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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0385.PDF
MAY 4. «•* 1IGHT The Athens correspondent of the Messaggero telegraphs that on April 24th a powder factory at Zeitunlik, in the vicinity of Constantinople, was hit by a dozen bombs thrown from two Russian aeroplanes. The fire spread to the neighbouring buildings. Mr. W. T. Massey, writing to the Daily Telegraph from Suez on April 27th, says :— "The Flying Corps yesterday saw a hostile camp at Hod Bayud, a small oasis with palms in a depression of soft sand dunes half-dozen miles south of Abd. It was destroyed by the aircraft, and the scattered enemy retired on Abd, where they were bombed by the aviators. " Bombs have been dropped on Port Said by enemy aeroplanes. Flying at a great height a Turkish aviator yesterday dropped four bombs. There were no casualties, and no damage was done." The same correspondent, writing from El Kantara on April 26th, regarding the fighting at Katia, &c, says :— " The Australian Light Horse pursued, killing a few and taking some prisoners. Further losses were caused by the bombs and machine guns of the airmen. . . . " When the enemy's main body retired a force of 500 was left near Katia as a rearguard. Eight aeroplanes attacked their bivouac early on Monday morning, dropping 71 bombs on the encampment, and absolutely destroyed it. The Turks were taken completely by surprise, and lost half their number killed and wounded." According to a report in the Times in an air duel over Mulhausen on March 17th, the petrol tank of a French biplane was hit, and the machine caught fire. The French airman, seeing that he could not escape alive, promptly drove his burning machine against that of his German adversary, and both fell in flames. The bodies of the airmen were entirely carbonised. A semi-official review of events before Verdun, issued in Paris on April 28th, says :— " Three times the enemy infantry attempted to rush our trenches to the north of the fort of Vaux, on the front Haudremont- ThkumoEt, and in the Douaumont-Vaux sector, but the attempts were discovered by our aviators, and were broken up by our curtain fire before the attacks had even time to debouch. " The fine weather is very favourable for aeroplanes and dirigibles, which have accomplished many military objects in the last twenty - four hours. The number of bombardments must have been so great as to constitute a record." According to the Telegraaf'on the 24th ult., at 4 a.m. aeroplanes appeared over Zeebrugge and dropped bombs. The Germans fired violently at them without apparent effect. Writing to the Daily Mail from Rotterdam on April 25th regard ing the bombardment of Zeebrugge by a British squadron, Mr. James Dunn says :— " A captive balloon directed the fire of the German gur* wad wai not hit, although it was hotly shelled." Mr. W. T. Massey, writing to the Daily TfftgtvfJk from Suet on April 24th, says :— " Yesterday and to-day a substantial force of Turks was badly mauled in the Quatia district by infantry and the Australian Light Horse, while the Royal Flying Corps, which has done consistently admirable work throughout the campaign, finished the fight with a brilliant raid, scattering the remnant of the Turks across the desert. . . . The Turks' discomfiture did not end here, for aeroplanes went after the retreating enemy, dropped bombs among them, and used machine-guns with good effect. " A report was sent in that 400 Turks were bivouacking in the neighbourhood of Quatia last night, and this morning the Flying Corps made an attack. Starting in the darkness, the aeroplanes reached Quatia as the sun was rising, and dropped a large number of bombs, completely dispersing the enemy with bombs and machine-guns. The enemy's casualties were observed to be heavy." In an account of the sinking of the Dutch steamer " Berkel- stroom," obtained by the London correspondent of the TeUgrmmf, the following occurs:— " The unmarked submarine had fired four shells at the ' Berael- stroom' without succeeding in sinking the vessel when a seaplane appeared in the distance. This was noticed by the Germans in the UB. 18, and one of the crew of the submarine tried to cut the rope by which the rowing boats weie attached to her. Sufficient time was not allowed him to accomplish his purpose, however, for the submarine was rapidly being submerged, ana the ' Berkelstroom's' boats would have been dragged down had not the ship's carpenter, who was in the foremost ofthem, been able to sever the rope. " When the seaplane came nearer two or three shots were fired from it at the UB. 18. The Dutchmen were unable to see whether the submarine was hit. Both submarines having disappeared the seaplane descended. It was manned by two English airmen, who gave the Dutchmen certain instructions and promised to obtain help for them. No sooner had the seaplane ascended and got out of sight than the unmarked submarine boat came again to the surface and fired five or six more shells at the ' Berkelstroom,' from which smoke was seen to arise. The second submarine then disappeared." An account received in Amsterdam from Constantinople regarding the fall of Kut says :— "The British tried all pofsible means to supply food to the beleaguered force. They first threw down sacks of flour from aero planes, but Turkish forces put an end to this, Turkish battle aeroplanes shooting down one after another of these old British machines." ==, rs m m m m • m m u A Bristol **bullet" getting a w * y — somewhere out yonder. • w n a • • • PT • H SB • • • •
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