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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0386.PDF
with flying, but, in spite of the weather, valuable work was again accomplishedby our aeroplanes. Our machines were concentrated upon the battle frcnt south of the Somme, where observere had previously reported large columns cftho enemy advancing from the cast. Many bombs were dropped and thousands uf rounds ot ammunition were fired upon these columns. A good deal of fightingtook place, the enemy's low-flying machines being particularly active in this area. Nine hostile aeroplanes were brought down and two others were driven downout of control. Two of our machines are missing. " During the night over 12 tons of bombs were dropped on Bapaume and onroads in the vicinity, and also on roads and villages east of Arras. Direct hits were obtained on dumps and transport and on the railway line. One of our machineshas not yet been located. General Headquarters, March 31s/.After midday on the 30th inst. the weather completely broke, but, in spite of driving rain, our pilots continued to take part in the battle south of the Somme,and dropped bombs and used their machine guns until a late hour on the targets offered by the enemy. Useful reports as to the location of hostile troops werebrought in, and in the northern area of the battle a certain amount of work in conjunction with our artillery was carried out. There was heavy fighting inthe air between our low-flying machines and those of the enemy. Twelve hostile aeroplanes were brought down and three others driven down out of control.One hostile balloon was destroyed by our machines, and another two German aeroplanes were shot down by our anti-aircraft guns. Five of our machines aremissing." War Office, March 31st."Palestine.—Two hostile aeroplanes were destroyed." " Italian Front.—The success of the Flying Corps has contineud. Ten enemyaeroplanes have been destroyed and four driven down out of control since my last report, with a loss of one to ourselves. In this total is included sevenmachines destroyed and three driven down out of control on March 30th. On this date a patrol of three British machines attacked 19 enemy aeroplanes overan enemy aerodrome east of the Piave, destroying six of them. Since their arrival in Italy the Flying Corps have now destroyed 83 enemy machines andonly lost 10 themselves." General Headquarters, April 1st." On March 31st our observation balloons and aeroplanes were active, the good visibility enabling the former to carry out useful work in conjunction with theartillery. The activity of our aeroplanes was chiefly centred south of the .Somme. A close watch was kept on the enemy's movements in this area, anda large column of hostile troops or transport seen was bombed and engaged with machine gun fire. Very little fighting took place in the air. Two hostile machineswere brought down and one other was driven down out of control. Four of our machines are missing. Four of our machines previously reported missing havesTnce returned to their units. "Night flying was not possible till after mid-night owing to low clouds. Frommidnight until dawn our bombing machines were constantly at work. Twenty- four tons of bombs were dropped on the railway stations at Douai, Cambrai,Bapaiime, Rosieres, and Thourout, and on the docks at Bruges. Troops and transport in the neighbourhood of Bapaume and Chaulnes were also attackedwith bombs and machine gun fire. All our machines returned." French. Paris, March 23rd."During the period from March nth to March 20th 26 German aeroplanes and one captive balloon were brought down by our pilots. In addition 19 enemymachines were seriously damaged and fell in their own lines. On March 22nd five German aeroplanes were brought down or seriously damaged in air fighting.During the night of March 22nd-23rd our bombarding squadrons dropped 16,000 kilogrammes of projectiles on the establishments, cantonments, and stations ofthe enemy's zone, where heavy damage was observed." Paris, March 24th." Between February 15th and March 15th our air forces have intensified their action, 142,000 kilogrammes (142 tons) of bombs having been dropped on aero-dromes, munition depftts, supply dumps, and groups of factories. Our chasers have shown much keenness. Fifty-two enemy machines were brought down orset on fire, 50 others were disabled. On ourside we Iost29 machines, 19 of them on enemy territory. Our reconnoitring machines have been specially vigilant;652 flights for photographic purposes have been carried out, in the course of which 10,680 views were taken. Our observation balloons were on duty for1,850 hours. Our aeroplanes carried out 12,105 flights on the field of battle Air fighting has been developing in our favour, owing to the improvements effectedin our material and the heroism of our airmen." " Salonica.