Evening star., 1916-05-07
FIFTEEN BALLOONS
LOST BY THEFRENCH
Italians and Austrians Engage
in Destructive Aero.
plane Raids.
WARFARE IN THE AIR
NOW is MORE GENERAL
Fliers Play Increasingly Important
Part in Great European
Struggle.

LONDON. May 6.-As the great
European struggle progresses tho
power and effectiveness OF the aero
plane and dirieible balloon become
more manifest by the increasingly con-
spicuous part they play in the fight
ing. Not a front that but daily sees
aeroplane encounters of Importance
This fact is indicated by the ofhciai
statement issued in Berlin that during
the month Of April twenty-six allied
machines were shot to the earth.
whiIs Berlin admits the loss of TWEEN
playing havoc along the Austro-
Italian line. The Germans are con-
tinuing their aerial incursions against
the Russians with deadly effect. Eng
land is in constant danger OF the
gigantic bombs hurled by the great
Zeppelin airships, which are prone 10
slip over the eastern coastal counties
at night to wreak havoc on the enemy.
The fliers are greatly assisting the
Russians in their advance against the
Turks in the Armenian regions.
Many Striking Events.
Many striking events in aerial war
fare on several fronts are just an
nounced.
According to German headquarters.
the French have met with something
like an aerial disaster, large num-
tber of their captive balloons breaking
lloose during sudden storm, fifteen
| of them being captured by the Ger
| mans.
! The statement says:
South of Narneton Sergt Mai
Franklon May shot down a British
! hip1a Ia
shot down by this aviator. The en-
peror recognized the achievements or
the brave fiier by appointing him an
officer
Southeast of Diedenhofen a French
aeroplane came to earth. Its occu-
pants were made prisoner.
"A large number of French captive
| balloons owing to a sudden storm.
broke loose and were driven over our
| lines. More than fifteen have been
captured up to the present time"
Twenty.six aeroplanes were shot
ern front in April, according to Official
figures given out in Berlin. The Ger
man losses last month amounted to,
twenty-five aeroplanes. according to
the same official reports.
Italians and Foes in Raid.
A successful Italian air raid on
Durazzo. in Albania is reported from
Rome, and Vienna announces a similar
attack by Austrian airmen on Avlona,
which is held by the Italians. Aus
trian aeroplanes also have conducted
a destructive attack on Brindisi. the
machines on their return trip standing
fire from the Italian armored cruiser
Marco Polo, and countering by attack
ing with machine gunfire the crew Of
the warship crowded on the deck.
The Official statement given out at
.,A L..
Vienna under date of May says:
| Austro- Hungarian naval Aeroplanes
May bombarded Avlona in the morn :.
Ing and Brindisi in the afternoon. The
Avlona batteries. the port establish
ments and the aeronautic station were
several times effectively hit.
Full Hits Are Noticed.
''At Brindisi full hits were noticed
on railroad trains. station buildings
magazines and in the arsenal and close
to a group of torpedo boat destroyers
Several bombs exploded in the town.
Enemy aeroplanes ascended for de-
fense. but Immediately were driven of
On the return trip fire was en-
countered from the Marco Polo tItalian
armored cruiser). The crew, standing
crowded on the deck, was effectively
attacked with machine gun.
IN spite OF Niolent de1ense nre an
{ the Austro- Hungarian aeroplanes re-
turned safely from Avlona and
| Brindsi."
After four Italian hydroaeroplanea
yesterday effectively bombarded the
> Albanian seaport of Durazzo, the
. Italian Official statement issued toda y
/ says all the machines returned to their
base unharmed.
Zeppelin Badly Crippled.
A dispatch from Rotterdam to the
Daily News says that a Dutch fishing
boat, which arrived at Ameland. re-
ported having sighted the Zeppelin
L-9 hying extremely low across the
North sea yesterday and apparently
badly crippled
!, dispatch from Saloniki says that
} the entire population of the town wit
messed the destruction Friday morn