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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0486.PDF
ffiMH In fact we make bold to suggest that we are not alone in asking to be able to join in doing honour to such men of distinction. There is a degree of modesty which, if persisted in, amounts to the worst form of vanity, and although it may be the ideal in peace times for some more or less ornamental heads of regiments to deprecate forcing into publicity the doings of any particular officer, in war times, such as we are at present experiencing, in our view, there is every reason for the contrary to be encouraged, so long as due distinction is drawn between highly-coloured descriptions of minor feats and out standing deeds of courage which should be coupled with the names of those responsible, for time without end. Indeed no forcing is required. The nation is only too ready to acknowledge spontaneously true worth. Again and again have protests been issued at the suppression of the names of those accomplishing these great achieve ments, and by way of emphasising this view, the following letter sent to the Press last week by Lt.-Col. Dudley Sampson should carry some weight in favour of accepting the principle of giving credit where credit is due. It is inconceivable that the suppression of names in such cases as that referred to can possibly be justified by reason of not desiring to give the enemy useful information. What help, in the name of every thing reasonable, could the publication of the names possibly afford. Yet, in the face of •fficial routine apparently, Col. Sampson may not supply the missing names from "Eye-witness"' narrative. Col. Sampson writes:— " Sir,—In the papers of June 29th there is an account from •Eve-witness' of a splendid deed. Two officers of the Royal Flying Corps—a pilot and an observer—tackled and beat a huge German ' Two Tail, but their own aircraft caught fire and they had to descend to earth in a blaze of flame, wounded and burnt, but undaunted. For what possible reason have the names of these two splendid fellows been suppressed ? It is inconceivable ! I happen to know who they are and where they are, but surely the public should know also. "Yours, &c, " DUDLEY SAMPSON, Lieutenant-Colonel. " Burshalls, Lindfield, Hayward's Heath." • * * The first authenticated attack by an aero- uersus* Plane uPon a submarine falls to be recorded Submarines. tms week, it being contained in the follow ing official Italian Admiralty communique issued from Rome on July 2nd:— " In the Adriatic Sea yesterday a French airman, Sub- Lieut. Rouillet, dropped from a height of 50 ft. two bombs on the Austrian submarine U n. " The bombs exploded under the water very close to the turret, apparently with success." From subsequent information, via Geneva, there would appear to be some doubt as to the submarine being destroyed, as she has been reported to have been towed to Trieste in a damaged condition with four of her crew dead. This, however, does not nullify the fact that the bombs launched from the aeroplane effectually reached their mark, a fact which carries with it much encourage ment for the use of aircraft as an antidote to underwater ® ® French Aerial Guard for Venice. FROM its Venice correspondent, the ECHO DE PARIS learns that " Venice is at present protected by a squadron of seaplanes manned by French naval pilots under the command of Naval Lieu tenant Conneau ('»Beaumont'). The measures for the protection of the city are such that since May 28 no enemy aeroplane has attempted to fly over Venice. Every day the French pilots fly over the Gulf of Trieste and JULY 9, 1915. craft, as advocated in Flight many months ago. We may hope, therefore, in the days to come, when the British Flying Services have enough craft to go round and a few to spare, that sight will not be lost of so promising a method of utilising any surplus units. There is much to be done in this direction, we are confident. <* <* • From questions answered in Parliament Air-Raid this week, the scheme for National Insur- nsurance. ance agamst ajrcraft rairjs appears to be getting nearer to fruition, as on Tuesday Mr. Lloyd George definitely stated that the matter was being pressed forward as rapidly as possible, by the Board of Trade and the Treasury working together, whilst the Prime Minister hoped to be at a very early date in a position to make a statement upon the subject. No doubt there must be many sides and issues to consider, but it is to be hoped much more delay will not be experienced, as it is getting appreciably nearer " Zeppelin time " just now, and there are not a few who would be glad to know they were covered against any loss arising from the merest whim of fortune in directing one of the raiders in some par ticular direction. In the meantime, it is evident that pressure has been brought by Germany upon the Dutch authorities to stop as far as possible any information leaking out through telegraphic messages as to the passage of airships in this or that direction, thereby en dangering the neutral attitude of our Dutch friends, which all points to possible activity of the German airfleet. A side issue, last week, in connection with these promised raids, raises the query whether the remedy of erecting anti-raid wire nets upon the roofs of buildings is not worse than the stray chances of the disease. In the case of the North British Assurance Company in Thread- needle Street, a framework of rolled steel joists has been erected to support i\ tons of steel wire netting. They were consequently haled before the magistrate at Guild hall under the Building Act, for carrying out the work without giving the necessary notice to the district sur veyor, and mulcted in a nominal penalty of 5s. and costs. But that there is reason in having such constructions approved and supervised officially may be gathered from a statement by the surveyor to the effect that if a bomb exploded on the network, the joists, acting as levers, would bring down the chimney, to which they were attached, and some 20 tons of stone and brickwork would fall into the street below. It is surprising to what lengths some institutions will go in carrying out elaborate precautions of this character against such a comparatively small chance of its ever being required. But then every concern has not the vast accumulations and premiums, based upon very generous estimates, which the big insurance houses have at their backs to draw upon. What is the more as tonishing is that, being such pastmasters in the art of accepting risks themselves, they should not appreciate how slight an individual risk exists in regard to damage from the air. ® ® reconnoitre the positions and movements of the Austrian ships. On the 6th inst. the Austrian lighthouse at Salvore was bombarded by the airman Rouillet." Austria Orders Zeppelins. ACCORDING to a report from Amsterdam the Austrian Government has placed an order for three Zeppelins, intended for use against Italy, to be built at the Zeppelin works at Friedrichscbafen. 486
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