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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0086.PDF
[/QGHT Tarnoix>l was attacked by an airship, which was escorted by seven aeroplanes, and threw seventy-five bombs on the town. The missiles did comparatively little damage." Mr. G. J. Stevens, writing to the Daily Telegraph from Salonika, under date January 21st, says :— " Further details are now known about the bombardment of Dedeagach and I'orto Lagos. It was both well placed and exe cuted. Its objective was the destruction of the main railway line passing north of bedeagacb, and was carried out with the assist ance of seaplanes, which directed the fire of the heavy guns of the ships. Apart from the observations of the aeroplanes, the informa tion received from over the border agrees that the damage done was considerable. Several bridges and culverts on the line were destroyed, and great havoc was also wrought on whole stretches of the line itself. The seaplanes pushed inland to Xanthi, where their appearance caused a panic among the population. A flotilla of destroyers and mine-sweepers effectively protected the Allied squadron from submarine attack during the bombardment." The Carriers de.Ua Sera last week published a message from its Salonika correspondent, who, in giving some details of the opera tions of the Allied Fleet since the beginning of January, in attacking the Turkish positions in the Dardanelles and the Bulgarian coasts, says;— " The Bulgarian and Turkish batteries attempted to reply, but were easily reduced to silence, and none of their shells reached the Allied ships. Squadrons of aeroplanes co-operated throughout the actions, bombarding the Bulgarian and Turkish hinterlands." Writing from the British Headquarters in France under date January 20th, Reuter's correspondent says :— " I observe that Berlin is very jubilant over the recent successes of the German airmen along the Western front. The new Fokker battle-plane is unquestionably a most effective machine, and (usually in greatly superior numbers) these aircraft have latterly accounted for several of our own. The great feature of the Fokker is the mounting of a machine-gun in such a manner that it can be fired horizontally, clear of the propeller, thus enabling successful attack to be made against a hostile plane. But here again the momentary advantage (if it can really even be so called) is one of means and not of men. " Our own flying men are unanimously optimistic. They know that what the Germans c»n do in this way it is not denied to us to be able to accomplish, and that some very considerable overhead surprises are rapidly approaching the stage of materialising. Furthermore, the difference between the daring spirit of our men and the caution of the enemy must be lx>rne in mind in considering the true significance of the recent successes of the latter. For every one German machine that ventures to cross our lines, ten British planes may be seen wheeling over the enemy positions. And this not once in a way, but almost any day when the weather is fit for flying. So that the average German chances of shooting down an aircraft stand in the ratio of ten to one against ours." The Morning Post correspondent at Petrograd, in a message dated January 20th, says 1— " On the northern Russian front the German liveliness continues, but it is chiefly confined to active aeroplane reconnaissances. Bombs have been dropped over Dwinsk." The M:>r/timr fits! correspandent in Budapest, writing on January 14th regarding the condit ions in Czemowitz, says ;——• " Almost every day Russian aeroplanes appear over the city, throwing bombs, but the public is quite accustomed to these visitors, and in spite of the order that in case of aerial attacks everyone should seek shelter, the people always flock into the streets, enjoying the fun." The 'Ptlcgraaf learns that three Allied airmen successfully dropped bombs on German ammunition stores near the Franco- Belgian frontier. Writing from Salonika to the Daily Telegraph under date January 23rd, Mr. G. Ward Price says:— " The largest air raid yet carried out in the Balkans was made by the French thismorning on Monastir. Starting at 7 o'clock, thirty- two aeroplanes from the aerodromes near Salonika flew oft'in regular squadrillas. There has recently been some concentration of troops, both German and Biilgar, at Monastir, though their numbers are most variously estimated. The chief object of this concentration probably is to use the shelter against winter weather which the town and buildings afford. The flight to Monastir took just over two hours. The weather was fine, but at nine o'clock a violent wind sprang up. Some of the aircraft were gunplanes, and bombarded the German and Bulgarian head quarters with their guns. Others dropped shells and bombs, buildings known to be used as hospitals were avoided. As the vast squadrilla, pitching in the boisterous north wind, but flying in regular order across the blue sky, circled over the town its pilots saw black clouds of smoke rolling up from places where the leading JANUARY 27, 1916. bombs had fallen. All the French machines were vigorously shelled by the enemy batteries round the town, but every one had returned unhurt to Salonika by noon ; and on the way back they dropped any bombs they had remaining over on two or three villages near Gevgheli, where Bulgarian troops are encamped. According to a Reuter message 45 French aeroplanes took part in the raid, while the Daily Mail correspondent states that about 204 bombs were dropped on Monastir and 100 on Gevgheli, Boyandzi and Gorentze. Reuter's correspondent at Rome, writing on Monday, says :— "Guerilla warfare is still being carried on most effectively in Montenegro. The Montenegrins have been suffering a good deal from the Austrian aeroplanes, which hare been flying for some weeks past as low as 1,800 feet, using machine-guns on soldiers m open towns and villages. Eighty men were killed by this means at Niksitch in one day, and thirty at San Giovanni di Medua." The Morning Post Parisian correspondent, writing on January 18th, says:— . "An eye-witness gives the following description of a battle between three French warplanes and two armoured Fokkers, of which an account appeared in a recent French communique :— "Our warplanes, powerfully armed, belonged to a squadron commanded by Lieutenant F., who was previously in command of a flying school. On January 7th two of these machines, piloted by Corporal P. and Sergeant de G., went up to bombard certain objectives. Corporal P., his mission accomplished, was returning, when he observed a French Voisin machine attacked by a Fokker. The two aeroplanes were so close that it was difficult for the warplane to intervene without danger to the French aviator. However, it fired three shells in succession, at 1,500 yards, 1,000 yards, and 500 yards. The enemy's machine was not hit, and it continued to gain on the Voisin. Then by an audacious manoeuvre Corporal P. dived down right on the Fokker and fired twice in quick succession. These projectiles found a target, and the Fokker burst into flames, while the German batteries opened a vain fire on the warplane, which landed uninjured behind the French lines. " The second Fokker was brought down by Sergeant de G. Attacked by an enemy machine, that was very fast and attempted to reach him from below, the sergeant suddenly reduced his speed, and, forcing bis aeroplane abruptly upwards, allowed the enemy to pass him below. The German pilot, seeing his danger, swerved to the right to escape the French aeroplane's gun, but he was too late. The French pilot swept on him at full speed, and his machine gun opened fire at under fifty yards. A bullet pierced the petrol reservoir, and the Fokker fell blazing into a forest. The French machine was planing towards the landing-place when another Fokker appeared in full chase. The enemy's machine-gun opened fire, and it was only by brilliant manoeuvring that Sergeant de G., who had no more ammunition, succeeded in escaping the onslaught.' ® ® ® ® A Zeppelin Off Norway. THE Morning Post correspondent, at Christiania under date January 20th, reports :— '* A telegram from Narvik says that Captain Bergfjord, of the steamer ' Ofoten,' on arriving at that port stated that yesterday afternoon at five o'clock he observed a Zeppelin at a height of about 500 metres. Apparently the airship was signalling, for she showed red, green, and blue lights. Soon afterwards she disappeared, travelling in a south-westerly direction," A Fatal Accident in Germany. ACCORDING to the Maimer Tageblati a fatal aviation accident recently occurred at Consenheim, near Mainz. An aeroplane dashed down to the ground, and the occupants, Lieutenant Schroder and Noncommissioned Officer Zimmermann, were severely burnt, the former with fatal effects. The canker of "Politics," as it is seen in the United States, undermini ng the foundation on which Britannia rests. A cartoon from one of the American papers. 86
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