DARING AIR RAIDS.

Taihape Daily Times, 24 August 1918, Page 3

DARING AIR RAIDS.

GERMAN HANGARS WRECKED. FIFTY MACHINES DESTROYED , LONDON, August 21. Mr. Gordon Gilmour, special correspondent to -the Australian Press Association, describes two daring «air raids carried out by large squadrons well‘ behind the Grenman lines in which Aus- ‘ tralian fliers took a prominent part. He says the leader, on reaching his’ -objective, dived and almost entered the door of .a big aerodrome. H-e counted eight machines inside. While almost touching. the ground the airman dropped a couple of bombs, directly hitting the hangar. Fire broke out, and quickly spread to adjacent canvas aeroplane -sheds. Four other planes, following the leader, began machine-gunning and bombing. At indescribable panic, followed, amzany Germans fleeting, purimed by low-flying machines. The raiders remained over the aerodrome thirty-five minutes. Soon not 18. sign of life remained, while thick smoke was rising from the burning hangars, workshops and airlnen’s quar-tc-rs. Then the raiders scattered, following traffic along tllc roads, and bombing; everything visible till their supplicsl of bombs were exhausted. V I In a second raid the squiadron burn-£ ed eight enemy hangars. It is believed they destroyed fifty :maehineS.i The raiders, keping at a low altitude,l came under the direct fire of enemy‘ field guns at a range of eiglit hundred feet. The Australian's .piGtul'esquely declare that the Gcrnlan missiles in! cluded grand pianos, gum boots and everything movable. The raiders alsoi dispersed enemy cavalry. The Australian fliers declscse they! "’l‘..:‘-Ne the Huns cold.” ‘ AERIAL ACTIVITY. _ ' LONDON, August 21. The Admiralty reports: Between the] 15th and the 17th, naval aerial con—l tingents dropped sixteen fOIIS 0f OX‘ plosives on Solway works, Zeebrugge,l Bfiuges docks, anti-aircraft batteriesat Westtende Ostend docns, Zeebrugge H Aertyrycke, Middlekerke—Paschendeale Camal, Stalhille dump, Meetkerke, Lof' fgnghe’ Zo.cbruggC—BrugeS Canal, and enemy shipping, with good results. We dropped nine enemy machines] and drove down eight others. We lost’ four, one of whiclg landed in Holland.