GERMAN AEROPLANE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2343, 28 December 1914, Page 5

GERMAN AEROPLANE

GETS NEAR WOOLWICH CHASED BY BRITISHERS (Rec. December 27, 3.30 p.m.)" ' London, December 26. Aided by fog, a German aviator eluded the coast-watchers, and passed up the Thames as far as Erith. Hβ was first sighted at 12.35 p.m. over Sheppey Height at nine thousand feet. As he descended an anti-air gun jaa .fired, but without.effect. The enemy 'was then lost in the fog. Three British aeroplanes started in pursuit, but the : German had made across the Kentish marshes. Before he was located at Erith flying towards London, sis shells were fired by an aircraft station, and burst above and around the machine, which wheeled upwards, and retraced its flight. Within a few minutes a Britisher, flying 'from the westwards, pursued at a lower altitude. The German followed the centro of the river at an altitude of four thousand feet. The Britishers appeared to gain on the German, who mounted higher, and above the forts swept towards Southend. The chaso continued across Essex. The firing from the forts was restricted owing to the proximity of our own aviators to the enemy. Tho latter and the passeiißera kept firing, and skilfully manipulated, the machine, while minimising the chances of being hit, made it difficult for the pursuers to fire without injuring each other. The German rocked violently at .times, .as if struck. Then the fog thickened, and baffled the pursuers, who returned to their base. fEritb. is ion the Thames, ahout 5} miles east of Woolwich.] ' .

MILITARY POSTS. BOMBED BY BRITISH. (Rec. December 27, 4.60 p.m.) ,;'■•.•■. Dunkirk, December 26."" Cbmmander Samson took twelve ■bombs, and started at 6,30 in the evening. He bombed the military posts at Osfend, Bruges, Ghent, and Albst, and descended to a few hundred yards, nnd bombed Brussels, as cabled oil Tuesday. The flames ■ showed up the aeroplane against the black sky, and guns were fired at it unsuccessfully. Commander Samson returned after five hours, and landed safely. , ' THE DOVER BOMB. (Reo. December 27,: 4.50 p.m.) London, December 26. The Dover bomb was dropped from five thousand feet, and scattered fragments for a radius of a hundred yards. It excavated a hole nine .by five feet by five deep. , ; BOMBS DROPPED AT SEA'. London, December 25. Two hea-vy reports at inidday on Monday which were attributed to gunfire are now stated to be due to German aeroplanes dropping two bombs at sea on the westward side of the Admiralty pier at Dover; . , . ENEMY AEROPLANE HIT. London, December 25. A German aeroplane appeared over Sheerness at. midday. A British aviator engaged and hit the enemy, three times and drove him off seawards. [Sheerness is a strongly fortified seaport, and the royal dockyard in Kent, on the north-west extremity of the Isle of Sheppey, at the confluence of the Thames and Medway, eleven miles east-north-east of Chatham, and ! 68 miles east of London by rail.]

:' MORE GERMAN BOMBS. • 'A HUNDRED WOUNDED. (Rec. December 28, 0.5 a.m.) ' .Petrogradj December 27. Five German aeroplanes 'bombed Soohaczew (36 miles west of Warsaw). They killed eight and wounded a hundred j ignited many houses, and destroyed the market.' . . ' BOMBS AT NANOY. TWO KILLED; HOUSES' DAMAGED. (Rec.,,December 28, 0.3 a.m.) ] Paris, December 27. 'A Zeppelin dropped fourteen bombs at Nancy, which killed two, persons and damaged many houses.