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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0256.PDF
expired in its former form, and in its newer form was not ratified by some of the belligerents, and, therefore, it does not hold good in the present war. Accordingly, when using airships belligerents are bound only by the aforementioned regulations in so far as these are con sistent with general international principles, and the agreement regulating naval bombardment applies to air craft. Any places must be considered as defended, under these principles, which take certain measures of defence against airships. According to the above, con tinues the German argument, London may be attacked through aircraft at all points wherever there are military constructions or buildings or establishments usable for military purposes. To this category belong especially docks and arsenals used for the Navy. Apart from that, a bombardment may also be directed against the city itself, as it is to be considered defended in the sense and meaning under the conditions of Article 2 of the Hague ® ® AIRCRAFT WORK Convention dealing with naval warfare. It may remain undecided as to whether the closing of the Thames by contact mines is perhaps a mine blockade in the Thames as well as on the shore. The fortifications along the river characterise the City of London itself as fortified. Those fortifications south of the city which approach within eight miles of the city must be considered as a direct defence of London. In addition the measures of defence undertaken in London through the mounting of guns in elevated places as well as the placing in readiness of armed aerial craft against attack from the air render London a place defended against aerial attack. And so the argument goes on in the same measure as in respect to their submarine outrages, in order to justify any murderous attacks which in their blind passion they may perpetrate. But, as we have always held, the results will be very wide of their calculations, and Londoners will still go on sleeping calmly in their beds. ® ® AT THE FRONT. OFFICIAL INFORMATION. IN the despatch dated April 6th from an " Eyewitness " with the British General Headquarters there was the following :— " A bomb was dropped by a German aeroplane on Armentieres on Thursday (April 1st) without doing any damage, and during the night the hostile guns opened on our trenches on the left centre. On Friday our trench mortars were busy to good effect near Ploegsteert Wood." In an official statement issued in Cairo on April 8th, referring to the affair with a Turkish cavalry patrol, a few miles N.E. of Kantara, there was the following :— " All aeroplane reconnaissances show that there were no other bodies of troops within reach." In the despatch dated April 9th, from " Eyewitness " there was the following :— " A German aeroplane dropped four bombs near Le Bizet, north of Armentieres, but no harm was done." In the evening communique issued in Paris on April 8th it was stated :— " To the north-west of the Bois de Montmare (to the north of Flirey), the cable of a captive balloon was severed by one of our shells and the balloon drifted across our lines towards the south-east." In the evening communique issued in Paris on Sunday, there was the following:— "Our aeroplanes dropped 155-millimetre (6A-inch) bombs on the maritime station and the foundry at Bruges." A French official communique issued on the 7th inst. gave the following details of recent doings of the French aviators:— " The first days of spring with their longer light have been marked by a recrudescence of activity on the part of our aviators. The official communiques state that among operations more glorious and more directly efficacious, they cannot mention the daily work of aviation on the whole front of the armies. The Flying Corps has adapted itself to the necessities of position warfare. Its duties are manifold. It co-operates regularly in the artillery actions which take place daily at numerous points of the lines; its reconnaissance service furnishes the General Staff with precious information ; and, finally, bombardments and the pursuit of enemy aeroplanes are still comprised among its essential and not the least perilous tasks. " The plain story of a day of aerial operations will give some idea of the value of the effort furnished by this service. The work of April 2nd included 45 reconnais sances and 20 range corrections. Numerous photographs were also taken of the enemy's positions. On their side two aviation detachments were engaged in regulating artillery fire. The bombardment operations on that day were seven in number. At dawn, between 5 and 7 o'clock, a flying squadron dropped bombs in Alsace on the sheds of the Habsheim aviation ground, on the factory of Diet Wilier, and the station of Walheim. At Bensdorf a bomb weighing 10 kilogrammes was dropped on the station and three bombs on the enemy's cantonments. At 10 minutes to 10 seven aeroplanes flew over the Woevre as far as Vigneulles, where the Germans were found to be con structing corrugated iron huts. These were riddled with bombs, which could be seen falling square on the buildings. " The aviation ground of Coucy-le-Chateau, north of Soissons, and the station of Comines, in Belgium, were also bombarded. When darkness fell other aviators took the air. In Champagne three 90-millimetre bombs were dropped on the station of Sommery, and four on the station of Doutrien. The enemy bivouacs near l'Kcaille and St. Etienne-sur-Suippe were struck by 90- millimetre bombs, and on other bivouacs near Bazancourt and Pont Faverger our airmen discharged a thousand airows. " Finally there is to be recorded the capture of an enemy aeroplane. On April 1 st two Aviatiks had already been brought down, one by a well-aimed carbine shot after a very hot fight in the region of Soissons, and the other above the valley of the Lys by machine-gun fire, which hit the tank and set fire to the machine. About six in the morning of April 1st one of our aeroplanes cruising round Reims noticed an Albatros flying towards the city. Our man gave chase to it, and barring the way came under a sharp rifle fire, to which he replied effectively. The German aeroplane fell in our lines and the pilot and observer were made prisoners. It is by such constant and tireless activity and daring initiative that our airmen have indisputably achieved the mastery of the air." In the evening communique issued in Paris on Tuesday there was the following :— " Our aviators successfully bombarded the military sheds at Vigneulles, Woevre, and dispersed not far from there a battalion on the march." 256
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