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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0603.PDF
MAT 30/ 191** lam AIRCRAFT WORK AT THE FRONT. OFFICIAL INFORMATION.British. War Office, May iSth. " Italia* Front.—Since May 8th we have destroyed 19 enemy aeroplanes andone observation balloon. During this period two of our aeroplanes failed to return." t * General Headquarters, May i&th." On the 17th inst. the weather again favoured operations in the air, though at times visibility was poor. A large amount of work was done by our artillerywith aeroplane and balloon observation. Many photographs were again taken of the enemy's back areas, and the constant bombing attacks carried out by ouraeroplanes during the last four days were continued. Over 22 tons of bombs were dropped by us on Tournai, Courtrai, and Chaulnes railway stations, onseveral hostile aerodromes, and on billets all along the front. Hostile aircraft were not as active as on previous days, although large formations of Germanmachines were encountered well east of the lines. Nineteen hostile aeroplanes were brought down and four others were driven down out of control. Ten ofour machines are missing. On the same day over a ton of bombs were dropped by us on the railway station at Metz. Several bursts were seen on the trackand on factories alongside the railway. All our machines returned. "During the night our machines dropped 10 tons of bombs on Chaulnes,Haubourdin, Douai, and Marcoing stations, on Peronne, and targets in the neighbourhood of Bapaume. Raids were carried out also during the night onThionville and Metz railway stations. Thirty-two heavy bombs were dropped, and several direct hits obtained. A fire was started at Thionville. One oi ourmachines failed to return. On the 18th inst. a most successful raid was carried out by us in broad daylight on the railway stations, factories, and barracks atCologne, in Germany. Thirty-three bombs were dropped, and bursts were seen on the railway sheds. Our bombing machines were attacked by severalhostile scouts, two of which were driven down out of control. All our aero- planes returned." General Headquarters, May igth. " On the 18th inst. another fine day enabled bombing, reconnoitring, photo-graph, and fighting to be continued by our aeroplanes. Improved visibility made it possible to carry out slightly more work in conjunction with the artillerythan could be accomplished during the past few days. The railways station! at Courtrai, Valenciennes, Aulnoye, Roulers, and Chaulnes were heavily bombedby us, and several of the enemy's aerodromes, ammunition dumps, and billets were also attacked. A total weight of over 19 tons of bombs was dropped onthese targets. As on previous days, the greater part of the fighting took place well east of the. lines. Twenty-one hostile machines were brought down andtwo others driven down out of control. Eight of our aeroplanes are missing. " After dark our bombing machines were only able to be at work during halfthe night owing to a thick mist which blew in from the sea. Ten tons of bomb* were dropped by them on Marcoing, Haubourdin, Douai, and Chaulnes railwaystations, on billets in the neighbourhood of Baupaume and Bray, and on the Solway Works and lock, gates at Zeebrugge. One of our machines failed toreturn." General Headquarters, May 20th." Another full day's work in the air was accomplished on the 19th inst. Our balloons and aeroplanes actively co-operated with our artillery observing thefires of our batteries and locating active hostile guns. The enemy's railway stations, aerodromes, dumps and billets were again attacked by our bombingaeropLznes, which dropped over 17 tons of bombs. Severe fighting took place well to the east of the line, where our bombing machines were attack d by largehostile formations. Three German observation balloons were destroyed by us, 27 hostile machines were brought down, and three others were driven downout of control. Twelve of our aeroplanes are missing. After dark bombing was carried out vigorously both by us and by the enemy. Our machines dropped15 tons of bombs on Chaulnes, Douai, Don and Marcoing railway stations, St. Denis Westrem aerodrome, Bray and Bapaumo. One of the enemy's largebombing machines was brought down in our lines by anti-aircraft gunfire. All our machines returned. On the 20th inst. a ton of bombs was dropped on thebarracks, gasworks and railway station at Landau in Germany (north-west of Karlsruhe). The railway was hit several times and two fires were started. Allour machines returned." Admiralty, May 20th. " The recent fine weather has enabled constant air reconnaissances of Brugesand the Zeebrugge-Bruges Canal to be made and photographs to be taken. The result is to show that no change has taken place since April 23rd, and that thegreater part of the enemy's submarines and torpedo craft which are based on the Flanders coast has been immobilised at Bruges since the Zeebrugge