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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0124.PDF
sweeping vessels at Zeebrugge, but the damage done is unknown. During the attack the machines encountered heavy banks of snow. No submarines were seen. Flight-Commander Grahame-White fell into the sea off Nieuport and was rescued by a French vessel. Although exposed to heavy gun fire from rifles, anti-aircraft guns, mitrailleuses, &c, all pilots are safe. Two machines were damaged. " The seaplanes and aeroplanes were under the com- malid of Wing-Commander Samson, assisted by Wing- Commander Longmore, Squadron-Commanders Porte, Courtney, and Rathborne." The following was issued by the Admiralty on Tuesday evening :— " The Air operations of the Naval Wing against the Bruges, Ostend-Zeebrugge District have been continued. This afternoon 40 aeroplanes and seaplanes bombarded Ostend, Middelkerke, Ghistelles, and Zeebrugge. Bombs were dropped on the heavy batteries situated on the east and west sides of Ostend Harbour; on the gun positions at Middelkerke; on transport wagons on the Ostend- Ghistelles road; on the Mole at Zeebrugge, to widen the breech damaged in former attacks; on the locks at Zeebrugge; on barges outside Blankenberghe; and on trawlers outside Zeebrugge. " Eight French aeroplanes assisted the naval machines by making a vigorous attack on the Ghistelles Aerodrome, thus effectively preventing the German aircraft from cutting off our machines. It is reported that good results were obtained. " Instructions are always issued to confine the attacks to points of military importance, and every effort is made by the flying officers to avoid dropping bombs on any residential portion of the towns." In the French communique issued at midnight on Tuesday, it was stated :— "A French aeroplane squadron bombarded a German aviation park at Ghistelles. An English aviation squadron bombarded Ostend." In Wednesday afternoon's communique it was stated :— " In spite of an intense cannonade, the French and British airmen who threw bombs yesterday in the region of Ghistelles and Ostend were able to return unharmed to our lines." In the despatch from Field-Marshal Sir John French, dated February 2nd, and issued on Tuesday last, there were the following references to the work of aircraft:— "2 Again, armies have now grown accustomed to rely largely on aircraft reconnaissance for accurate information of the enemy: but the effective performance of this service is materially influenced by wind and weather " 8. During the period under report the Royal Flying Corps has again performed splendid service. Although the weather was almost uniformly bad and the machines suffered from constant exposure, there have been only 13 days on which no actual reconnaissance has been effected. Approximately, 100,000 miles have been flown. In addition to the daily and constant work of reconnaissance and co-operation with the artillery, a number of aerial combats have been fought, raids carried out, detrainments harassed, parks and petrol depots bombed, &c. Various successful bomb-dropping raids have been carried out, usually against the enemy's aircraft material. The principle of attacking hostile aircraft whenever and wherever seen (unless highly important information is being delivered) has been adhered to, and has resulted in the moral fact that enemy machines invariably beat FEBRUARY 19, 1915. immediate retreat when chased. Five German aero planes are known to have been brought to the ground, and it would appear probable that others, though they have managed to reach their own lines, have done so in a considerably damaged condition." In the bi-weekly report from Sir John French issued on Tuesday night, it was stated :— " 5. In spite of bad weather, our aircraft have carried out their accustomed tasks with conspicuous success. An aviator discovered a hostile ammunition column near La Bassee and dropped a bomb on it, blowing up an ammunition wagon." In a communique issued by the Russian Great General Staff on the 9th inst., it was stated :— " Our aviators dropped bombs on German trains near Rava Nowyidwor and on troops in the region of Sochitze." An official note issued in Paris on the 10th inst., stated :— " Near Cagny a French aviator destroyed a signal balloon. Near Verdun a German aeroplane was brought down. The pilot, Lieutenant von Hidelen, was the aviator who in September last distinguished himself by throwing bombs and proclamations on Paris, the latter inviting the citizens to surrender to the German armies marching victoriously on Paris." In the French official communique issued on the afternoon of the nth was the following :— " In the northern region there were several aviation sorties on both sides. The projectiles dropped by the enemy's aeroplanes into our lines had no effect." In the French communique issued on Saturday after noon it was stated :— " Ten aeroplanes flew over the Verdun district. The bombs they dropped did no damage." The following note was issued by the French Ministry of Marine on Sunday:— " During last week seaplanes of the French navy, from the centre recently established at Dunkirk, threw bombs successfully on military buildings and assem blages of the enemy's troops at Zeebrugge, and bom barded the railway station at Ostend." In the official communique issued in Paris on February 10th, dealing with the operations from January 27th to February 6th, it was stated:— " Even in foggy weather our avions have made flights over the enemy's lines ; in Alsace on January 31st, one of our aviators, flying over the clouds, took advantage of a sudden breaking of the fog to bombard the station at Lutterbach. " On January 29th, towards 10 p.m., an avion dropped four bombs on the quarters of staff officers at Ostend. A few days afterwards news arrived that three German officers had been killed by one of the bombs. On Feb. 1 st, a night bombardment of Ostend from a height of only 1,100 metres took place. " On Jan. 20th a night reconnaissance was carried out in the vicinity of La Fere and Laon. The lights in the camps were put out at the approach of the avions. One of these descended to 500 m. in order to fly along the German trenches, on which it dropped eighteen bombs. On Jan. 27th we struck an artillery park and a great assemblage of the enemy to the north of Lille. " On Jan. 30th four bombs were dropped on Hom- bourg Castle in Alsace, a German general head-quarter, eight on the station at Honnenbruch. Six bombs were dropped on Jan. 30th on the station at Pagny and fourteen on the 31st. On Feb. 1st the station at 124
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