Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-13
BRITISH MAINTAIN
SUPREMACY INAR
Fourteen Successful Raids
Into German Territory
This Week
LOST ONLY TWO PLANES
Boches Fear to Attack Foe on
Anywhere Near Equal
Footing
LOST ONLY TWO PLANES
Special Gable to Evening Public Ledger
Copyright. 1918. bv Nc,o York Times Co.

'opD'rDHt. I9fS. OO Nctr York Times Co,
London, July 12.
Considerable significance Is attached
by experts. who have been able to fol-
low closely the records of the recent
fighting In the air. to some aspects of
this aerial warfare. for the results have
been singu]arly discouraging from the
German point Of view. and II main
tained, cannot fail to react seriously
upon their military plans.
During the present week. which II
is expected in well-informed quarters
here in London as well as in Paris.
will not close without resumption of
the German battle effort on the mighty
scale promised by Hndenburg. Allied
aerial activity has been steadily con-
sistent Ludendorffs preparations for
the renewed offensive may very prob
ably have been in some measure i'm
peded, and 1t is certain the elements of
possible surprise have been eliminated
by the work Of the various categories of
air forces
For the British airmen the week
has been not especially dramatic. but
remarkably successful For example.
fourteen separate raids have been made
by British armen into German territory.
In each case the objectives chosen have
been of vital military Importance such
as factories, sidings and railway work.
shops at Saarbrucken, the railway tri-
angle and Metz Junction at Luxembourg
and munition factories at Coblenz.
Even II German pride were not pc
culiarly sensitive concerning the rapidly
waning immunity of German towns. mil
itary necessity alone would demand
that objectives like these should be
adequately defended against aerial at
tack. It.. is known that formda BILE
squadrons have been detailed for this
purpose. yet from thirteen to fourteen
raids the British formations returned
without the loss of single machine
In the other raid two British machines
were reported missing, while four Ger
man aircraft were shot down or driven
down out Of control.
Growing Effect on German Power
Apart from the moral effect of these
constant attacks upon Germany the
fact should not be overlooked that they
have Il direct and rapidly growing ef-
feet upon the German power of offense
and maneuver gainst French sectors of
front. The raided area between Mann
helm and the Swiss frontier contains. in
addition to its vast network of strategic
railways, very considerable number of
munition factories. These factories
have had their full share of attention
| from the British raiders, out hardly
less serious from the German point of
view is the damage inflicted, with its
consequent disloca ton of war traffic
upon the railway connection on which
the immense German transport from the
| Rhine to the western front depends.
on this point the evidence of captured
documents and the voluntary testimony
Of prisoners. repatriated civilians. etc.
| Is highly instructive. All go to show
that not only is a great and ever-ln-
creasing amount of German energy,
! trained man-power and war material be-
ing diverted to the defense of the Rhine
towns, but that the interruption of war
work caused by the raids is becoming
an increasingly serious problem for the
| German authorities.
Get Bavarian Prisoners
They encountered little opposition ant
brought in $50 prisoners and fifteen ma
chine guns The men belonged to The
Fourth Bavarians, whose morale die
! not seem to be Of the highest. A little
while ago they were addressed b!
Prince Franz of Bavaria. who rebuket
1 them for losing so many prisoners to th'
British and ordered them to strengthen
their defenses. This speech is said Il
have only made the men sullen, ant
when they were ordered into the from
line some of the older men refused point
blank to go, and did not go.
The Australians are contemptuous o
! their fighting qualities. and there is al
amusing story OF an Australian sergeant
who, told off to attend some classes
| pleaded he was no scholar and aske,
what he could do instead.
"O' said his officer, ''in a casua
way. you might go out and bring bacl
a dozen boches."
The sergeant sloped off, and shortl.
after, to the astonishment of the officer
brought back eight Germans whom h.
had taken with the aid of a chum. II
was let off from his lessons.