New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-07
The Royal Flying Corps in Action
n.,-yJ official Account Of Work Accomplished BY
N''o" British Filters in Typical Week
By General John Maitland Salmond
Head Of The Central School Of the Royal British Flying Corps

I
down out OF control.
III Bombjng-This was literally continu'
Gus during the whole week in all weatnets
dav and night. Many sduadrons assisted ~
. this duty. No enemy aerodrome opposite tne
British front escaped unmolested during 1no
week. and his rest billets, ammunition dumps
roads and railways we're attacked assiou-
ously.
on six nights Of the week (on September
heavy rain made it impossible) large nuna-
bcrs OF machines carried out night raiu''
Many sauadrons participated in these.
squadron on the night OF the zoo
dropped twenty-five 230-pound bombs ana
forty 25-pound bombs from height OF 'Vo
feet on enemy aerodromes. Large eohhas'"
tons we're observed This may be taken a.
a raid typical of the twenty-siS n'ght fa'uS
carried out during the week.
Results Achieved
"A rooards the result Of raids: II is ez'
cecdingly difficult for the pilot or observer
to see for certain any exact or detailed re-
I sults-by day they will ordinarily De too
high. BY night it will be too dark. .,,
Results are not definitely claimed III,
proved by photograph or prisoners anu
agents statements.
/ On the other hand, il an object is TO pc
achieved at all costs, height and darkness
are eliminated, and the pilot probably never
reports the result.
MANY reports of the results of bombing
raids have been received from various
sources. Although the accuracy OF THIS IN
formation IS necessarily open to question:
there is no reason to suppose that 1t Is not
in the main. true. The following are Tour
/ typical examples. II is reported that:
troop train which was attacked on the
night Of April 5-6, at Ienin, was hit and -VO
casualties resulted.
On the night of April $40 the arsenal az
Douai exploded as the result of a raid.
On Good Friday, April o, troop tram
coming from the front was hit and only
shout twenty men escaped without injury.
On June 7, at an aerodrome which was at
tackled. ten hangers with ten machines are
eaid 10 have been completely burned.
At dawn on August 90 twelve machines
attacked two enemy aerodromes During the
whole raid they were fiercely attacked oy
onap,y aircraft. but five of the machines tine
remainder acting as escort), descending "a
heights VARYING from 100 to 400 feet-in one
case. 20 feet-attacked the personnel on
both aerodromes with machine gun hre, caus'
inc very heavy casualties and the utmost
confusion and panic.
ON the return journey this squadron a.
tackled two troop trains (firing into the WIN
dows). destroyed three enemy aircraft, WINCH
crashed to the ground, and drove four Others
down out Of control.
in this connection-as regards ehenl!
machines destroyed" and driven down out o.
control'-it should be clearly understood
that a number OF probable enemy casualties
are never claimed. The pilots reports arr
sifted and examined with the seYerest rigo'
; at squadron, wing, brigade and genera heSu
quarters.
element Of doubt is reported in the ofhcia
annals of the corps, from which THESE sHof
notes have been extracted
During the period September 10 10 tn'
weather was of the worst description, WIZ
heavy ground mist and low clouds on hv'
DAYS and high wind and rain on the lsth
18th and 18th.
Batteries Engaged for Destruction
7. Artillery Co6peration-Two hundred an'
ninotv-nine hostile batteries were success
fullv "cncaged for destruction" by aeropian
bservation-sduadrons doing many hours
, flying at this work.
Tbirty-aight hostile batteries were sue
cessfulIv engaged for destruction ~ IN
balloon sections observation.
IT Reconnaissance and Pa.rols-Fort
three long reconnaissance were undertaken
with valuable results. Three thousand nin'
, hundred and eighty-seven photograph
, plates were exposed successfully in the en-
envy area
Many squadrons did great amount OF loV
contact patrol and trench reconnaissance
, work. On two occasions enemy cohceh'fa
, tion5 for counter attack were vigorously rs
eaiIed with machine gun fire, and his trocp
= thoroughly demoralized. ;.
Twenty-eight enemy macnlnes were ae
of Control and two we're shot down by anti
T aircraft guns. 49,.
III. Bombing twenty and one-half ton
Of bombs we're dropped on many targets D!
, the bombing sQuadrons.