FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0303.PDF
MARCH 14, 1918.. WHEN Mr. J. A. Whitehead, realising the vital necessityof supremacy in the air, initiated his first efforts, after the start of the war, for the production of aircraft, even he couldhardly have visualised the growth to which his remarkable energy would lead. Yet from the smallest start he has con-tinued to progress, step by step, until at last we have him obtaining Treasury sanction for the increase of the capitalof Whitehead Aircraft, Ltd., to a round million sterling. No small achievement indeed, and one which must carry with SIDE-WINDS. of bringing over American troops). Several lengthy Americanfreight cars in the foreground serve to convey an impression of the size of the whole. The premises have now been in workingorder for some time, the machinery has been installed, and miles of whirling belts are conveying the power which shouldin the long-run assist to turn the scales in our favour. The weight of the steel that was used on the job totalled 5,800 tons,and no less than 7,000,000 board feet of lumber were employed. Nearly three thousand men were at work at a time rushing AVIATION WAR WORK IN AMERICA.—The S.E. corner of the new Curtiss plant. it its own reward to this remarkable personality. The formal offering of the increased share capital should be in operation this week, we believe, and from what we hear the required amount is already practically waiting for the job. AN interesting side-light is thrown on the manner in whichAmerica is providing for the aerial fleets (which, it is to be hoped, will assist to administer the coup de grace to the Hunbefore very long) by an account which we have received from the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation of theirnew premises which have recently been constructed. It is only ten years ago that Glen Curtiss's experimental machine," Red Wing," succeeded in flying 319 feet over the ice at Lake Keuka, near Hammondsport, the machine having beenconstructed in what was little better than a shed. Now the latest extension to this plant is half as long again asthe " colossal " German transatlantic liner " Vaterland " (which, as we see by the papers, is doing us the kindly office the erection of the premises, and their wages bill for onemonth alone was over a quarter of a million (pounds sterling, not dollars I ). The whole contract was for a sum very littleshort of a round million pounds. Although details cannot be given as to the products that will be turned out in thisplant, it will certainly serve to show that America is going all the way. A LITTLE development in connection with the BournemouthSchool of Aviation is to be noted ; in future prospective pupils who are in town will be able to obtain full particularsfrom the General Aeronautical Co., Ltd., who are now acting as London agents for the school. At the offices of thecompany, 30, Regent Street, just off Piccadilly Circus, those who are contemplating taking a course of flying instruc-tion will be able to get any information they require con- cerning this school, which, apart from its excellent equipment,has the advantage of a congenial situation. The Raids on Paris. THE raid on Paris on the evening of March 8th appearsto have been carried out with considerable forces. A message from Paris speaks of from ten to twelve squadrons followingone another, advancing on Paris along the Oise and Marne valleys and the Creil-Paris railway line. " As soon as the alarm signal had been given a violentbarrage was opened from all the posts in the north and north- east, and was kept up uninterruptedly until the alarm wasover. About sixty aeroplanes went up for the defence. A number of enemy aeroplanes were driven back before theycould reach Paris. Several bombs were dropped on unin- habited land in the suburbs. While the raid was takingplace our aircraft at the front bombarded the enemy's base aerodromes, notably Ville aux Bois and Epreux. A Gotha,shot down, has been found in the forest of Compiegne with its four occupants burned to cinders. The raid commencedat 8.45 p.m. and lasted nearly 3J hours. The casualties are officially reported as: Paris : 7 killed—-3 men, 4 women ;26 injured—16 men, 7 women, 3 children. Suburbs : 4 killed —3 men, 1 child ; 15 injured—7 men, 7 women, 1 child. A few bombs fell in the district of Seine-et-Oise, where twopeople were killed and nine injured. It is unofficially stated that the machine brought down isof the ' Friedrichshafen " type, 80 ft. span, fitted with two 250 h.p. motors. It was camouflaged in black, grey and violet. The following was officially sent out from Berlin on Mar. 9th : " As reprisals for the dropped bombs by the enemy on theopen towns of Trier, Mannheim, and Pirmasens, on February 19th and 20th, our aeroplanes again attacked Paris with bombsduring the night of March 8th-9th with great effect." The following was issued in Paris on March nth and 12th:" Enemy aeroplanes raided Paris to-night. The alarm was given at 9.10 p.m." According to the first reports, about 60 enemy aeroplanes succeeded in crossing our lines. Thanks to the artillerybarrages, which were maintained throughout the entire raid with great intensity, a certain number of machines were unableto reach their objectives. Nevertheless, numerous bombs were thrown on Paris and its suburbs. Several buildings weredemolished or set on fire. " The following casualties are reported :—Paris.—Killed,29 ; injured, 50. The Suburbs.—Killed, 5 ; injured, 29. " In addition, 66 persons, mostly women and children,were asphyxiated in the crowd during a panic which occurred at the entrance to a refuge in the Metropolitan Railway. " One of the three Gothas brought down was reduced toashes by fire, and the pilot and other occupants were burned to death. Most of the crews of the other machines broughtdown were wounded." The following is the German story :— " In retaliation for the enemy aerial attacks on March 9thand roth on Stuttgart, Esslingen, Unter Turkheim, and Mainz, ourairmen last night copiously and successfully bombed Paris." 299
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
