Losses of British corps aircraft declined after April, which had been the worst in the war and air fighting returned to the German rear areas.
An attack on German observation balloons was planned, during the lull in infantry operations before May and the pilots practised flying at low altitude, to exploit the cover of trees, dips in the ground and houses.
Observation balloons could be winched down quickly, which made them difficult to shoot down; the commander of the Tenth Wing RFC, Lieutenant-Colonel Wilfrid Freeman, arranged for an artillery barrage on the German trenches as a diversion to cover aircraft from 40 Squadron, which made a surprise attack.
At 9:00 a.m. on 2 May, the artillery barrage began and six Nieuport pilots attacked the balloons, which were found to be still airborne, at heights up to 2,000 ft (610 m).
Four balloons were shot down in flames, four were damaged and all of the Nieuports returned damaged by small arms fire.

On 3 May, British aircraft were detailed for special counter-attack reconnaissance, after the experience of the new German tactics of lightly holding the front line and counter-attacking with reserves and Eingreif divisions.
The British aircraft flew low over the battlefield behind captured positions, from dawn to nightfall looking for signs of German counter-attacks, to report them immediately to the British artillery.
Bombardments from both sides and infantry attacks and counter-attacks, made the battlefield so chaotic that observers were not able to see clearly, except for those of 43 Squadron, who saw German troops massing opposite the XIII Corps front.
Five Sopwith 1½ Strutters were sent from the squadron to attack the German infantry and machine-gunned them from 50–300 ft (15–91 m); low-altitude attacks on other bodies of troops were carried out in the afternoon.
Tactical bombing took place, with attacks on the stations at Don, Busigny Junction, Brebières and the aerodrome at Eswars.
After dark bombing continued on trains and three were hit by low-level attacks of the night-bombing specialists of 100 Squadron, along with railway junctions and Tourmignies airfield.
Losses of British corps aircraft declined after April, which had been the worst in the war and air fighting returned to the German rear areas. An attack on German observation balloons was planned, during the lull in infantry operations before May and the pilots practised flying at low altitude, to exploit the cover of trees, dips in the ground and houses. Observation balloons could be winched down quickly, which made them difficult to shoot down; the commander of the Tenth Wing RFC, Lieutenant-Colonel Wilfrid Freeman, arranged for an artillery barrage on the German trenches as a diversion to cover aircraft from 40 Squadron, which made a surprise attack. At 9:00 a.m. on 2 May, the artillery barrage began and six Nieuport pilots attacked the balloons, which were found to be still airborne, at heights up to 2,000 ft (610 m). Four balloons were shot down in flames, four were damaged and all of the Nieuports returned damaged by small arms fire.
On 3 May, British aircraft were detailed for special counter-attack reconnaissance, after the experience of the new German tactics of lightly holding the front line and counter-attacking with reserves and Eingreif divisions. The British aircraft flew low over the battlefield behind captured positions, from dawn to nightfall looking for signs of German counter-attacks, to report them immediately to the British artillery. Bombardments from both sides and infantry attacks and counter-attacks, made the battlefield so chaotic that observers were not able to see clearly, except for those of 43 Squadron, who saw German troops massing opposite the XIII Corps front. Five Sopwith 1½ Strutters were sent from the squadron to attack the German infantry and machine-gunned them from 50–300 ft (15–91 m); low-altitude attacks on other bodies of troops were carried out in the afternoon. Tactical bombing took place, with attacks on the stations at Don, Busigny Junction, Brebières and the aerodrome at Eswars. After dark bombing continued on trains and three were hit by low-level attacks of the night-bombing specialists of 100 Squadron, along with railway junctions and Tourmignies airfield.
Capture of Oppy Wood