The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-03-13
AERIAL ATTACK ON REDS
LIKE WARFARE AT FRONT
FIGHTING PLANES CHARGE
HOUSE TOP SHIPPERS.
Food and Ammunition
Dropped by Airmen to Hard
Pressed Police.

dondon Times-Phil Ledger Cop. Cable.)
Berlin, March l0.-Delayed.) J.
The full story OF the aeroplane at
tack on the Spartacan positions
shows It was like front line warfare.
Big fighting planes were sent TO clear
out machine gun nests on house tops
by their own machine gun FIRE aud
to establish gun positions. They
flew within $50 feet of the roofs
whence they were subjected to heavy
fusilades. One plane was badly
holed by an anti-aircraft gun. Near
st. Georges church the planes de-
tected a big gun position SO well pro-
tected it could not be reached by
machine guns, so a heavy bombing
plane was sent to destroy it. In Or
der to reach other gun positions near
the AleXanderplatz big howitzers
were brought to the Werder Mar
ket, whence under the directions of
fighting planes shells OF one-ton
weight were thrown into the Alex
anderplatz. making holes twenty feet
deep. Two heavy air bombs smashed
a Spartacist gun emplacement in the
basement Of the Lietz stores and a
light artillery position on the Cafe
Braun. Meantime the position of the
government troops in the police
presidency has become desperate.
Effects Of Nerve Strain.
They numbered at the beginning of
the fight $50 rifles, but many Of them
are Berlin police, and not regular
troops. Being under artillery fire for
twenty-four hours, the food and mu-
nitions supply ran short and then the
Spartacans began to bomb them with
lachrymatory and gas shells. Under
this new experience, the police. who
had no gas masks, began to show the
effects of nerve strain. The south
ern wing of the presidency became
untenable, the defenders retiring to
the actual prison section, or bastile.
Here relief came from the skies.
bombing planes swooping down under
fire to within a few feet OF the road.
dropping parcels of food and ammu-
milton. Thus they were enabled to
hold out until the air bombs and
heavy howitzer shells had smashed
the underground tunnel and subway,
whereby the Spartacan reinforce
ments were prevented from reaching
the scene of fighting.
Brought Mine -Throwers.
In Berlin the irregulars have joined
the Spartacans. and with the ma
rines have occupied the royal stables.
the city railway stations and other
points. Early this afternoon tney
made further attacks on the police
presidency, but were beaten off.
Noske's ironsides, especially the Of
ficers corps advancing by the palace,
were met by a heavy fire from the
stables. They brought mine -throwers
and threw four high explosive mines
into the stables. clearing the route
eastwards. They then forced the
war into the Alexanderplatz and
caught marines and irregulars be-
seiging the presidency in the rear.
In the fighting with bayonets the
marines were dispersed and a num-
ber killed and captured. The officers
corps had by night-fall occupied the
and relieved the siege
of the presidency. The marines, ir-
regulars and armed hoollgans re-
treated u the Kaiser Wilhelmstre,
where they have headquarters in eel
lars. and 10 Weimmersterstr, where
is situated the thieves market for
stolen goods. These centers have not
yet been taken. There are bands in
other parts of the city and intermit-
tent firing is audible. The or1cers
corps is acting summarily. and men
arms without government
are shot our OF hand.
The workmen's council held a meet
ing, at which the Spartacists and in
dependents here opposed to extend
the strike of gas, water and electric
ity. The motion was carried by a
small majority, whereupon the ma
jority socialists and Ebertites left the
meeting and announced they would
cease to share responsibility for the
strike. The gas, water and electric
state they can continue TO
maintain supplies If given military
The train service is sus
pended o'.ng to the terrorization Of
engineers by the irregulars. but the |
government troops should be able to !
rooccupy the station in few hours.