INTENSE AIR FIGHTING IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3049, 10 April 1917, Page 5

INTENSE AIR FIGHTING IN THE WEST

NEW TACTICS DESCRIBED

MARVELLOUS SKILL WITH NEW MACHINES

(By' Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright)

JLondon, April 8. Sir DoUglas Haig reports: "Our aeroplanes during April 5 and 6 were continually harassing the enemy's communications, seeking out his fighting machines at, a considerable distance in the rear. Seventeen, hundred photographs were taken of large tracts of the enemy's country many, miles in the rear. Despite repeated attempts to prevent it, the co-operation of the artillery was unhindered. Seventeen.successful bomb raids were conducted on enemy aerodromes, ammunition depots, and railways a long distance in the rear. There was intense fighting by large formations of aircraft-.. Twenty-eight of our machines are missing. Many are known to have been shot down. Fifteen hostile machines-were actually seen to crash to earth, and thirty-one others were driven down in,a damaged condition. The large majority .were undoubtedly destroyed."—Aus.-N.Z..Cable Assn.-Reuter. '■' (Rec. '/April 9, 8.5 p.m.) . . ; ! " v. London, (April 8. • Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We have-made considerable progress on -a front of. three thousand yards, north of Louverval. We entered the enemy's lines; at a number of points, including a point south-east of Ypres. Our aeroplanes "carried out, successful day and night bombing raids, dropping large' quantities "of explosives on the enemy's aerodromes and transport, and a battery in action. We destroyed three hangars and bombed trains."—AusN.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. . .. . A 17EUTRAB REPORT. • ' . Copenhagen, April 8. 'According to. a frontier newspaper,' British aeroplanes dropped several bombs -on the Zeppelin sheds at Tondern on March 22. The extent of tho damage is unknown.— ; Aus;-N.Z. Cable Assn. '• NAVAL' AIR RAIDS. ,• - London, April 8; / The Admiralty reports that naval seaplanes, on the night of April 7-8, bombed Zeebrugge mole, 'and naval and military aeroplanes attacked ammu T nition dumps at Ghent and Bruges. 'All returned safely. On the same night! off Zeebrugge,. we-torpedoed _two destroyers. One was sunk. ' The fate of" the second is iiincertain, bat'SiVwas severely damaged. We-suffered no cas-ualties.—-"Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.

V UNCANNY IN NEW AIR TACTICS (Rec. April,9, 8.30 p.m.)'' . ■ r J,,. ■ London, 'April 8. , Mr. Beach Thomas (the British correspondent at the front) writes- "The new methods of air. fighting are most- wonderful. ' The latest machine's, on both sides, fly' at breathless speed, 'swishing past like birds,'or flying.in; viewless heights till one dives, wmged and wounded, .for its own lines. Fighting tactics are now so Quick'and skilful that tile slower and older machines have little chaiice. The newest British machine broke all records by destroying five of* the!enemy in one flight. Tlie machines now drop from the' clouds with a plummet-like descent of sixteen thousand feet t» bomb a train, fire a balloon,' or riddle troops with machine-guns.- They come" so quickly that ' men on tlio spot, with loaded rifles, aro too slow to fire before the piano is out of range. Both sides exhibit uncanny sliill in ambifshing in, or escaping amongst the clouds."—United Service. • .- * " *■ - ■ OUR AIR SUPREMACY ' . '~ .. .. , '' ...... London, April 8. . It is authoritatively stated that the rumours that British aircraft are outclassed by the German are unfounded. Our air service is liable to heavy losses because it is doing specially heavy reconnaissance Work. Everything possible is being done to augment the supply of the latest aircraft. The largo number of aerial encounters on Friday supports the statement by the "Standard" that a great bombardment of the Gorman lines has commenced, preliminary to big operations, which will show by the end of the weclc whether the Germans are willing to accept a decisive battle.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn GERMAN' REPORTS. '• , « r. ' Amsterdam, April V. A German official report states: "Our enemies lost in March on all front* 61 aerop anes, and lOalloons, of which aerial attacks destroyed MS and/ ID respectively. .We lost 4o aeroplanes."-Aus,-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reutef FINE WEATHER BRINGS GREATER ACTIVITY Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We progressed at a Senency and Jeancourt,.and reached the outskirts of Frcsnev-le-Petit "- Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. • j iexnii:. (Rec. April 10, 0.30 a.m.)' , * ' Reports from British Headquarters state that the weather°is improving and with sunny conditions the ground is quickly diving. The change is "reaT ly increasing the activity of the fighting. .Though* the infantry lias not vet reached the main German forces, skirmishing bv patrols and. 'rearguards continues. "Apart from the figliNng on the Hiiidenbiirg lino wo are evecut ing innumerable raids on trenches, bringing back prisoners."—A us.-N7£. Cable Assn. ' THE WEEK-END CASUALTIES. " ' (Rec. April 10, 0.'30 a.m.) m, . . London, 'April 9. casualty lists which were published at the week-end include the _pames of 249. officers and 2216 men.—Aus.-N.Z,; (Cable Assn*

