f the various combatants on the western front
between October 1, 1915, and January 31, 1916, the following:
"Thirteen English and seventeen French aeroplanes lost on the side of
the Allies--eleven German aeroplanes destroyed on the English front
and twenty on the French front. Of the French machines lost, four were
overcome in aerial combats, one destroyed by artillery fire, three
were forced to descend by motor troubles, and eight disappeared on
land-scouting missions."

During the month of February, 1916, patrol service was actively
maintained on both sides of the frontier; a large number of attempts
at bombing were made, and many individual combats took place, with the
losses, so far as the French and Germans were concerned, about evenly
divided, the French reporting the destruction of nine German
aeroplanes, while the Germans claimed to have destroyed eight French
and four British machines. For this period the official reports of the
British claimed that four German machines were forced to the ground,
but it was not apparent whether they had been actually destroyed or
merely forced to retire. In the French reports, in addition to the
nine German aeroplanes destroyed as noted, it was stated that two
additional were "forced down."

In January and February, 1916, the German air service again began its
activity against the British Isles, and not only Zeppelins but also
seaplanes and aeroplanes crossed the Channel and dropped explosives
and incendiary bombs on English towns and villages, mostly on the east
coast. The Germans claimed that in one instance a Zeppelin had gone as
far as Midlands in an attempt at some of the great manufacturing
centers of England, and this seemed to indicate that the campaign
would be carried on with greater relentlessness than ever and more
attempt at material damage. More and more aeroplanes of the German
service were beginning to cooperate with the Zeppelins, and it was
clear that future attacks would be in forces with aeroplanes to
protect the Zeppelins from attack by quick-flying hostile aeroplanes.
It was evident from the activity of the Germans that in all
departments of its aerial services increases were being made, and
increased activity was to be manifested. At the same time the Allies
were showing corresponding activity in their attempts to destroy the
air cruisers of the enemy.

The German military Zeppelin _L-Z-77_ was brought down by a French
incendiary shell from a 75-milli