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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0082.PDF
\m^ JANUARY 29, 1915. AIRCRAFT AND THE, WAR. ACCORDING to the Echo de Paris, in addition to the new sheds at Berchem near Brussels, the Germans have built two sheds near Longwy for airships to be used for raids on Paris. Telegraphing from Sluis on the 20th inst., a corre spondent of the Tyd reported :— " There has recently been great activity by English aviators over Ostend, where large numbers of bombs have been thrown on military depots and railway stations. No civilian has been injured, although several German soldiers were killed. At night aeroplanes have been flying over German positions, employing searchlights. They have covered an area extending almost to the Dutch fron'ier." According to a correspondent of the Nieuwe Rotter- damsche Courant at Arnhem a traveller arriving there on the 21st from Germany reported that aeroplanes belong ing to the Allies' armies appeared above Essen on the previous day and threw bombs. He himself had seen several buildings badly damaged, apparently as the result of having been hit by bombs. Information obtained by the Handelsblad was to the effect that the aviators were British and that a large repair shop, together with 400 motor cars, was completely destroyed. It was also stated that the German Government had since secured a motor car works at Aix-la-Chapelle for which a large number of Dutch workmen had been engaged at high wages. Mr. James, writing to the Daily Mail from Rotterdam on the 21st inst., said :— " I learn from Maastricht that the Germans, fearing reprisals after the Zeppelin raid on the English east coast, have ordered lights to be extinguished, especially at Cologne, where extra ordinary p'ecau'ions have been taken against air raids and where there is a Zeppelin shed." Writing of the recent fighting round Soissons, a Morn ing Post correspondent in Paris, said on the 21st inst. :— " Aeroplanes render unexpected concentrations extremely difficult unless by organisation one side can beat the other for rapid transport, as was the case with von Kluck's reinfo cements north of Soissons. " Speaking.of aeroplanes leads me to describe a typical battle scene in the districts I have recently been visiting. From the little hill behind a certain chateau one could see with glasses (even without) a German captive balloon used for observation purposes. A sausage- shaped thing, but obviously with a biggish dependent car, it was naturally some distance away to the rear of the German lines. Vet, of course, if we could see it so well it could see the country where we were. Round it kept hovering aeroplanes, apparently numbers of them, which seemed waiting for an opportunity or an order to come across our way. This, of course, they did from time to time. " Now the manoeuvres of an aviator when he comes to spy out a troublesome battery are distinctly interesting. Apparently he advances until shrapnel begins to worry him. Then he describes a circle, always, I suppose, watching downwards to locate the place whence the fire is coming. I have seen him drift away further until within the zone of another battery to the rear, but unless this also interests him he returns to his first point. Should he be successful he drops his smoke rockets (generally three) and shoots away back to his line. The coolness of them is amazing, because they accept chances even with angry French aeroplanes coming rapidly up against them. Many times I have wondered that they were not hit by the shrapnel that was obviously bursting all about them. Yet it is hardly surprising that so many escape, considering that the vital parts of the fighting aeroplane are armour-plated, that from below the pilot is invisible, and that the wings can sustain many perfora tions by bullets without having their efficiency impaired. On the French side also there are aeroplanes doing useful work, and it must always be remembered that both sides are aloft watching the other, even from a distance, so that the aerial drama is ever full of thrilling interest. From the little hill mentioned above I watched three < ierman and two French aeroplanes manoeuvring about at a very high altitude, as to all appearances a snowstorm was rapidly coming up, which proved to be the case. Just as one became anxious as to the fate of the two French machines if they should have been caught in the storm they simply shot to earth in the most wonderful direct vol planl. This would go to show that even if an aeroplane be put out of action when operating over the fighting zone it can always regain its lines by planing." 82 A Daily Mail correspondent, writing from the North of France on the 21st inst., said :— " One of the enemy's airmen carried out a very daring flight yesterday afternoon by coming as far as Etaples, a dozen miles farther along the coast than Boulogne. The noise of the motors was considerably deadened by the strong wind which was blowing from the sea, so that the machine, flying at a great height, was able to approach the town quite unnoticed. The airman, with great skill, planed down when over the town and, bringing the nose of his machine round to the wind, hovered over the goods yard adjoin ing the railway station sufficiently long to drop a couple of bombs." A Daily Telegraph correspondent sent the following from Copenhagen on the 21st inst. : — " According to a special correspondent in Vienna a most exciting, dramatic air fight took place over Przemys'. An Austrian airman ascended from the besieged fortress in the endeavour to carry letters to headquarters. He was immediately chased by Russian aviators, and the chase finished with a collision high in the air between a Russian aeroplane and the Austrian. The Russian aeroplane was smashed." Mr. W. Beach Thomas, writing to the Daily Mail from the North of France on the 21st inst., said :— " The Wednesday morning bombardment of Furnes almost coin cided with another air raid on Dunkirk. Early in the morning— and dawn is the favourite hour of the airmen—two German aeroplanes were seen approaching Dunkirk from the north. They were fired at as they approached, and at once turned, but on their way back dropped two bombs on Givelde, possibly aiming at one of the canal bridges. The result here was a few broken panes of glass. " The airmen, of course, when baulked of their proper destination, often drop bombs merely to be rid of them. They are not pleasant companions for an airman when he comes to the ground." A Daily Mail correspondent at Flushing, on the 22nd inst., reported :— " A French airman landed this morning a few miles from Mushing. He said that he had been making a reconnaissance in Belgium and that the Germans shot at him. He was wounded and was therefore obliged to land. He did not know that he was over Holland. He will be interned here." The following account of the air raid on Dunkirk last week was sent by the Times correspondent in Northern France on Saturday :— " Dunkirk was again attacked by German aircraft yesterday, making the third attack within a month. Sixty six bombs were dropped on the town and its suburbs. Nine civilians were killed, including an old woman, and several injured. Two of the enemy aeroplanes were brought down. The first had its reservoir pierced by a shot from a British aeroplane. It descended at Ghyvelde. The two officers in it, who were wearing British khaki caps, were made prisoners. The machine, which is in excellent condition, was brought into Dunkirk to-day. The other enemy aeroplane was struck by a shell from an anti-aircraft gun. It fell at Bray-les- Dunes, and its occupants were killed. " The raid began at 10 o'clock yesterday morning. The weather was calm, bright, and cold. Six aeroplanes were observed approach ing from the Belgian frontier, flying high in the clear blue sky. French and British aviators immediately ascended to intercept the enemy and give them battle. But the enemy aircraft changed their course and disappeared from view. It was supposed that they had abandoned their attempt on the town in view of the preparations made for their reception. The excitement which had been caused by their appeaiance quickly subsided. But half an hour after mid day an enemy aircraft was again seen approaching. It was quickly followed by several others, flying very high. They had apparently flown out lo sea to escape observation, and were now approaching the town from the direction of Gravelines. As soon as they came within range the anti-aircraft guns opened fire upon them, and British and French aircraft went up in pursuit. "For three quarters of an hour the battle in the air raged furiously, and two of the enemy aircraft were brought down. The sky was speckled with the white puffs of bursting shrapnel. It was a fascinating spectacle, and many of the townspeople, undeterred by falling bombs, remained in the streets to watch it. " Notwithstanding the fusilade of the guns and the fire of our aircraft the enemy aeroplanes circled over the town and dropped many bombs. The first of them fell on the Place de la Re>ublique,
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