The sun., 1918-07-20
Aircraft Bomb Concentrations
of Germans Behind
Their Lines.
AMERICANS ARE PRAISED
British Officer Says He Never
Saw a Better Lot Of
Soldiers.

the satisfactory situation on the battle
fronts. The night report from French
says:
Our airman In collaboration with
British squadrons continued their
work yesterday along the whole bat
tie front. Twenty German machines
were brought down or put out OF
commission by our pilots. and two
captive balloons were burned The
British airmen destroyed seven Ger
man machines.
Our bombing groups continued their
expeditions against the crossings Of
the Marine. A footbridge west of
Reuil was bombed and demolished.
Cantonments and troop concentrations
at Oulchy lie Chateau. In the Naux-
huin rLvine. at Fere-en-Tardenois and
in the region of Oeuiiiy We're attacked
with machine guns or bombs, the
troops being dispersed
stations Are Bombed.
stations In the rear areas were
sprinkled with projectiles. Fires broke
out In the stations at Amlfontaine
and Fismes. Heavy explosions were
observed at Pontavert Twenty-Five
tons of bombs were also utilized In
the day and twenty-one the follow
Ing night.
British sauadrons dropped two tons
and half of explosives with excel
lent results
The British official statement dealing
with aerial operations. issued tonight,
says:
On the 18th inspite of very change
able weather. good deal of work was
accomplished by our airplanes. both
in reconnaissance, Photography and
bombing.
Much OF the bombing was done
from low height, the targets in
Guiding ammunition dumps around
Armentieres and Mericourt the rail-
way stations at Rosiores and Bray
and the docks at Bruges and Ostend
Eight hostile machines were brought
down in fights and one other was shot
down by our anti-aircraft fire Seven
or our machines are missing
During the night our bombing ma
ctnes dropped eight tons Of bombs
on the Mons-Nalenciennes Railway
and an additional six tons on the rail-
ways at Courtrai, Seclin and Lille.
Two OF the machines failed to return
The report from German headquarters
to-day contains this reference to aerial
activities
Our chasing planes shot down 20
enemy arplanes.
Evidence Of Damage
Striking evidence OF the damage
caused by the raid Of British bombing
sQuadrons upon the German railway
system at Metz-Sablons j. afforded by
an official British photograph published
to-day This photograph, taken shortly
after the double raid. July i and tho
night OF July 81. from a height of over
ten thousand feet shows in minute de-
tail the whole of the important railway
junction at Metz. including the famous
railway triangle" at Mctz-Sablons
where an immense number OF lines con-
verge from the Metz central station and
the south toward the western front
The effects of exceptionally destruc-
tive bursts are visible in the photo
graph among the engine shed and " ork-
shops In the centre OF the triangle. and
the remaint OF two trains. completcIy
burnt out. can he clearly seen There
also Is evidence of great damage to the
network of railway lines in the south
ern arm OF the triangle
Since the beginning OF June At least
twenty-one raids have been made upon
Metz-Sablons
Americans Win Praise.
American air s1uadrons now scat
tered at numerous points throughout
Great Britain have won golden opinions
from the British air fighters What the
British air force officers think of these
Americans Is illustrated by a letter sent
by major commanding a district IN
central England who. shortly after he
Ing transferred to new command.
wrote to one of the American squadrons
which had previously been under his d.
recton:
II is difficult for me 10 find words
that effectively express the, complete
satisfaction the work of your, squad
ron gave while under nay command
keener. more willing. bigger hearted
lot of men than those who comprise
your squadron II will be difficult 70
find.
Their capacity for work is cuor-
nous. The more ! gave them to DO
the more they asked for. and they
always did IT with a willingness that
showed they had done it for tho
sheer love of II | shall always he
prepared to back them for work. dis
c!pline and appearance against all
Corners My opinion Of your squad
ron is summed up as follows-I
should he proud to command them
at the front
New Type Of Plane.
The newspapers to-day give promi-
hence to report ~ new type Of
British airplane whlcH having been
tested at the front with the greatest
success. is about to be employed there
in large numbers,
No technical details are given, but il
is said the new machine mas enormous
speed and climbing power. II is capable
Of carrying great weight in bombs, ma
chine guns and other equipment. and
Of attaining height Of 1000 feet in
an astonishingly short time.
Ii il said the machine can cover lour
distances at speed which leaves All
o.