—In spite of the unfavourable atmospheric conditions, the Allies'aviators carried out numerous bombardments along the whole front. An enemy aeroplane was brought down in an air fight in the region of the Struma." Paris, March 27th."Salonica.—Allied airmen successfully bombed the enemy depots of Demir- hissar and the encampments to the south-east of Resna." Paris, March 28th. " In the period from March 23rd to March 26th our aviation service tookpart in the battle in conditions that were particularly costly to the enemy- Our infantry aeroplanes, our bombing and chasing crews, as well as oar photo-graphers and observers, distinguished themselves by their courage and endur- ance, and did very hard work, both by day and night. On the 23rd alone one of ourgroups of squadrons carried out 125 patrols and 120 reconnoitring missions. Many squadron reports, moreover, have not yet been received in the region ofSt. Quentin, Ham, La Fere, Noyon. " Over 50,000 kilogrammes of projectiles were dropped between March 22ndand 26th on convoys and moving trains and on gatherings of enemy troops, which suffered heavy losses from these air attacks, that were carried out withadmirable boldness. Descending sometimes to a height of 60 ft. from the ground, our pilots attacked enemy contingents with their machine guns andfired thousands of cartridges. Among other operations must be mentioned that which we carried out in the afternoon of March 27th, when 60 fighting and 20bombing machines swooped down upon masses of German infantry and put them to flight after mauling them severely. In addition, there were explosicnsin several munition depots, and great fires were observed in the course of these bombardments. " Our bombing machines belonging to the Eastern district co-operated in thegeneral plan of action by attacking the great strategic railway stations of Metz, Sablons and Thionville. Several fires, accompanied by very violent explosions,broke out in the station of Metz-Sablons. During the night of March 23rd-24th APRIL 4, 1918. one of our squadrons dropped 3J tons of explosives on the Badische Anilin Factoryof Ludwigshafen, the chief German factory for the production of poison gas. " Finally 37 German aeroplanes and six captive balloons were brought dewnand destroyed by aur pilots, and five other machines by the anti-aircTaft defences." "Salonica.—British airmen carried out Bucccssiul bombardments in 11-eregion of Doiran and on the railway lines Seres-Drama." Paris, March 30th." During the days of March 27th and 28th our airmen, notwithstanding vhe bad weather, renewed their attacks against the enemy. Our machines, flyingin groups, sprayed with machine gun fire, and dropped bombs on, the enemy troops in the line of battle and in their concentration zones. Several of curmachines made as many as three sorties in the one day ; 17,000 kilogrammes of bombs were dropped in the Noyon-Guiscard-Ham region. Our chaser squadrens.in the course of numerous contests, brought down 13 German machines, seven of which were totally destroyed andsix seriously damaged. Two captive halloonswere also set on fire." Paris, April 1st." On March 29th and March 30th, in spite of the rain and low-lying clouds, our airmen made many flights. Five thousand kilos of bombs were dropped en •enemy cantonments and railway staftons in the neighbourhood oi St. Quentih, * Guiscard and Roye. Our airmen frequently attacked with machine guns andbombs assemblies of enemy troops and dispersed them. Nine enemy machines and a captive balloon have been destroyed by our airmen. Italian bombardingmachines have taken an active part in recent expeditions and have carried out with magnificent audacity numerous raids over the enemy lines." " Salonica.