scouting, and training planes. It is officially announced that the United States is building a most powerful bombing aeroplane, which will carry six men, eight machine guns, and a quantity of bombs. It is driven by 'two motors. The United States Military Committee's report on the Government aircraft programme characterises the \ gravity of the disappointing results. It recommends dras tic reorganisation of production and machinery. It charges Government officials with misrepresenting the situation, misleading the. public, procrastination, and indecision, and suggests one-man control of production. Of 22.000 Liberty motor engines ordered, only 122 have been completed for the army and 140 for the navy, while four have been shipped overseas. Owing to the delay in providing training, many American aeroplane cadets are idle, while 1200 have been sent to Europe to be trained.