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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0185.PDF
MARCH 2, 1916- I/Dew] AIRCRAFT WORK AT THE FRONT. OFFICIAL INFORMATION. British. General Headquarters, Feb. 22nd. " One of our aeroplanes was struck by an antiaircraft shell. The pilot's leg was practically severed. He managed however, to land fcis machine safely in an aerodrome and without injury to his observer." General Headquarters, Feb. 2$th. " Yesterday our aeroplanes carried out a successful bombing raid against an enemy aerodrome near Lille. All our machines returned safely." Cairo, Feb. 27M. "The enemy's column under Nuri and Gaafar was attacked yesterday morning at Agagia, about fifteen miles south-east of Barrani, by General Lukin's column, consisting of South African troops, Yeomanry, and Territorial Artillery. By 3.30 p.m. the enemy had been completely routed, and was fleeing in scattered parties, pursued by our cavalry. At 4 p.m. aeroplanes reported them to be eight miles south-west of Agagia, still being pursued." French. Paris, Feb. %2na. Afternoon. " The Zeppelin brought down at Brabant-le-Roi is the ' L 77,' of very recent construction. It was set fire to by an incendiary shell, and on coming to earth was further destroyed by the explosion of the bombs on board. " The naked bodies of the officers and men forming the crew of the Zeppelin have been found in the cabin-boat. " A Zeppelin flew over Luneville last evening, and dropped some bombs, which caused only slight material damage. Pursued by our aeroplanes, the airship turned back towards Metz." Paris, Feb. 24M. Afternoon. " In the course of the night one of our bombarding air squadrons dropped forty-five bombs, several of them of large size, on the railway station of Metz-Sablons, and on the gasworks. A large outbreak of fire was observed immediately afterwards." Paris, Feb. 26th, Evening. " To.day, in the region of Verdun, Adjutant Navarre on a mono plane brought down by fire from machine-guns two German aero. planes, which now bring the total of the enemy's machines brought down by this intrepid aeronaut to five. " A French squadron of nine armoured aeroplanes dropped 144 shells on the railway station of Metz-Sablons, while another squadron bombarded the German establishments at Chambley, north-west of Pont-a-Mousson." Russian. Petrograd, F*i, 23rd. " Several German aeroplanes dropped bombs on the districts of Riga, Friedrichstadt, and Jacobstadt. " Two Zeppelins flew over Dvinsk." Petregrad, Feb. 24th. " Above the Riga region and in the Dwina-Oger-Probstingshof sector German aeroplanes appeared and threw bombs. " Near the Bosphorus one of our submarines was twice attacked without result by two enemy aeroplanes. The submarine destroyed a sailing ship laden with coal." German. Berlin, Feb. 22nd. " Numerous aerial engagements took place between the aviators who ascended on both sides, especially behind the enemy front. A German airship fell a victim to the enemy fire near Revigny during the night." Berlin, Feb. 23rd. "Innumerous aerial engagements behind the enemy lines our airmen maintained the upper hand." Berlin, Feb. 27/A. " In Flanders our aeroplane squadrons repeated their attack* on the camp of the enemy troops. " A bomb attack on Metz by enemy aviators resulted in the injury or death of eight civilians and seven soldiers. Several houses were damaged. In the neighbourhood of the fortress a French aeroplane was brought down in aerial battle and by bombardment by anti aircraft guns. The occupants, who included two captains, were taken prisoners." From Other "The Journal recently gave the following details of a duel in the north of France between a French aeroplane and a Fokker, during which Lieutenant Cabanes met his death. " The German machine was sighted a long distance off, but as it •was in the early days of the Fokker, Cabanes was unable to assure himself of its nationality until it opened fire. Cabanes was shot through the shoulder by the first salvo as he was preparing his machine gun, and fell forward on to the pilot, gripping him so that he could not free himself. "A few minutes later the pilot—a corporal—received two bullets through the hand. With the other he endeavoured to manipulate his machine, but his adversary was faster and better •armed, and, circling above him, sent in a hot fire. Covered with his companion's blood, suffering agonies from his own wounds, and with his aeroplane pierced in a dozen places by the enemy's •fire, the corporal endeavoured to plane down towards the French lines. " The two machines were by this time wing to wing, but the •German suddenly realised the risk he was running in approaching the French lines, and after firing a last volley circled round and beat a retreat. A few minutes later the plucky pilot had brought his machine to earth within the French lines." A Reuter message from Zurich, dated February 23rd, says:— " Travellers coming from Germany report an extraordinary activity in the building of Zeppelin sheds." The Central News correspondent at Amsterdam, writing under •date of February 23rd, says :— " Messages from southern Limbnrg state that loud and repeated alarm signals by horns and sirens were heard yesterday from the direction of Belgium, just within the frontier, and a few moments later no fewer than 80 loud explosions were audible. A quarter of an hour later there were two further series of explosions, 13 on the first occasion and 21 just afterwards. It was evident that bombs of varying size were being dropped, and it is believed that a great raid ^as in progress, with a view to the destruction of the new four-track railway constructed by the Germans between Aix-la-Chapelle and vise. It is not without significance that a number of aeroplanes also flew over Liege and were fired upon." A Central News message from Petrograd, dated February 22nd, states:~ ' Two German airmen, while flying near Lake Drisviatz in an Albatros, were forced to descend by our fire, and both were made Prisoners." Sources. 1 The Czernovitz correspondent of the Berliner Tageblatt last week reported that on the Bessarabian front only small local engagements take place, while, on the other hand, air actions are becoming more numerous. On February 20th, Russian airmen endeavoured to reconnoitre Austrian positions, and dropped bombs, but were chased and com pelled to descend. The Daily Mail special correspondent at Rotterdam, writing on February 27th, says :— " Enemy flying machines are out in great number. A very large battle-plane mounting two guns was seen leaving Zeebrugge. Mr. Edmund Candler, writing from Basra to the Daily Telegraph under date February 21st, says :— " Cheery messages come through from General Townshend (at Kut). He is sowing vegetable seeds, and has asked for gramophone needles. These and other light requisites are dropped in his camp by aeroplane. He reports sufficient supplies for a long period to come." The Times Parisian correspondent, writing on February 25th with regard to the Verdun fighting, says :— " As was the case in the Champagne offensive, the battle began with aerial operations, the object of which was to reconnoitre, and, by bomb dropping on big railway centres, to interfere with the transport of reinforcements and supplies. In this first phase of the battle, the French scored distinctly, bringing down four aeroplanes and a Zeppelin, and preventing any interference with the lines of communication. " An increased bombardment, which followed the air engage ments, continued with unremitting violence until noon on Mon day. . . ." The Times correspondent in Paris, writing under date of February 22nd, gives the following details of the shooting down of the "L77":- " The French are celebrating to-day, as a victory, the result of the first big battle in the air, for, in yesterday's engagements, for the first time, there was the appearance of big combined aerial operations, with aeroplanes skirmishing on the wings and Zeppelins holding the centre. " Along the whole Eastern front yesterday there were aerial attacks and counter-attacks, the results of which were in every case favourable to the French. Starting in Alsace, east of Altkirch, a Fokker was brought down in an air fight at Epinal, and north of the Forest of Parroy, at Vigneulles-les-Hatton-chatel, Fismes, Bar- le-Duc, and Revigny, in the Argonne, aeroplanes were engaged. I8S
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