The sun., 1918-08-24
GERMANY HARD HIT
BY ALLIED AIRMEN
12O Tons Of Bombs Dropped in
Rhine District Cause
Great Distress.
ALL FRONTS ARE ACTIVE
Enemy Soldiers Ordered to
Avoid Assembling Back
Of Front.

LONDON, Aug. 23.-British air fight
ing on the western front during the last
week provides a striking Indication OF
the difffculty now confronting Germany
In the air. which must increase In the
near future as the growing air superior
ity of the Allies makes itself felt.
In the battle area. probably owing to
the recent heavy German air losses over
the somme battlefield. enemy scouts are
compelled to operate in large formations
at much greater height than formerly.
Notwithstanding this, the British airmen
continue to take heavy toll OF them.
Severe air fighting has occurred on the
front between Albert and the Amiens-
Roye road, resulting. according to latest
reports. In the destruction of sixty-two
enemy machines and the driving down
Of twenty-one out OF control. Twenty
six British machines have been reported
missing.
This superiority has been attained
without any dlminutlon of the aerial &C
tivity In other sectors, a large number
OF raids having been made against en-
envy positions far behind the German
lines, In which more than 12e tons OF
bombs were dropped and attacks on the
Rhine provinces pressed with the utmost
vigor.
German Raids Cease. -
Coupled with a virtual cessation Of
German air raids on London, the in
creasng number OF bombing raids into
Germany. of which there were twenty
two during the last week, must be de-
moralising. showing Germany that. de-
spite her utmost defensive efforts. she is
unable adequately to protect her air
frontier.
The effect of the allied air supremacy
Is seen in various captured German or
ders. one of which directs: within ten
miles OF the front small groups only Of
from eight to ten men are to proceed to-
gether."
Five important towns In Germany and
five hostile airdromes were heavily bonn
barded by British aerial squadrons on
the night of August 21-22. according to
an official statement issued to-day by
the British Air Ministry. The statement
reads:
In spite OF the enemy's most deter
mined efforts for protection, consist
ing OF a large number of anti-aircraft
guns. between the hours Of p. NJ on
the 2lst and 10 A. NJ. on the 22d
inst. Ave important towns in Germany
as we'll as Ave hostile airdromes were
heavily attacked.
Military detectives at Frankfurt and
Cologne were heavily attacked. Very
good results were observed and bombs
were sent all around tho stations and
barracks.
A railway junction of Treves was
also successfully attacked. All our
machines returned safely.
On the morning OF August 20 one
OF our sQuadrons attacked the
chemical factories at Mannheim.
During the heavy fighting on tho
outward journey two of our machines
were brought down. The remainder
reached and successfully bombed their
objective. Very fierce fighting again
took place on the return journey. as q
result of which five more of our ma
chimes are missing. Three hostile air
planes were destroyed. Two of these
seemed to crash and one went down
in flames.
Two other squadrons attacked the
railway sidings at Coblenz at about
1880 o'clock on the morning of
August 20 and a hostile airdrome at
Hagenau was bombed with very good
results.