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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0986.PDF
I/Hi Mr. Hamilton Fyfe in the Daily Mail quotes a British wounded soldier as saying that " the Germans don't seem to be able to handle their howitzer at all against aero planes. Ours get them time after time. One shot to give warning, then another ' trial bull,' then No. 3 and up goes the number, down comes the plane. But it's the maxims that do the most damage." Also in this connection Mr. William Maxwell, in the Daily Telegraph, says :— " A French aviator tells me that the gun used by the enemy against aeroplanes is excellent, and that at a height of I,8oo metres no aircraft would be safe if the aim was accurate. Every movement of the German forces is seen and reported. He does not believe in aeroplanes chasing one another. ' It is a stupid and useless game that could succeed only by the merest chance.' " According to the Hamburger Fremdenblatt, when the Germans entered Rheims "20 monoplanes, 10 biplanes, and 40 Gnome motors of best quality were seized. The value of the capture amounted to about one million marks G£5°»°°°)- Reports from Ardenburg, near Flushing, state that during the night of the 16th inst. an airship operating a searchlight was seen, but that it disappeared when fired on by the Dutch frontier guards. A message from Amsterdam stated that a Taube aero plane appeared over the city on the morning r the 17th inst. It approached from a western direction. A Belgian biplane gave chase, and the German aeroplane disappeared southwards. A German official despatch published at Amsterdam states that the German military airships have fulfilled expectations, and asserts that, except for unavoidable damage, none of the airships had been destroyed or captured by the enemy. Another message from Rotterdam on the same day gave the information that in the neighbourhood of Rochefort a German aeroplane had been shot down by Belgians. The two occupants, an officer and a civilian, were killed. It was also reported that on the 18th another German Taube aeroplane flew over Antwerp and dropped a projectile. A greengrocer who was going to market was struck in the shoulder and had to be taken to hospital. From Bordeaux on Saturday it was reported that near a railway station, the name of which was not given, a French aviator destroyed the permanent way and held up ten trains full of Germans who were ready to start. Another aviator destroyed two German food supply trains. According to a message from Tokyo, the Japanese Government received a despatch dated September 17th from the Commander of the Second Japanese Squadron, reporting that aeroplanes attached to his squadron recon noitred Kiaochau Bay on the previous day. Bombs were dropped on the enemy's ships in the harbour, the wireless station, and the electric power station. One of the bombs was seen to strike a large ship from which smoke was subsequently seen to arise. A telegram from a correspondent of the Morning Post at Amsterdam stated that on the morning of September 22nd, an aeroplane flew over Maestricht from a south western direction, and went north-east at a considerable height, dropping a bomb and causing considerable damage, but injuring nobody. No official information is forthcoming as to its nationality. Consternation naturally prevailed at Maestricht, and fragments of the bomb have been taken by the Dutch authorities. A later message from the Hague states that the Dutch SEPTEMBER 25, 1914. Government has decided on an official inquiry. When the result of the inquiry is known reports will be sub mitted to the German and Belgian Governments asking them whether the bombs were dropped from apparatus belonging to the Flying Corps of either of those coun tries. The Dutch people are very quiet about the matter except the people of Maestricht, who are excited and demand a speedy apology from the offender, whoever it may be. Some further details regarding the daring raid by pilots of the Royal Naval Air Service on the Zeppelin sheds at Diisseldorf and Cologne, the official report regarding which is published on p. 972, are given in a message from a correspondent on the German frontier to the Morning Post. "The return of the British aviators engaged in the daring enter prise across the frontier allows me to say something of interest concerning the Allies' co-operation in the war. On September 21st a force of cyclist carabiniers and armoured mo or cars proceeded east, their chief object being to clear the district of German patrols and make a safe base for the English aviators as close as possible to the German frontier. "Very early in the morning five British aviators left, flying east. They were made the more confident in their mission by the know ledge that their Allies had provided for them half-way across the German frontiers a safe supply base, the locality of which naturally, I do not indicate." A later message adds :— • " Leaving at dawn the corps of aviators flew without misadven ture to this base. The weather was clear and there was a little wind. At the base they divided into two parties, one party going to attack the Zeppelin hangars at Dusseldorf, the other to attack the hangars at Cologne. As far as the river Meuse the weather continued clear and favourable, but after the Meuse fog was encountered. The party having Cologne as their objective reached the city to find it enveloped in a thick fog. For an hour and a half the aviators circled around, afraid to discharge bombs at random ior fear of damaging civilians, houses, or churches, but utterly unable to distinguish the Zeppelin hangars. Finally this section was obliged to turn back, having failed in its mission and not having discharged any bombs. " The second section, having Dusseldorf as its objective, was more fortunate. The town was found to be wrapped in mist, but not fog. Descending very low, one aviator was able to distinguish the Zeppelin hangar, and discharged all his bombs upon it. That some effect was obtained he was sure, but he could not be certain that the flames which broke out were quelled or not. He is afraid that owing to the low elevation at which he discharged his bombs, about 400 feet, some of them did not explode owing to the opera tion of the time safety fuse, which is intended to safeguard against explosions so premature as to damage the aeroplane discharging the bombs. But partial success has to be recorded. "All the aviators of both sections returned to the base or near to it, those not reaching it exactly finding armoured motor cars waiting to convoy them. All reached their destination safely last night. During the night two were out scouting for a Zeppelin ; they found nothing but a comet." According to the German official wireless war news :— " One of the enemy's aeroplanes dropped bombs near the Diissel dorf airship shed, but no damage was done." The airship hangar at Dusseldorf which was bombarded by Lieut. Collet, R.N.A.S. 986
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