The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-18
50 AIR FIGHTS IN
DAY ON WEST FRONT
French Suffer No Casualties
in Bringing Three Ger
man Filters Down.
SHE'LL TOWN NEAR METZ
Special cable Despatch 10 Tns srS

Special cable Despatch 10 TnE srS.
PARIS. May f7.-Unusual aerial ac-
tivity is reported all along the French
front. particularly in the region OF Yer
dun inc Metz.
French aviators engaged In thirty
three aerial corsbats with German fiers
to-day and brought down three Of their
opponents machines. the French aero
planes all returning safely to their vases.
a French squadron again bombarded
the railway station OF Metz-le-Slblon,
jus, south Of Metz. A French fier
brought down a German machine with
which he became engaged northwest Of
Rezonville and another German machine
was shot dow by French ~aeroplanes
In the region Of Ban-de-Sapt GOrraine).
Last night French bombarding squad
rons dropped bombs on camps and rail-
way stations In the region north-north-
west and west OF Nerdun. The points
bombarded included camps In the re-
gion Of banvillers. Chaumont, Nantil-
lois. and Romagne the railway stations
at Brieulles. Clery, Apremont. Grand
Pre-. Ars. Metz. Arnaville and between
Metz and Thionville. and the hangers at
Frescati. a German machine was
brought down by one OF the French fiiers
at Cl-sur-Aisne.
Heavy artillery lighting Is reported to-
day on both banks of the Meuse. the
sectors of Avocourt and Hi 304 re-
ceiving the brunt OF the fire on the
west bank. and the Douaumont-Vaux
line on the right bank.
The official communicate issued by the
French War Office tonight follows:
A~viation-In the course Of the day
800. - -..- H. Ia A-.A
not down a German aeroplane. which
fell northwest OF Rezonville.
Another enemy aeroplane. struck by
the mitrailleuse fire OF our machines.
fell In the region OF Ban de Sapt.
lombard Hallway station.
To-day one OF our %squadrons bonn
bardcd the railway station at Metz-le-
Sablon. on which II threw twenty-five
shells OF large cal!bre.
In the region of Nerdun the aviation
activity was particularly important.
Thirty-three combats were engaged in.
Three German aeroplanes We're brought
down. All Of our machines returned
safely.
In the region Of Verdun there was
great activity on the part of the artil-
lery ~ both sides In the sectors OF
Avocourt. Hill 3Oi and between Douau-
mont and Naux.
on the rest of the front there is no
important event TO report except some
what lively mine fighting In the Ar
gonne
4 German detachment attempted a
hand grenade attack on French posi-
lions AZ lie Mort Homme last night. The
attack was preceded by a heavy artillery
bombardment, but was completely re-
pulsed. as was a similar attack on "A
French listening post northwest of the
Thiaunont farm. on the right bank OF
the river.
The afternoon communicate was as fol-
lows:
French Filters start Fires,
During the night OF May 1917
thirteen of our Dsroplanes dropped
tw~enty-four shells upon %bivouacs In
the region Of pamvillers and Chau-
mont eleven upon the railroad station
at Hrieulles. and upon Clery four
teen upon 'hc ~cantouments at Nantil-
lois and Roinagre and twenty-one
upon the railroad stations AZ Apre-
mont and Grand Pre-. Several fires
were started. one OF our pilots
brought down a German machine north
OF Cl-sur-Aisne. Roth wings OF the
enemy machine came Off in It's fall.
On the same night another Of our
air squadrous dropped twenty bombs
upon the railroad stations az AIRS and
Metz, forty upon the hangers al Fres-
cati. forty upon the railroad station
at Arnav!lle. and thirty upon the rail-
road and stations between Metz and
Thionville.
Artillery duels occurred at various
points along the front. notably in
Champagne. AZ the Butte du Mesnil.
In the Arynnnp az Ia Fill. Afnrs..