The sun., 1918-03-15
BIG DRIVEN NEAR
ON WEST FRONT
Allied Artillery and Airmen
Unusually Active in
Flanders.
THREE ENEMY RAIDS FAIL
70 German Planes Brought
Down by British in Last
Ten Days.
THREE ENEMY RAIDS FAIL

LONDON, March 14.-Increas sed artil-
lcry activity along the entire front In
France is reported tonight by the French
War Office. Three German raids to-day
failed.
Although the belief that a great Ger
man offensive Is imminent is not SO gen.
orally held as II was some weeks ago. II
has been pointed out that a major oper-
alton is now due and that all the condi-
tions favor 1t. Some military experts
have predicted that sucn an operation
would be preo eded inineuiately by a gen.
cral shelling along the whole line in
order to mask the point OF specific at
tack. Whether the initiative, however.
would be taken by the Germans or the
Allies Is not clear. The Germans seem
to attach more value to offensive tactics
than the Allies, but the Allies are better
prepared for great drive than the
Germans.
The comparative lull in infantry at
tacks in tho last few days seems to
point in the same direction. Berlin
also reports lively activity" by the hlg
guns. and mentions specifically botn
sides Of the Meuse and Sundgau, in the
region OF Altkirch.
The Belgian report says ARTILLERY
was active along the whole front Tues
day. most violently in the Nieuport and
Dixmudc sectors" The British made
minor raid OH Wednesday near
E;pehy, southwest OF Cambria. and re-
pulsed a German raid in the Ypres Sec
tor.
signal Awaited.
The Associated Press correspondent
at the British front In France and Bel
GUM. telegraphing Tuesday. says that
the British and German military ma
chines--tuned up to the finest pitch and
probably as nearly perfect as IL Is pos
sible to make them--are still awaiting
the signal which will send them crash.
inR against each other
The British airmen have been doing
marvellous work recently. The first ten
days o. March as whole have been
| among the best yet recorded for the SER
vice, During that period. In addition TO
a vast amount OF reconnoitring and
photographing. the intrepid Britishers
destroyed thirty-nine German airplanes
and brought down forty others out OF
control. despite the fact that the first
two or three days OF the month were SO
stormy that aerial activity was virtually
impossible. Against this great total fif-
teen British machines are reported miss
ing
Allied Airmen Most Active.
There have been many air battles and
virtually all have occurred behind the
German lines. which means that the
British airmen have been carrying the
aerial war vigorously into the enemy
territory. OF the German machines de-
stroyed. all but two were sent crashing
down back of the German lines. The
| amount of photography work that has
&c - ina nj 1ar mn,
Der of the pictures were taken at close
quarters.
! Bombing raids by British aviators
have been almost continuous. One OF
the most successful expeditions was that
as. inst three enemy airdromes on March
{? This raid was carried out by a
large number of machines during the
daytime, A British aerial fleet arrived
at an hour when numbers of German
machines about to start We're standing
, in field near their hangars. The
, British attacked n a height Of 400 feet.
| and. because Of their low altitude. were
! able to shoot with disastrous effect. Sew
eral buildings We're set on fire. and !i-
rect hits were observed among the Ger
man machines.
The British returned flying at a height
of hundred feet. which jus, enabled
them To clear the treetops. They use,l
their guns on every military object in
sight The first attack was made on a
horse transport. Some Of the horses
were killed and the rest stampeded. up
setting the wagons. Another horse trans
port was stampeded, and then ii dstach-
ment of marching Infantry came into
range. Several of the soldiers Were shot
! before they could reach cover
All the British machines returned
safely. AS matter of ia t they w,r.
not ATTACKED by the encmy al all.