Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-14
FIERCE AERO FIGHTS
|. ON WESTERN FRONT
British Destroy Fourteen Ger
man Machines and Bring
Down Sixteen Others.
ENGLISH LOSE g MACHINES

ENGLISH LOSE 9 MACHINES
LONDON. July 14.-British airmen
have been victorious in tho most So
we're aerial fighting since the beginning
of the war. On the front in France on
Thursday fourteen German airplanes
were brought down and sixteen driven
down out of control. says an official
statement from British headquarters In
France. Nine British machines arc re-
ported to have been lost in tho fighting.
The statement reads:
Enemy detachments which endeav-
ored to approach our lines west Of
Queant were dispersed and driven OF
by our fire.
"Wednesday night bombing opera-
tions against enemy railway stations,
shelters and airdromes were carried
out with success. All our machines re-
turned.
Yesterday Thursday there was in
creasing aerial activity on both sides
from dawn until late at night. Tho
lighting. which resulted greatly in our
favor. was the most severe experienced
since tho commencement Of tho war;
Continuous Engagements.
Continuous engagements took place
between large formations. consisting in
some cases OF as many as thirty ma.
chimes. AS a result of these encounters
fourteen German airplanes were brought
down. three Of which foil within our
lines. Sixteen other hostile machines
were driven down out of control. and in
addition one enemy machine was shot
down by direct hit from our anti-air.
craft guns.
aJ1yb IL 49,,
gagged in fighting. other British air.
planes took many photographs. Bomb
ing of the enemy's airdromes, dumps
and railway stations was continued. and
large number of bombs were dropped
with good results.
Mine Of our machines are missing"
Make Raids in Belgium.
The naval service Thursday night
made bombing raids on German air.
dromes and other military objectives in
western Belgium and returned safely to
their base. according to an official an.
nouncement Of tho British admiralty.
The text follows:
The naval air service carried out
bombing raids on the following mili-
tary objectiyes: Aertrycke airdrome.
Houttave, Nieuw Munster airdrome,
Ghistelles airdrome. the railway juno.
ton north of Thourout station, the
Bruges dock and the canal bank, and
the dumps at the railway junction
south Of Ostend harbor. The visibility
was generally very poor. consequently
observation of the results was difficult.
Bombing attacks also were made on
the Solway works at Zeebrugge and at
the base of the Zeebrugge mole.
were dropped and all our machines re-
turned safely"
g. Fliers Busy on Canadian Front.
CANADIAN HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, July 13.-There has been q
marked increase again in aerial activ.
ity along the Canadian front. The Ger
man ayiators have been coming over
more frequently. Ono especially dar-
ing German swooped down on the Ca
madam posts in Avion and engaged its
occupants with his machine gun. Two
within Canadian lines yesterday. One
of the occupants was killed and the
other severely wounded. :.
Like Messines Ridge Attack.
By the Associated Press.
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. July 14.-The German attack
coast on Tuesday evening was in near.
ly all respect a miniature Of the British
attack on the Messines ridge on June
Z. 1t seemed as II the Germans had
studied that battle in detail and
planned their thrust wholly on the les-
sons learned. There was vast diff
ference in the size of the two opera
tions. however, for while the German
attack on Tuesday was limited to 1.400
yards. the British charge at Messines
was along ten-mile front.
The depth of the two attacks was
also in the ratio of ten to one, the Ger
mans having advanced only about 500
rdC To he Rrifiah
where they are now endeavoring to
entrench themselves, while the British
have fallen back to the west bank Of
the User.
British in Brave Defense.
This little battle on the sands of
Flanders will live largely through the
valorous defense of the British troops,
who met the shock of the German
massed formations after having their
protecting defenses blown to pieces
about them by the greatest concentra-
tion Of German shell fire seen on this
front in more than a year.
The trenches dug among the blowing
and shifting sand dunes were speedily
by the storm of high ex-
plosive shells the Germans were able
to pour on them.
Most of the shells were the famous
So centimeter projectiles and upward.
lew Helu guns having COHlo lHto pldy
the terrific bombardment which
lasted all through Tuesday. the forti-
fcations recently taken over by the
British could fairly be seen to dis
solve.
Garrison Fights to Death.
The German lines to the River User
and the sea formed triangle. the base
Of which was the coast line. In this
angle. the sands of which are now dyed
red with English blood. were North
hampton troops and Kings Royal
Rifles. The garrison fought to the death.
and the German report OF 1880 pris-
oners taken cannot be correct.
The temporary bridges across the User
had been blown to bits during the bar
rage fire. and the troops. which event.
lally escaped across the river had to
swim the stream.
Chancellor Out, Is Report.
COPENHAGEN. July 14-The woln
News Bureau of Germany circulates
without accepting any responsibility
'or it a statement by the Taeglische
that the resignation of DR..
ron Bethman Hollweg. the imperial
chancellor. has been accepted.
BY means of a skillful play on words.
Theodore Wolff intimates in the Tage-
Is supporting the movement to unSeat
Chancellor Won Bethmann Hollweg. In
case of the chancellor's retirement. p-
writes the activity of the crown prince
would be interpreted in a manner not
to increase the chances &C
peace.
Serious news came from Berlin late