DARING DEEDS IN THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2284, 19 October 1914, Page 6

DARING DEEDS IN THE AIR

TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION BY BOMB-DROPPERS The High Commissioner's special cablegram to tho Prune Minister (dated London, October 16) contains an interesting review of some of tho exploits by the airmen of the Allies. "One of our aviators," states the report, "sighted a hostile machine Ho had two rifles fixed on either side of tlio engine. He gave chase, but lost sight of his opponent amongst tho clouds. Another niachino appeared, a German Otto biplane. Our officer started in pursuit. At sixty yards' range he fired, turned round, and emptied his magazine at tho German. The latter descended l ; our officer continued firing while descending. on his opponent, w'ho disappeared into a bank of clouds. "French airmen were very successful during tho last three days; they dropped bombs-amongst the Germans' cavalry; they caused considerable loss and disorder, and silenced a battery of field howitzers. ■ _ "German anti-aircraft guns have recently beon unusually active. From 'ifchoir rate of fire they seem to be nearly automatic. So far they have not had much effect in reducing our air reconnaissances. Awful Annihilation. "According to information from the enemy, fifteen Germans were killed by a bomb upon an ammunition wagon of a cavalry column. It was thought at the time this might have been the work .of one of our airmen, who reported having .dropped a hand grenade on a convoy. From corroborative evidence obtained locally it now appears that a grenade thrown by a British _ airman probably caused the destruction of a small convoy carrying field gun ammunition, which has now been found a total wreck on the road passing through tho forest of Deretz, north-east of Villers Cottcrets. . "Along the road lie fourteen motor Worries, now only skeletons of twisted '.iron. Nothing remains of the drivers .except tattered boots and charred scraps of clothing, while on the ground within fifty yards are wagons and littered pieces of iron and brass cases of cartridges exploded. A grenade must havo detonated the leading lorry on ono side of the road, and caused tho cartridges carried by it to explode. Three vehicles immediately hi the rear were then' set on fire. Behind these were groups of four and two vehicles, so jammed together as to suggest a collision. On the other side of the road,' level with the leading wagon, were four more, which were probably fired by the explosion of the first vehicle. , "A section of the French Press claim that this damago was caused by the action of their dragoons, and not by airmen." ,

Villers-Cotteretß is a town of about 5000 inhabitants in tho Department of the Aisne (Western France), some 15 miles south-east of Soissons. It is the birthplace of the elder Dumas.