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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 1066.PDF
(70 GHT dropping of bombs on Paris can be gathered from the following comments taken from New York papers :— The Herald, in an editorial article, said:— " Another famous victory is reported from Paris. There have been more bombs and more peaceful non-combatants killed and maimed. This is not warfare, but assassination from the air, and from the military standpoint it would seem that instead of being of value to the Germans, these Taube raids prove boomerangs to them. The raids have shown that individuals can be killed by bombs, and nothing more. This has already been demonstrated in New York s east side. A Tattbe may be more spectacular than the Black Hand, but as a war machine it is ineffective. The demonstration of this robs the Kaiser of such an asset as he had in the promised Zeppelin raids. The Taube has dispelled the spectre of the threatened destruction of cities by dynamite and other high explosives rained from the clouds, for an airship, whatever its type, can do nothing more than the Taubes have done." The Tribune said:— " To drop bombs on a city situated 70 miles from the nearest battle line, with no other result than to destroy private property and kill women and children, is not to carry on civilised warfare, but is a clear violation of the guarantees to non-combatants. It slays the innocent without cause, .and wantonly destroys private property without military justification, an action explicitly condemned by The Hague Convention as pillage." In this connection Mr. G. Bateman, the Daily Chronicle representative, cabled from New York :— "Two hundred passengers aboard the liner 'Olympic' have passed resolutions denouncing Germany's use of aviation bombs to the peril of women and children. It has been directed that a copy shall be sent to President Wilson, with a personal letter urging that steps should be taken immediately to forestall the setting free of Zeppelins for the bombardment of Paris and London. The letter, in strong terms, tells the President that citizens feel that a question of humanity is involved, and any Power refusing to give heed to President Wilson's wise and humane counsel would forfeit the sympathy of the world. It was argued that Germany has defied the civilised world, and defied the right of anyone but itself to live and prosper. America is becoming increasingly indignant at the barbaric methods of Germany, which extort from public men outspoken sentiments despite the deep desire to respond to the President's neutrality call. Writing from Rotterdam to the Daily Mail on Monday, Mr. James Dunn said that his Maastricht correspondent reported that three Zeppelin sheds are building at Brussels and four at Antwerp. The Morning Post correspondent at Amsterdam tele graphed on October 19th :— " A Zeppelin airship was seen above the island of Vlieland, one of the Frisian Islands, to-day, going in an eastern direction." The following was included in the batch of German " wireless " news sent out from Berlin on October 20th:— "An enemy's aeroplane attempted to observe our position in France, but was driven back by shrapnel. The aviation problem is wonderfully handled by the German forces, and the French aeroplane work is not to be compared with our own. So far Germans have destroyed on an average one aero plane daily. The efficiency of the German war machine is shown in every part of the theatre of war, and the machine is working with an uncanny silent perfection. There is no excitement and no confusion anywhere. Horses have practically been superseded by motor transport." Writing from Petrograd on Tuesday with regard to Russia's reserves, the Morning Post correspondent said :— " There is ample reserve strength to draw upon, and it is apparently beyond the ken of the German aeroplanes and Zeppelins, which so frequently amuse themselves with dropping bombs in places where no military result could possibly be attained and OCTOBER 23, 1914. afford no outlet for the sporting instincts of the Polish guerrilla bands and the ubiquitous Cossacks." The following message from Paris was sent by the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday :— " The French aviators affirmed their mastery of the air yesterday. Patrols of biplanes and monoplanes kept inviolate the skies of Paris, and that in spite of clouds, mists, and fierce air-storms. " One French machine, mounted by two officers, issuing from a thick blanket of cloud, found itself fifty yards above the church of the Sacre Coeur, at Montmartre. Though caught in a fierce swirl of wind, the aeroplane skilfully manoeuvred and reached its base in safety." In a message from Dover the Press Association corre spondent stated that in the fighting off the Belgian coast on Sunday, a Taube and a Zeppelin were brought down, but no official confirmation is to hand. In an article discussing the possibilities of an airship attack on London, the correspondent of the Morning Post who was in Antwerp during the Zeppelin attacks, states that, except on the first occasion, when the military authorities were unprepared, the bombs which were dropped did not do serious damage. It will be recalled that the first raid resulted in several persons being killed and injured, but on the second visit there was no loss of life, and as soon as the airship came under observation and fire, it retired. " The third attack was during the siege, and seems to have been designed to attack the forts. Absolutely no damage was done by it." In view of the experiences at Antwerp, however, the Morning Post correspondent suggests the following pre cautions for London:— " 1. Search light protection from high points around London, but at least 10 miles from London; and strong search light protection along the section of coast-line of England which a hostile airship would cross. " 2. Special gun protection, well outside oj London, especially guns of the type employed by the French Army, mounted on fast motor-cars, with good anchoring spades and special sights for marks in the sky. " 3. Aeroplane and airship scouts on the sea-coast. " So far as one can judge by Antwerp experience, guns firing at an airship from within a city do more damage to the city than to the airship. Once an airship were over the area of London, attack, except by shell which would altogether burn itself out in explosion, would be more dangerous than protective. If shrapnel is fired at an airship over a populated area the shell case may kill someone as it comes down. Reduction of a city's lights has some advantage certainly." A SIGN OF THE TIMES.-A few carboys ol Emalllite dope stacked ready lor delivery from the British Emaillite Co., Ltd.'s, works. IO66
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