'The first detailed account of the violent alr battlo—the first big combat in the present war—which took place' on Monday on the Western Front, which nine German air-claimed to have been shot ven in "Lntransigeant The fight bogan, the newspaper ayu, when 27 German planes.
Making 'a" demonstration over "the rench tines, Apparently "they. Ins {ended to impress the French (reaps flying in compact formation, re falling their methods in Poland, where' they. skimmed the, ground, nreoding terror and death"
Flying' ata speed of 300 miles an hour, they haa hardly reached French territory when a French squadron, Cot nine fighters) took off to attack. 'The French, machines quickly assumed a formation advantageous for" their fault and then manaxuvreing.selfully they' al lacked "with every gun anchors on the ground saw seven raiders fall, some in flames, after which the Germans tured. in dis-border and made for home, with the French in pursuit. we more Messer. fchmidis' fell behind. the. Siegfried Line before the fleeing squadron ou= Aistaneed the pursuers.
'French air chiots, "Litntransigeant" says, awaited with anxiety the return of the French planes, feeling. that Sch vielory could hot have been achieved without any Toss, but they wore considerably surprised andre lieved when all' French planes tamed, "Several machines" were rid fed with bullets, but there were German Claims a Foae ace lin Nov. High Command claims that nine communique Issued today by the
Aljied aeroplanes were brought down Chapette to the North Sea, and thus bring. a direct threat to bear on. the those of the Netherlands and Selgian territory. German planes have lately been. fying systematically" over the two eotntres, especially Belgium, and the conclusion can be drawn that these te ecgnnatsance ligh of milary Britain Has Enormous Reserves London, Nov. 8.
'The general strategic posltion of the war was outlined today by Mr. Leslie Hore~ Belisha, Secretary of State for War, at a private joint meeting of the Conservative Private 'Members' Committee and Army Committee. In addition to the considerable forces already in France, Mr. Here-Belisha said, there existed an enormous reserve at home, a largely augmented reserve in the Middle East, and troops in India. The War Secretary also referred to the garrisoning of oversea sta~ tions by. increasing the proportion of local troops. "Thirty two divisions," he added, "are not the limit of Great Britain's land effort, and we are looking forward to the arrival of con fingents from the Dominions."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.