Evening star., 1915-02-13
French Machines Drop Bombs
Upon German Station at
Habscheim.
ENGLISH FLIERS SWOOP
OVER BELGIAN CITIES
Bombard 0stend, Bruges and Other
Places-Grahame.Whit
Falls Into Sea.

LONDON. February 13-Aerial war
rare of determined character which
was waged yesterday by the British
was followed up today by the French.
when five aviators dropped bombs on
the German military aerodrome at
Habschetm, an Alsatian town in the
outskirts of Muelhausen.
The aerial warfare of yesterday was
on the largest scale in history and
under adverse circumstances from the
standpoint Of the weather. British
a1rmen, buffeting banks of snow in
the air. swept over cities of northern
Belgium held by the Germans and
dropped bombs on Ostend, Bruges and
other places.
All Return Safely.
Thirty-four aeroplanes and seaplanes
of the British navy took part In the
operations and all of them later re-
turned safely to their base without
casualties to their drivers. although
two of the machines were damaged.
The raid was made in order to prevent
the development of submarine bases
and establishments which might fur
ther endanger British warships and
merchantmen
Although no submarines were seen.
the British admiralty statement indi-
Gates that the raid had satisfactory re-
SUITS, Tor considerable damage is sa
~ nave oeen done to German gun posi-
tons, railway lines and railway sta :
tIons The Ostend station is reported
70 nave been set on fire and that at
Blankenburghe to have been badly
damaged. German mine sweeping ves-
sells at Zeebrugge also came in for a
hail of bombs, but the damage done to
them has not been stated
Fired On by Germans.
AT various points the airmen were
received by the Germans with firing
from anti-aerial guns and rifles. None
OF the airmen is reported by the ad-
miralty to have been wounded in these
attacks.
One of the machines, driven by
Flight Commander Claude Grahame-
White, among the most intrepid of the
British flyers, fell into the sea while
returning to its base after the raid
was over and the aviator had a mar
row escape from drowning. Fortunate
ly for him French cruiser was nearby
and picked him up and then towed his
aeroplane into port.
During the raid warships bombarded
the German positions along the coast.
Admiralty Statement.
The British admiralty's statement on
the raid is as follows:
During the last twenty -four hours
combined aeroplane and seaplane oper-
ations have been carried out by the
naval wing in the Bruges. Zeebrugge,
Blankenburghe and Ostend districts,
with a view to preventing the develop
nf 1hr,,a ha a h.
lishments. Thirty-four naval aero
planes and seaplanes took part.
Great damage is reported to have
been done to the Ostend railway sta
ton, which. according to present in
formation, has probably been burned
to the ground. The railway station at
Blankenburghe was damaged, and the
railway lines were torn up in many
places.
"Bombs were dropped on gun posi-
tions at Middelkerke, and also on the
power station and the German mine
sweeping vessels at Zeebrugge. but the
damage done is unknown.
During the attack the machines en-
countered heavy banks of snow. No
submarines were seen.
Falls Into Sea.
Flight Commander Grahame-White
fell into the sea off Nieuport and was
rescued by a French vessel. Although
exposed to a heavy gun fire from rife,
anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, etc.
all of the pilots are safe. Two machines
were damaged.
The seaplanes and aeroplanes were
under the command of Wing Comma n
der Samson. assisted by Wing Com
mander Longmore and Squadron Com
manders Porte, Courtney and Ra-
thorne.'