blockingoperation." General Headquarters, May 21st." On the 20th inst. our observation balloons and aeroplanes were again very active. Several long-distance reconnaissances were completed, many successfulphotographs were taken, and much observation work was done in co-operation with our artillery. During the day our bombing aeroplanes dropped a totalweight of 22 tons of bombs on the enemy's railway stations, aerodromes, and billets. The enemy scout machines were chiefly employed in attacking ourreconnaissance and bombing aeroplanes. In air fighting, 12 German aeroplanes were brought down out of control. One hostile machine was shot down by anti-aircraft gunfire. Two hostile observation balloons were also destroyed by us. Four of our aeroplanes are missing. "During the night the aerodrome in the neighbourhood of Ghent, Tournai,and St. Quentin, used by the enemy's night bombing machines, were heavily attacked. A total weight of 13 tons of bombs was dropped on these targets.A further 4 J tons of bombs were dropped by us on the railway stations at Thion- ville, Metz, and Coblenz, on the Rhine. At about 8 a.m., on the 21st inst.,22 heavy bombs were dropped byourmachinesontherailwaystations at Namur and Charleroi. One of our machines failed to return. " Since the commencement of the German offensive, exactly two months ago,1,000 German aeroplanes have been brought down or driven down out of control by us, and more than 1,000 tons of bombs have been dropped by us over theenemy's lines." General Headquarters, May 22nd. " Reconnaissance and bombing by our aeroplanes and artillery and photo-graphic work by our aeroplanes and balloons were continued uninterruptedly on the 21st inst. Some 1,200 bombs were dropped by us on various targets',including four of the enemy's large aerodromes near Ghent and Tournai and billets in the neighbourhood of Armentieres, Bapaume, and Bray. A gooddeal of fighting took place around our bombing machines. Sixteen German aeroplanes were brought down, and two others were driven down out of control.Two of the enemy's observation balloons were also destroyed. Three of our aeroplanes are missing. " During the night both our own and the enemy's bombing aeroplanes wereactive. Over 12 tons of bombs were dropped by us on aerodromes used by the enemy's night-flying machines and on billets at Bray and Bapaume. All ourmachines returned. Two German machines were brought down by gunfire behind our lines. A further two tons of bombs were dropped by our aeroplaneson the chlorine factory at Mannheim, on the Rhine, causing three large fires, and another two tons on the railway stations at Thionville and Karthaus (justsouthof Trtves), in Germany. One of our machines failed to return. At dx/?. on ths 22nd inst. two formations set out on a long-distance raid to bomb»nV?P •?' rai.lway triangle at Liege. All machines reached the objective and dropped 22 heavy bombs. Those dropped by the first formation causedtaree very large fires, which were still burning fiercely three-quarters of an hour later, when the second formation flew over Liege. Other machines dropped isHeavy bombs on the railway stations at Metz. All machines returned/ ,,,_. General Headquarters, May 23rd.On tne 22nd inst. artillery work, photography, and bombing were continued Dy our aeroplanes. Aerodromes used by the enemy's night-flying machines wereagain attacked, and over 18 tons of bombs were dropped on these targets and on hostile billets. In air fighting 13 German machines were brought dewn and twoothers were driven down out oi control. One hostile machine was shot dewn in our lines by machine gun fire from the ground. Three of our aeroplanes are "After dark 11 tons of bombs were dropped by us on hostile aerodrcmes, thedocks at Bruges, and on billets in the Somme area. Several direct hits were obtained on a train, causing it to burst into flames. In addition our machinesagain attacked Mannheim in Germany, and dropped 24 heavy bembs on the chlorine factory, causing two large fires. The blackened girders of the buildingsgutted by the fires started by us in the factory by the bombs dropped on the preceding night were clearly visible in the moonlight. At the same time fourtons of bombs were dropped on the very important electrical power station at Kreusewald (just east of Saarbriicken). A boiler house was hit by one bomb,and another bomb caused a large cloud of steam to arise from one of the buildings. All our machines returned. At about 11 a.m. on the 23rd inst. the Metz-Sablonsrailway station was heavily bombed by our machines. Bombs were seen to burst on the engine sheds and the railway. Hostile anti-aircraft gunfire wasconsiderable, but all our machines returned safely." "Admiralty, May 24th." During the period May 20th to May 22nd, inclusive, Air Force contingents have carried out bombing operations against Zeebrugge, the Mole, seaplane base,and enemy shipping in the vicinity, and also against Tbcurcut and the emmy aerodrome at St. Denis Westrem. Two directhits are reported on enemytorpedo-boat destroyers, with the result, according to photographic reconnaissance, that one destroyer has been sunk. In addition, three emmy machines have beendriven down out of control. All our machines returned safely." War Office, May 24th." Palestine Front.