BRITISH RAID ON CUXHAVEN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2344, 29 December 1914, Page 5

BRITISH RAID ON CUXHAVEN

. A NOVEL COMBAT SEAPLANES AND ZEPPELINS IN ACTION The Prime Minister received yesterday the following message from the High Commissioner :— London, December 28, 0.30 a.m. The Admiralty announce that on Friday tho German warships in the Sohillig Roads, Cuxhaven, were attacked by seven British seaplanes. The attack began at daylight, the seaplanes being escorted by light cruisers, a destroyer force, and-submarines. On being sighted the ships were attacked from Heligoland by two Zeppelins, four seaplanes, and several submarines. A novel.combat ensued, and by swift manoeuvring tlio enemy's submarines were avoided, the two Zeppelins fleeing before the guns of the Undaunted and Arethusa.. Tho enemy's seaplanes dropped bombs harmlessly noar the British ships., After three hours, three airmen ivith their machines were safely reembai'kedj and three others re-embarked on submarines, their machines having sunk. Only one airman's fate is unknown. The damage cannot be estimated. All the bombs were discharged at points of military significance. On Thursday a British airman visited Brussels for tho purpose of dropping twelve bombs on the airship shed. In the first attack eight bombs were discharged, and on the return four. It is believed six of the bombs hit. The effect could not be distinguished owing to tho smoke from the shed. FLIGHT COMMANDER F. E. T. HEWLITT MISSING. London, December 27. Official.—Seven seaplanes attacked German warships at Cuxhaveri on Friday; The damage by the bombs dropped cannot be estimated. Flight Commander F. E. T. Hewlitt is missing. GERMANS CLAIM TO HAVE BOMBED THREE SHIPS.' (Rec. December 28, 8.40 p.m.) ! ' Amsterdam, December 28. 'An official mesßage from Berlin states that hydro-aeroplanes attacked our estuaries and attempted to bomb some anchored ships and the gasometer at Cuxhaven, which the"y failed to hit, and disappeared westward; German airsnips and aeroplanes bombed two of the British, destroyers and a convoy-vessel; An outbreak b£' fire was observed on the latter. Mist prevented further en- ■ gagements. THREE HOURS OFF CUXHAVEN. (Rec. December 28, 8-40 p.m.) i . . ■ London, December 28. . The Admiralty announce that a light oruiser and destroyer force and submarines escorting seaplanes made a raid on Cuxhaven. They avoided the German seaplanes and submarines, attacking from Heligoland. The Undaunted's and/.the Arethusa's guns put the Zeppelins to flight. They were three hours off Cuxhaven, and were unmolested by any surface vessels. FURTHER DETAILS OF THE OUXHAVEN RAID. ißeo. December 28, 9.40 p.m.) London, December 28. Official.—The seaplane attack occurred in daylight in Sohillig Roads olose to Cuxhaven; etarting near Heligoland, from whence the Germans attacked the Arethusa and Undaunted with two Zeppelins, four seaplanes; and several submarines , . The Britishers were obliged to await British Beaplanesj and when they returned they engaged the German aircraft and submarines, easily driving off the Zeppelins and avoiding the submarines by swift manoeuvring, but the seaplanes dropped bombs near the British ships without hitting 'them. Out of seven airmen, tho British ships picked up three with their machines, and the submarines picked up three and sank their machines, as arranged. Flight Commander Hewlett's tnachine was sighted, wrecked, eight miles from Heligoland. His fate is unknown. 'AH tho British bombs' were „ aimed at points of military significance. PARSEVAL SHED AT BRUSSELS BOMBED. (Rec. December 23, 9.40 p.m.) . - London, December 28. Official.—Squadron Commander Richard Davies visited Brussels on December 24 and dropped twelve bombs on the airship ehed, which it was believed contained a Parseval. It is believed six of the bombs hit the shed, but the effect- was not distinguishable owing to the smoke from the shed. BOMBS DROPPED ON LANGEOOG ISLAND. (Rec. December 28, 9.40 p.m.) Amsterdam, December 28. A' wireless from Berlin states that British airmen dropped four bombs at Langeoog Island (oho of the East Frisian Islands) on December 25, but did no damage. NEW ZEPPELIN SHED BOMBED. (Rec. December 28, 10.20 p.m.) Amsterdam, December 28. > !An official Berlin report states that a hostile airman resultlessly bombed a new Zeppelin shed, but the locality is not specified.