WAR IN THE AIR

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16620, 27 August 1918, Page 6

WAR IN THE AIR

BRITISH SCORING HEAVILY.and N.Z. Cabje Assa. x ■i ?. LONDON, August 24. ,Sn Douglas Haig's aviation report states:—Oil Thursday our airmen constantly harassed the enemy. We attacked the Grandecourt aerodrome, TCith good effect, also many dumps, stations, bridges, and the Bruges docks. ■We destroyed twenty aeroplanes and drove down four uncontrollable. Three •British are missing. - Oiu night bombers dropped nineteen tons.of bombs on selected targets, including railway junctions at Valenciennes. Lomain. Douai and Cambrai All our machines returned. .Our lowfliers • have constant!? macllane-gunned and bombed the GerJii,aii infantry, "waggons and guns throwing them into confusioft. Also' 1 in co-operation with tanks; we silenced enemy batteries which were imnediuoour advance. ° i"We raided the aerodromes at Gantien and set on'fire several hann-ars ™ e , machine-gunned troops and transit? I *'; m-the-vicinity. . ?VV c shot down an enemy machine and all ours returned. " '

A total of twenty-five tons of bombs was dropped during tho dav. We destlOYe;] fourteen machines/and drove down three others uncontrollable Four t)f : ours are missing. We dropped five tons of bombs at aught-time. During the last fortnight* 32S Cpirn an- aeroplanes have been brought down and 134 driven down miconwhile 31 balloons have been of bombs"' dropped 594 ton*

RAIDS ON GERMANY.

Tlie Air Ministry reports:—-Wo dropped eight tons of bombs oil Thursday night on aerodromes at Folpersvcilpr, setting fire to several lart'a .sheds and. hangars. "We attacked chemical works nfc Saaralbe. -with excellent results, fire and explosions being caused. "Wc bombed oil Friday the aerodrome at Buhl and the railway junction at Treves. Several bursts ivere observed at the station and on the railway. All our machines returned. Despite thunderstorms we last night raided the aerodrome and railway junction at Thrango and caused 'a fire., which did considerable damage to the railway. FRENCH FLYEI'S ALSO BUSY? A French communique states:—There was much aeroplaning yesterday owing to favourable weather." Numerous reconnaissances were made far into tho enemy s lines. We felled fourteen aeroplanes.Our bombers in the daytime dropped eighteen tons of bombs on troops and convoys. Our activity was not relaxed at night, when twenty-five tons were dropped on the stations at Laon and Ham, causing fires. An expedition of great force attacked the important Mars le Tour aerodrome. The first bombs caused fires in hangars and huts, and, aided by the light of the flames, the. remaining aeroplanes bombed other hangars and huts, also their personnel aiul numerous machines 011 the ground. Altogether 43 tons of explosives were employed yesterday.