IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1918, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

RAIDS ON GERMAN TOWNS. 250 MILES OP TERRITORY AFFECTED. London, Sept. 13. Twenty-one important towns were bombed by an independent air force during August, including the following three times: Frankfurt factories and.railways, Mannheim chemical factories, MetzSablons railways, Saarboorg, Thionville. and Treves railways and workshops. ' Dtlier towns bombed once were: Battelbourg, Burbach, Coblenz, Cologne, Darmstadt, Dillingen, Duren, Ehrenge, Karlsruhe, Luxembourg, Offenburg, Remilly, Ronrbach, Saaralbe, and Volkingen. Over 100 tons of bombs have been dropped in the past three mouths. In 249 raids into Germany 247 tons have been dropped. The German territory brought into the war zone represents a belt of the Rhine valley approximately 250 miles long.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. FURTHER AERIAL ACTIVITY. IMPORTANT OPERATIONS. R/eceiveiJ Sept. 16, 8.15 p.ni. London, Sept. 15. The Air Ministry reports:—On the addition to the bombing reported in yesterday's communique, we carried out the following operations We twice attacked Metz-Sablon, oftrtaining many direct hits on the railway tfe angle, workshops, gasworfca, and barracks. We also attacked SBoulajr aerodrome with good results. On ifie jright of the 14th and 15th, we kept up nightlong 'heavy attacks on Metz-Sablon, Courcelles, Ehrange, Saarbrocken, Kaiserslautern, and the aerodromes at Frescaty and Boulay, and obtained many direct hits on the railway, especially at Metz-Sablon and Courcelles, and caused several fires at Metz, Kaiserslaatern, SaarVrtieken, and Frescaty aerodromsThree British machines did not return. On the"morning of the I6th, we again attacked Metz-SaMon railway triangle, and scored many direct hits. Enemy scouts were active. We also tombed the Buhl aeTodrome. Three British machines are missing. Wo also bombed the Daimler works at Stuttgart on the 16th, with good results. During this raid we encountered 20 hostiles, of which we destroyed two. All ■ the British machines returned. We dropped 27 tons of bombs in 24 hours. A French communique states:—The fine weather on the 14th permitted con- ' siderable aerial activity. There were , very numerous severe fights, In which 14 ; enemy machines were brought down ' and seven balloons set on fire; also, enemy troops were aerially machinegunned, and 6} tons dropped on enemy assemblages. Over 23 tons of bombs , Were dropped at night-time at the railway stationg of lion and Conflans.— Aits.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. ATBROFLANH WITH WOODEN WINGS. Received Sept. Iff. 730 p.ni. New York, Sept. .1% The New York Times' Hague corres- ' pondent has learned on excellent authority that a German aeroplane which landed in "Tolland had wings covered with triplex wood instead of fertile material. The extra weight was saved by | the elimination <rf wire stays. The ma-