IN THE AIR.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 June 1918, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

TRIUMPH OF THE ALLIES. j EFFECTIVE REPRISAL RAIDS. LONDON, May 20. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters says that the brilliant days and moonlight nights have evoked an amazing outburst of aerial ac-' tivity. While the fighting aeroplanes carry out hundreds of patrols over the enemy lines and seek combats with enemy-' machines, the observation aeroplanes are busy mapping aia. photographing the German defences and directing the fire of the gunners. Further afield bombardment squadrons scatter bombs by hundreds on the enemy lines of communication, while nightly other squadrons drop scores of tons of explosives on railway stations, depots, and cantonments. From May 15 to May 18 the French fighting aeroplanes have carried out 581 patrols, engaged in 163 duels, destroyed 37 German aeroplanes, and forced 60 more to land damaged in their own lines, and burned six balloons.

In the same period our observation aeroplanes executed over 1000 flights, including long-distance reconnaissances as far as Mezieres and Fredrichshaven, while our bombardment squadrons dropped 160 tons of bombs on military establishments, especially aerodromes. On the night of April 15 alone 120 French bombardment machines attacked Nesles, Rcye, St. Quentin, Jussy, and Ham. On the following night 100 machines operated in the same region, causing fires and explosions. The operations of the past few days have illustrated an extraordinary development of air warfare —the skill with which our pilots have solved the difficulty of manoeuvring in large numbers. On April 16 and following day the machines -bombed a German aero drome at Cappy, setting fire to the aerodrome sheds and causing widespread damage. The Germans were powerless to protect themselves. Other German aerodromes on the battlefield were attacked by 50 French machines simultaneously, With similar results. Italian and American sqliatTfons cooperated in a number of these'expeditions, with remarkable success. An Amsterdam message states the Allied raids have caused the utmost nervousness at Saarbrucken, Cologne, Coblenz, and. Landau. The ..German, press is admitting considerable loss.oflife, damage to property, and the; dislocation of business. The authorities are warning the inhabitants to.expect recurrences during the week, and to shelter instead of rushing into the streets. - ~

The warnings are believed to be the outcome of the ...Cologne raid, which, according to the Daily Express correspondent, was the heaviest raid made on the Rhine, and caught the authorities napping. The feeble defence increased the panic, in which the population rushed about madly, shrieking. Even policemen bolted to the cellars.

Paris advices state that Lieutenant Fonck, who is credited with 45 air victims, has really brought down 68, and his own machine has never been hit. Lieutenant Fonck says that the Germans rarely accept a challenge, preferring to fight bombers or the slow reconnaissance machines. If our aerial supremacy is sufficiently increased we shall crush the enemy.