action fully four times as many.

The wastage of the Allies' aircraft in November, 1916, was
considerably less than in any of the previous four months. In the
official reports it was definitely stated that 148 British, German,
and French machines had been brought down. Of this total thirty-two
British machines were admitted by General Headquarters to have been
lost or were counted missing. As an offset to these losses the British
airmen had destroyed twenty-four, captured seven, and brought down
damaged twenty-six German machines. In addition to these the Royal
Naval Air Service operating under French military authorities had
brought down five hostile aeroplanes.

It was claimed by the French that they had destroyed, captured, and
driven to earth in a wrecked condition fifty German machines.
Lieutenant Guynemer continued to hold his lead among French airmen,
having scored in November, 1916, his twenty-third victory. In three
days of this month he brought down six German aeroplanes. Guynemer's
victories in the air had inspired other members of the French flying
corps to fresh deeds of daring, and during November, 1916, Lieutenant
Nungesser and Adjutant Dorme destroyed their fifteenth and sixteenth
hostile machines respectively. In the only reports published by the
Germans during this month it was claimed that they had destroyed or
put out of action thirty-six hostile machines.

On December 1, 1916, British troops successfully raided German
trenches south of Armentieres. On the same date the Germans attempted
a trench raid northeast of Neuve Chapelle which was beaten off by the
British, who inflicted some losses on the raiders. On the French front
their airmen were active in bombing enemy positions.

A German attack was made in force on December 3, 1916, after a heavy
bombardment of the British trenches south of Loos. After a spirited
struggle the Germans were driven off, having suffered heavy
casualties. On this same day British aircraft won some important
successes inside the German lines, when they bombed among other
objectives a railway station and aerodrome. The British Naval Air
Squadron also engaged in a number of air combats on this date,
destroying two German machines and damaging four others.

Heavy bombardments of enemy positions by day and the usual trench
raids at night continued for more than a week, during which the Allied
troops registered minor successes, insignificant when considered
separately, b