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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 1044.PDF
(/ycHT NOVEMBER 23, 1916. AIRCRAFT WORK AT THE FRONT. OFFICIAL INFORMATION. British. Cairo, November 13th. " In revenge for the raid which was carried out by 12 of our aeroplanes at Beersheba and Maghdaba orf Saturday last, when they seriously damaged some military establish ments, which, naturally, were the sole objects of attack, one hostile machine this morning dropped nine bombs on the business and residential quarters of Cairo. The enemy thus adheres to the principle of directing attacks, not on military targets, as prescribed by international law, but on dwellings and on the persons of the inoffensive civil population." War Office, November 14th. " Egypt.—Yesterday an enemy aeroplane flying very high dropped several bombs in and about Cairo, killing and wound ing a number of civilians. No military damage was done, and only one military casualty was incurred." [It was announced in Cairo that 14 persons, including four Europeans, were killed, and 25, including four Europeans, were injured.] War Office, November 15th. "Egypt.—A further air attack was undertaken to Maghaba during the night of the 14th. The enemy was completely taken by surprise, and our machines, descending to a very low altitude, dropped 400 lb. of explosives on the camp and storehouses, causing considerable damage. Our machines have returned safely." General Headquarters, November 15th, 10.3 p.m. " Yesterday our aeroplanes did much useful work. Last night they made successful bombing attacks on an enemy aerodrome and railway lines, stations, and rolling-stock." Admiralty, November 15th. " During the early hours of this morning the harbours and submarine shelters at Zeebrugge and Ostend were again heavily bombarded by squadrons of naval aeroplanes and sea planes. Direct hits were observed in the Atelier de la Marine and in close proximity to the power station. A large fire, probably emanating from a petrol store, was also observed. All machines returned safely." War Office, November 16th. " Egypt.—The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Egypt, reports that aircraft successfully bombed Maghara, Auja, and Kossaima on the 15th. All the machines returned in safety." General Headquarters, November 16th, g.25 p.m. " Yesterday our aeroplanes carried out several successful bombing raids. One hostile machine was driven down damaged." Admiralty, November ijth. " A successful raid was made on Ostend and Zeebrugge this morning (17th inst.) by British naval aeroplanes and sea planes. A considerable weight of bombs was dropped with good results on the docks and shipping. All machines returned safely. " With reference to the raid reported in the French com munique on October 25th, when n British naval aeroplanes, accompanied by five French machines, bombed the Essingen Works at Hagendingem, a fuller report has now been received, from which is appears that considerable damage was done. The objective consisted of blast furnaces and steel works, andjwas therefore of especial interest from a naval point of view, as the steel which is produced there is used in the con struction of big guns. According to the reports of the pilots, only two factory chimneys were left intact after the last bombs had been dropped, and therefore, although it is pos sible that part of this factory may be in working order again shortly, the greater part of the works attacked will be out of action for some considerable time." General Headquarters, November ijlh, 9.16 p.m. "^Yesterday much successful work was accomplished by ourjaeroplanes. Two important junctions on the enemy's lines of communication were bombed, and railwaj's, billets, and aerodromes were attacked with bombs and machine-gun fire both by night and day. The enemy aircraft showed more enterprise than usual, with the result that three of his machines were brought down on our side of the line and two on his side, and at least five more were driven to the ground in a damaged condition. Three of our machines are missing." War Office, November 18th. " Mesopotamia, Euphrates Line.—Onthe 13th inst. British aeroplanes again attacked a hostile gathering near Al Ain, nine bombs exploding in the enemy's camp. ^Tigris Front.—On the 12th inst. an enemy aerodrome in the neighbourhood of Kut-el-Amara was bombarded, 16 bombs being dropped with good effect. " Egypt, Saturday.—The General Officer Commanding-in- Chief, Egypt, reports :— " A surprise attack by aircraft was made on the enemy camp at Masad (five miles west of Arish) on the morning of the 17th ; 800 lb. of explosive were accurately dropped on the tents with great effect. Our machines have all returned. " Salonica.—Our airmen successfully bombed the enemy's camp north-east of Seres." General Headquarters, November iSth, 10.50 p.m. " Yesterday there was much fighting in the air. In one protracted combat between five of our machines and eight of the enemy's, one hostile machine was destroyed and the rest dispersed. In other encounters seven hostile machines were driven down damaged. Three of our machines are missing." Admiralty, November 20th. " On November 18th British seaplanes and aeroplanes, operating against the Bulgarian coast, successfully bombarded Karjani, Pravishta, and Senultos." French. Paris, November 16th. " Yesterday one of our pilots brought down an enemy machine near Chaulnes." Paris, November lyth. " Our guns forced two aeroplanes to come down in our lines, one the day before yesterday, south of Atteichy, and the other yesterday, near Roye-en-Matz. The aviators were taken prisoners. " Yesterday our aircraft in the region of Amiens fought 54 fights, irl the course of which Lieut. Heurteaux brought down his 13th machine, and 2nd Lieut. Guynemer his 21st. " During the night several bombardments were carried out, notably against the railway station and works of Esch- sur-Alzette (Luxemburg) and the aviation park of Tergnier. Over 1,500 kilogrammes (ij ton) of bombs were dropped. " Flight Capt. de Beauchamps ascended at 8 o'clock this morning for a flight to Munich. Arriving about noon over that town, he dropped several bombs on the station as a reprisal for the bombardments of the open town of Amiens, carried out by the Germans within the last few days. He afterwards landed at Santa Dona di Piave (in Italy, 12 i miles north of Venice), after crossing the Alps. He thus covered a distance of 700 kilometres (437J miles)." Paris, November i&th. " On the 16th inst. one of our machines, carrying Sub- Lieut. Pilot Loste and Quartermaster Machine-gunner Vitalis, brought down, on the Somme front, a German aeroplane. This is the fifth machine brought down so far by these two airmen. " On the 17th two German aeroplanes were brought down by our pilots. One of these fell in flames near Hallui ; the other was destroyed by Adjutant Tarascon, who thus gained his eighth victory, and fell near Manancourt Somme region). Two other German machines were brought down in aerial duels north of Fouquescourt, south-west of Vouzieres, after a lively engagement. One of our pilots used his machine-gun at very close quarters upon a German machine, one of whose wings became detached, and the machine crashed to earth in the region of Marvaux. Finally, a sixth enemy aeroplane, attacked by one of ours, fell in flames in the region of Vieville- en-Have. " Last night one of our air squadrons dropped 157 bombs on the enemy aerodromes at Golancourt (Oise) and Grisolles (Aisne). " Twenty-two British naval aeroplanes at daybreak yesterday bombarded the electric power-stations' and the naval workshops at Ostend. They dropped 180 bombs, many of which reached their objectives. Another bombardment was carried out by hydroplanes against the Zeebrugge jetty. All the machines returned safely. " Salonica.—British airmen bombarded enemy camps near Seres, while ours dropped bombs on bivouacs and camps at Novak and Monastir." IO36
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