WAR IN THE AIR

Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1918, Page 1

WAR IN THE AIR

r PER PRESS ASSOCIATION".—COPYRIGHT.] GRKAT AIR WCfRK. LONDON, Aug.' 2d. Correspondents describe the air work, particularly the day-light raids on llarbourdin aerodrome on the lflth. flying at an average altitude and of two hundred feet, without interference from enemy planes, the British spotted two in the distance, and attacked One crashed down and the other was driven down. We silenced nests of machine guns about aerodromes and dropped a hundred bombs, and completely destroyed three large hangars containing machines. Wo partially wrecked eight machines in the open and set fire to officers and men’s quarters. Wo blew up an officers’ mess-room and ignited several buildings .•including an ammunition: shed. There were many casualties. Having completed the demolition of the. aerodrome, the machines chased and Stopped a train, overturned a staff motor car in a ditch and forced another to run up a bank, and it is be-] lievod killed all the occupants of both. Ihe whole of the squadrons return-] ed. 1

aviation report. London, Aug. 24. Sir Douglas Haig’s aviation report •tales: We had a busy day and successful day on the 22nd. Our airmen constantly harrassed the enemy. We dropped 2d tons of bombs and attacked the Goiulieourt aerodromes with effect, also many dumps, stations, bridges, and Bruges docks. We destroyed 20 aeroplanes and drove down four uncontrollable. Tliroe British are missing. Our night bombers dropped 19 foils on selected targets, including the railway junction at Valenciennes, Domain, Oouai and Cnmbrai. All our machines returned.

FRENCH REPORT. GREAT AIR WORK. LONDON, August 21. A French communique states that between the Afatz and the Oise there there have been a violent artillery action. We crossed the Divotte during the day in the Wrieourt region. Our progress between the Ailette and the Aisnc, has continued oast of Bagneus and west of Cercyaumont. It lias been quiet elsewhere. There was much aeroplaning yesterday owing to , the favourable wea-

ther. Numerous reconnaisances were made far into the enemy lines Wo felled fourteen aeroplanes. Our bombers during the daytime dropped eighteen tons of bombs on troops and convoys. Our activity was not relaxed at night when 2d tons were dropped on stations at Laon, and Ham, causing fires. An air expedition of great force attacked the important Marsln Tour aerodromes. At first the bombs caused fires at the hangars and huts and added by the light of the (lames the remaining aeroplanes bombed other hangars, huts, personal and numerous machines on lie ground. Altogether 43 tons of explosives were employed yesterday.

RAIDS ON GERMANY. (Received this day at 12.30 a.m.l COPENHAGEN, August 24. Berlin reports no one was killed in the Frankfurt air raid, but the material damage is heavy. Five persons were killed in Cologne and a number of private buildings were destroyed.

BRITISH AIR OPERATIONS. LONDON, August 23. Sir Douglas Haig’s aviation report states that a thick mist prevented aeroplanes participating in the early stages of the attack northward of the A Here on August 22. hut when the weather cleared participation became

active. The airmen attacked hostile troops and transport at low altitudes with bomhs and machine guns, scattering ammunition waggons, and the marclmg columns. Also in several cases they silenced the guns, firing on our tanks by means of bombs and machine gunnery from the air. We dropped J2 tons of bombs during the day and destroyed 21 aeroplanes Eight British are missing. Our night fliers dropped 25. V tons of hombs on different targets. Cnmbrai and .Marco- . mg stations were heavily attacked and j also a number of bridges, aerodromes and billots.

We broke down the Anbigny-Aube-bridge on the Douai-Cambrai road. The Air .Ministry, reports that, despite the enemy 'determined protective efforts consisting of large numbers of aeroplanes and increased anti-air-craft guns, wo. heavily attacked five important Gorman towns and five aerodromes.

We attacked Frankfurt and Cologne on the nights of the 22nd and 23rd., of August, with very good results. Bombs landed all round the stations and barracks. We also successfully attacked the 'l'reves railway junction Wo heavily bombed four aerodromes hitting the hangars. We attacked the chemical factories at Mannheim. On the morning of August 22nd we successfully bombed objectives. The fiercest of fighting occurred on the return journey, as a result of which five British machines are missing. American official message state that we carried out successful raids. Our aviators on the 21st and 22nd., of August successfully bombed the railway yards at Longayon, A melon, Le Roumnn, and Conflnhs, with many direct hits.