FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1915
1915 - 1075.PDF
DECEMBER 31, 1915, IN a despatch from P«,„gK(i siven J ,. „ AND WAR. sis # •* p-',s iswA EZJ [AiGHT] Germans in Russia have relied ,,nnntkl'^ I? a long t,tne the untrustworthy persons within the zone of a & ^?!T/° ^r,°.plane3 cannot. «% continue theiy P • tions. The cold rapidly increases ... expeui- with every few yards of altitude, and as aeroplanes rush swiftly through air at a temperat fifty to seventy degrees below Fahrenheit freezing point, no known ?£e£ Th rCeP the-,pil0t and °bs:"« from death by cofd Therefore the German pdots now fly at much lower altitudes, and even then without always escaping the worst effects of the in ense cold. The Russians now bring them down at the rate of several daily, chiefly with rifle shots. " Captive balloon observation points fare little better, as they make admirable artillery marks in the clear, frosty air. One was brought down on the Dwinsk front by artillety, which continued to bombard the place where it fell, and before long a tremendous explosion took p'ace. Evidently a shell exploded the stores of gas for the balloon. b "The Germans are now necessarily resorting to regular scouting work, but apparently their men lack the initiative and resource required for successful scouting. The Russians, who live an open- air life all their days, are naturally good scouts, and parties return every night with German prisoners. Some feats performed by scouting squads rival those of the now famous parties operating in the rear of the German positions." Writing to the Daily Mail from General Headquarters under date of December 20th, regarding the recent attack on Ypres, Mr. W. Beach Thomas says :— "The weather, which made the gas attack possible, gave also a rare opportunity to the airmen. On that sunny Sunday morning took place in connection with this inconsiderable skirmish perhaps the biggest aeroplane fight that the world has yet seen. The prophetic picture of ' airy navies grappling in the central blue ' was fulfilled to the letter. It is reckoned that 40 aircraft were in the air successively, if not quite simultaneously; and 40 may certainly justify the word fleet. We lost no craft, and within the two days three of the enemy were ' sunk.'" On the authority of a trustworthy Dane who has just arrived from Constantinople, the National Tidende states, that Krupp's big new ammunition manufactory outside Constantinople has been completely destroyed by British aviators. All the costal steamers have, too, been sunk. A Reuter message from Salonika, dated December 21st, states :— "This afternoon an aeroplane, supposed to be a Taube, was perceived at a great altitude west of Salonika. Five French aero planes were seen going in pursuit, whereupon the supposed Taube retired, and was lost to sight." Reuter's correspondent at Amsterdam, under date December 21st, reports :— " A delayed telegram from Ameland (north of Holland) states that an aeroplane passed over the north of the island this morning going in a westerly direction. During the night light signals were continually observed out at sea. ... , ., "A later telegram states that an airship also passed over the north of the island at noon today, flying in a westerly direction. # From its frontier correspondent the Telegraa/learns that on December 19th a British aviator reconnoitring over the German lines between the front and Bruges was shot down by anti-aircraft guns. The Morning Post correspondent at Stockholm, in a message dated December 23rd, states :— "A correspondent of the Social Demokraten telegraphs from southwards. associated ^J*J**%* ^ A Central News message from Amsterdam, dated December 23rd, states :— " It is stated from a German source that kusiian aviators have dropped bombs at Cz-rnowiu." Further details received by the 7\ luim us frontier correspondent regarding an aerial'duel near Bruges, put a very different complexion on the tackkat to that given by the German (vmmuw'fu/ of Decern ber 20th:— " A German official report, which recently Hated that near Bruges an English aeroplane had been shot down and officer* killed, wa* incomplete, as in the encounter a German mtcbiiu- also lei! to the ground, killing its pilot. " A British aeroplane flew over the district of Lie htnveldo, south of Bruges, and dropped several bombs, one of wlm-h In! an ammunition dep6t, causing a heavy explosion. When the lSnti-.li machine was about to return a German aviator went in pursuit. A hot engagement in the air ensued, when suddenly both nu< hinet fell to earth, killing their occupant*." An Athens despatch to the GiorxeUe tf Italia, dated Monday, states:— " Allied aviators have bombirded the Bulgarian encampments at Doiran and Gevgheli.'' The following extracts are taken from an article in the Vossische Zeitung, by Dr. Max Osborne, on the scene in Champagne:— "It cannot be said that the Headquarters Staff in K. has a particularly quiet time. We had scarcely ventured nut of the bouse when a loud explosion was heard. This was not the first occiirniire of the kind, for the enemy aviators had been flying over the district all the afternoon. Hut their work grew livelier now. And look 1 Right over the roof of the house of the divisional staff there is one of these threatening fellows. Mr || fairly high, but you can see well enough that he is a French airman. The machine is greeted with a lively fire. It seems to be surrounded with shrapnel. And tIn Hench man does not like his reception. He- darts this way and that, as if he were undecided what to do. Bat he continues to flf right over our heads. We rushed into the street, and the soldiers followed our example. The commander wrinkled his brow. ' Let every seek cover,' came the order. The soldier* dispersed, but the com mander did not think of seeking shelter. He remained in the street. It was too fascinating a spectacle to miss. In the meantime- the gunners plied their trade. "At that moment a tall officer came round the corner, and went up to the commander, clicked his heels together, saluted, and said : ' Your obedient servant, Excellence, two trench airmen have been captured.' "Everyone looked round. There they stood, two fine young men. Their faces were deathly while, and one could read the terror of death and the excitement of their present situation in their countenances. They stood in front of the General, staring into his face as if they would read their fate there. " ' Je suis blessc,' said the pilot, and pointed to his back. Bat the officer who had brought them up said that the wound w;<* not dangerous—only a slight hurt the Frenchman had received as ifx-if machine came to the ground after the engine had btM Wt ' Au jardin, s'il vous plait,' said the General politely, with a wave of the hand. Both were *o astonished at this chivalrous greeting of the enemy that they appeared at first to be rooted to the ground. " And now they stood at our side and looked up at the firing which was directed at their comrades in the air, until the airman up above made off and the two Frenchmen were taken further afield. "We may gather from this how wonderfully active the Freoch aircraft are." Writing to the Daily Mail from Athens on Monday, Mr. J. M. N. Jeffries says :— " Allied aeroplanes report no activity whatever in the German- Bulgar camp." From a correspondent in Belgium the Telegraa/ ]p3rns * " On Sunday eight aviators of the Allies made a reconnoitring flight over Belgium and dropped bombs with succea* 00 Oermttt soutnwaras. us *»» "*"-". ,n „t Halmstad and which depots on tne rrencn iromici. barque ' Andrew Welsh,' which * still1 at HalmsUd «nd wh.cn p ^^ ^^ ^ ^ wM tr^ Germans are evidently striving to capture, lne military gi t ^ fi ^ ^ ho fhm amnanll hat Sarmeuti safely.' in charge of the vessel has been further strengthened. depots on the French frontier. " One aviator remained for c - heavily fired at by the Germans, but disappeared safely. 1039
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