—On May 23rd three enemy aeroplanes were brought down by our machines, two falling in the vicinity of Nablus (Shechem) and one nearLatrun (within the British lines). " Salonica.—The Naval Contingent of the Royal Air Force carried out asuccessful raid on Drama aerodrome on the evening of May 12th. One enemy machine was observed in flames, and two others enveloped in smoke. " On the-same day a hostile aeroplane was driven down near Livunovo (UpperStruma Valley). Two other machines were driven down west of Lake Doiran on May 15th, and one near Hudova (Vardar Valley) on May 21st." The aerodrome at Hudova was bombed by our machines on May 24th. All bombs were observed to burst near their objectives and obvious damage wascaused to the hangars." General Headquarters, May 24th."The long spell of fine weather came to an end about 11 a.m. on the 23rd inst. Before this hour several reccrmaissin< i; vejt caniic in ly ouraeroplanes, and 8 tons of bombs were dropped on aerodromes in the neighbour- hood of Tournai, used by the enemy's night-flying machines, and on hostilebillets. Three German machines were brought down in air fighting and two others were driven down out of control. Three of our aeroplanes are missing. " During the night, in spite of a very high wind, our machines dropped over7 tons of bombs on billets in the neighbourhood of Pe'ronne, Fricourt, and Bapaume, and on hutments and woods in the Somme area. All our machinesreturned. " On the 24th inst. nearly a ton of bombs was dropped on the railways andfactores at Hagendingen, 12 miles north of Metz. When over their objective our machines were attacked by hostile scouts, and the enemy's anti-aircraft gun-fire was considerable. All our aeroplanes, however, returned saiely." General Headquarters, May 26th." On the 25th inst. flying was only possible during a few fine intervals. Advantage was taken of these periods to drcp over 3C0 fccmbs en billets in theneighbourhood of Armentiftres and MervilJe, on an ammunition dump at Vars- senaere (south-west of Bruges), and on Bruges Docks. In air fighting, eighthostile machines were brought down, and two were driven down out of control. Another German machine was shot down by machine-gun fire from the ground.None of our aeroplanes are missing. During the short pericd of the night in which bombing was possible, over 6 tons of bembs were dropped by us onPeronne, Bapaume, and Ma/icourt. All our aeroplanes returned." General Headquarters, May 27th.'" On the 26th inst. Httle flying was possible till the evening, owing to lew clouds and a dense mist. Four tons of bombs were dropped by us on targetsin the neighbourhood of Armentieres and Fricourt. Six hostile machines were brought down in air fighting. None of our aeroplanes is missing. " On the 27th inst. Bensdorf railway station was bombed by our aeroplanes.Twenty heavy bombs were dropped, and bursts were seen on the railway sidings. Our bombing machines were heavily attacked by hostile scouts over theirobjectives, and one of our machines was seen to go down under control. All our other aeroplanes returned safely." Admiralty, May 27th." During the period May 23rd to May 26th, inclusive, operations by Air Force contingents have been somewhat hindered by unfavourable weather conditions.Bombing operations have, however, been carried out against Mariakerke and Zeebrugge, where bombs were observed to fall close to the lock ga(es andcanal derivation. Nearly three tons of bombs were also dropped on Bruges Docks during the night of the 22nd-23rd. All our machines returned saiely. " In home waters, during the period, numerous flights in escort, patrol, andother anti-submarine duties were carried out. Submarines were sighted and attacked, and enemy mines were located on several occasions. Our seaplaneshave also carried out long reconnaissances over the North Sea. " On May 20th, Allied aircraft made a successful bombing attack on theAustrian naval base of Cattaro. A direct hit was obtained on the barracks inhabited by submarine crews, where a fire was seen to break out." French. Paris, May i8tt." Between Lassigny and Noyon two enemy aeroplanes were brought down by our anti-aircraft defences, one during the day of May 16th and the otherduring the night of May i6th-i7th." Paris, May igft." There was increased aerial activity to the north-west of Toul and hi Lor- raine." On Friday and Saturday our pilots engaged in several fights, in the COUIM of which 12 German aeroplanes and four captive balloons were destroyed.Twenty-three enemy machines fell seriously damaged in their own lines. In 601
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