—French and Serbian airmen successfully bombed enemy canton- ments in the region of Pardovica and Rozden." Belgian. Havre, March 23rd."In the evening of the 21st inst. a German bombarding aeroplane, hit by artillery fire, was forced to land in our lines. The crew of two officers and onenon-commissioned officer were taken prisoners." Havre, March 27th. " A hostile aeroplane has been brought down in our lines after a combat."Italian. Rome, March 22nd. " Our own and French aviators shot down an enemy machine above the AsiagoPlateau. Beyond the Piave British airmen brought down three more hostile aeroplanes, and forced a fourth to land. South of Motta di Livenza our artilleryset fire to an enemy captive balloon." Rome, March 23rd. " Our aircraft dropped bombs on the railway lines of the enemy in the Yal Lagarina." Rome, March 2$th. "There was remarkable aerial activitv above the fighting lines ; four enemymachines were brought down on the left side of the Piave, two of them by British aviators. During the preceding day two more hostile aeroplanes had been shotdown above Tonezza and the Montello by our own and French airmen. The railway lines in the Val Lagarina and the enemy aviation grounds on the Livenzawere bombed by our aeroplanes." Rome, March 26th." Along the whole front the usual artillery actions and moderate activity of our reconnoitring parties are reported. Five enemy machines were broughtdown at S. Pietro di Feletto and Biadene; a sixth hostile aeroplane was brought down by French airmen in the vicinity of Montebelluna." Rome, March 28th. " Two enemy aeroplanes brought down by British airmen fell to the east of S. Dona di Piave." Rome, March 29th. " Last night our flights dropped 6J tons of bombs on the railway works ofMattarello and Primolano with very good effects ; various big fires were observf d. Twoenemy aeroplanes were hit by our anti-aircraft fire ; one 01 them was brenshtdowu and the other compelled to land beyond the enemy lines in Ihe neighbour- hood of Ponte di Piave." Rome, March 30th. " At dawn this morning our aeroplanes bombarded railway lines and aviai:< ngrounds of the enemy. An enemy machine was brought dewn by our aim in in the vicinity of Ponte di Piave, and another by British airmen near Spresiano.'Rome, March 31 si. " British airmen brought dewn six hostile machines abc\e Mansie ai;d cue t nthe Melette ; two more were forced to land in this last area. One of our pilots' shot down an enemy aeroplane on Campcmolcn, while another cne was hitby our anti-aircraft batteries and fell in the Ornic Valley." German. Berlin, March 26th." Since the beginning of the battle 93 enemy aeroplanes and six captive balloons have been brought down." Cavalry Capt. Baron von Richthofen achieved his 67th and 68th aerial vic- tories, Lieut. Bongartz his 32nd, First Lieut. Lorzer his 24th, Corporal Baumerhis 23rd, Lieut. Kroll his 22nd, and Lieut. Thuy his 20th aerial victory." Berlin, March 27th." Cavalry Captain Baron von Richthofen achieved his 69th and 70th aerial victories." Berlin, March 28th. " Cavalry Captain Baron von Richthofen achieved his 71st and 72nd aerialvictories." Berlin, March 2gth. " Cavalry Captain Baron von Richthofen obtained his 74th aerial victory." Turkish. Constantinople, March 21st." In the bombing raid on El Kutrani, on the Hedjaz railway east of the Dead Sea on March 19th, two British machines already announced as missingwere forced to descend owing to our fire. The machines were burnt by their occupants. Two pilots and an observer were made prisoners." Constantinople, March 22nd."On the Tigris an English aeroplane was shot dn Wn during an air fight." ; Constantinople, March 27th." On the Euphrates an enemy aeroplane was brought down. The occupants, the Commander of the British Air Corps and a major of the General Staff, werecaptured. The machine will be ready for service after a few repairs." The French Champion. LIEUT. FONCK now heads the list of leading French pilots, having shot down his 32nd opponent on March 31st. Previous to that Lieut. Nungessor was the leader with 31 successes. How a French Pilot was Avenged. THE diary of Sergeant Theilann, of the 3rd Company of the 36th Regiment of the 113th Division of German Infantry, who has been taken prisoner, and was on the German front in Alsace, facing Mulhouse, reports (Mr. Henry Wood writes from France) that on March 1 ith a French airman was brought down near the German lines. A moment afterwards theFrench artillery opened fire, and an under-ofneer was killed. The next entry is : " March 13th.—The German aviatorwho brought down a French plane in front of us has found a tragic end. During the night it was decided to take apartthe French machine. The German aviator was present. As the machine was upside down it had to be turned over. Atthe moment of doing so the machine-gun on the aeroplane was set in action and a bullet from it killed the German aviator,who happened to be standing just in front of it." 382
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