ON THE FRENCH FRONT • I * 'ARTILLERY, FIGHTING AND PATROL SKIRMISHES. 1 Landon,''April 8. • 'ft French offioial message states: TJiere Jiave' leen intermittent fire Sand patrol encounters between the :Somme and the Aisne. In the/region of liiombartzyde-our troops penetrated at '.points'the enemy positions, and four iji numerous German corpses in the Frenches, ivliicli had been wrecked by our .fire. Enemy surprise attacks in the regions of Celles .and Largitzen, in Alsace, were easily repulsed.—Aus.-N.Z« ? Ca.ble Assn.-lkuter. \ (Rec. April 9. 8.5 p.ui.) • London, April 9. '.It French official communique states:' "There has ieen violent mutual , , artillery firing on certain sectors between the Somme and the Aisne. In the . Champagne region the Germans 'continue their ibombardment of R«ims."— .Cable Assu.-Reuter.. j ' - ' A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION. i i London, 'fitpril '8. IMuter s correspondent on the Western front states that one of the most t«rnfky>exj>l6sions pf -flie'war occurred on Wednesday, aiear Arras. It 'is "believed p>ur guns ••exploded a'great flamhienwerfer Teser-ve.—Renter.' ' GERMAN REPORT. . ..K ' . London, April 8. Wifeless, per Admiralty, Press. —A German official message states: "We repulse-u strong reconnoitring detachments :in hand-to-hand fighting "south- : east of Ypres. There was lively artillery work against fit. •Quen.tin. Several hits damaged the cathedral. A. fresh French attack near Lallans broke s ! I.down wi(fch heavy Josses. We destroyed yesterday thirteen ..enemy .aero-planes."^—Aus,-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ■ VON HINDENBURG DISSATISFIED ' Rome. April's. AdvnHss i'Grri a -German source state ;that Von -Hindeiiburg is gravely dissatisfied With the .poor leadership of Prince Rupprecht and other generate. The line ifised :for ,the limit- of . the .retreat is already so seriously compromised thatf the Germans are-expected to fall back to another line not yet sufficiently iortified.—Aus.-N;Z. Cable n Assu. ' ! ILL-CONCEALED DISAPPOINTMENT, v ' . ' Amsterdam, April 8. The mulitary critic nf the "Munchner (Munich) Zeitung" does not condeal his astonishment -that 'the Gorman iretreat.-continues -beyond the lioint fixed by, th^--'General Staff.—Aus.-N.'Z.-.Calile A«sn. :

.SYSTEMATIC SAFE ROBBERS

■ Paris, 'April 8. Owing -fci the -.Germans fturElarisrag safes in Vthe -occupied French terrftfory and stealmg .the securities, .Senator IFlandin has 'introduced in'the FrencSt Senate :a XBill sprovidinn ;for .penal servitude -Jor any aieutral banker, settirte 'foot in-'Erance irfter the war, who assists in negotiating the stolen securities.—Aus.-N.Z. '.Oahle Assn.