"Winging" A Zeppelin.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 April 1915, Page 3

"Winging" A Zeppelin.

LZ. la \\ AS C Ai'TliilJiD. jConoop'.iiili.-iil ui iiu- "Uollioiirno Age, J-,ondon, t'eb. 8. Jiic .5 lory 01 iiiv capture «l the Gorman Zeppelin l«Z ll) i» iiioro like ; jnapt> r iiom nviii a inuance oi advenLuii' than a record ui sober fact. liiarly oik! mm aing a huge airship sail cm I>i;ii• hll Hj> ilii 1 Bailie ironi tile German frontier and made lor Lilian, one nf the piiiieip.il Russian ports on tin Baltic, a Lou n ol iieai'l.v nil).(JOO inhabitants. Hovering over the town at ;i great lieighl. il dropped bombs or tile undciendod cii.v and il did considerable damage to life and property. Tile tew guns in the loan were fired at the air.-liip without damaging it lint when the monster hail discharged its cargo of bombs, it turned lazily in the .sky and made back for its ba.se. Danzig, at a high speed. Unfortunately for itself tlie Zeppelin "coasted" Inline inland for some miles instead ol making fitraighI out Tor sea, and while sailing over a I'us.siaii gnn lort at a place called Virgen. "as struck by one if the fort gnn-; of that town. The great airship reeled, recovered herself ind then began lo sink liom the heavmis towards the.sea. Russian torpedo floats and oilier chafts darted out to ■ea instantlv to cut off any escape and live the descending airship a warm re?eption. The Zeppelin came down very .slowly, .but finally it fell into the ivaler and floated majestically on the surface. On 'of the I'ussian torpedo mat.s darted up impetuously, but was 1 riven off by a .shower ol rifle bullets : niiii the airship'* crew. The torpedo mat returned the fire, and a lively ittle ride engagement ensured. This s thi' first encounter on record between m airship in the wain- and a naval vessel il! its proper element, hilt it lid not continue lung. The Germans ■;trnck their velours, and surrendered. The airship's crew, con-isting 'of the •aptain, three officers, with three men. vere transferred to a couple of harbour utrs and fs'■ rll on shore. The cap" lire took place ten miles out it sea. ami when the completing t-or-ledo boat e-saved the work of colivcyng iis captive to laud the task proved icyond it. Tin: was ta-ken in :ow. but the air.-hi|i in a ponderous ind German lashioii. resisted all the ll'orts to convey it to shore, and willowed and rolled in the sea like a true andlii'bbor, Kveinnally there was nothng to lie done but cut ii adrift and -ink it. The torp"<lo boat opened lire it its vast gas bag. which presently •aught lire, and went elf with a mighty iang. Then the I.Z I.D disappeared. There were several interesting points ibiuit the ea [it lire ol this particular Zeppelin, widely a capacity ol ;'()().()i;n <■:;ili(- feet, and a speed of -IS iiiles p-er hour. Aerial experts have a he i y that the aeroplane is primarily i day era! I. ami the Zeppelin took a nighl work, because the hitters huge >ulk i- less likely to fie seen al night. On this occasion the Zeppelin took a ;reat risk in attacking in broad dayight. and pai-i the penalty. Doubtless he Jiiis.-;';in gunners feiind it a good i ark in the heavens, ler it appeared o have 1,.-en very easily bioiight dowi. ,i hen proper artillery was brought to .■ear ou it. The moral of this : >:i it i' ■: i Iu; capture .-eeiee be that the /a'pp.'lin ate very vulnerable to gunire from long-range guns, pu rticularl.v n i he il;, vt i me, and that the Zeppelin's lrin- field i- to attack unguarded areas at night. The loss of this Zeppelin makes the loiirlli airship of this sort that has been oflieially reported as destroyed by Ihe Allies since the beginning of the war. but during the la.st few lumths the Germans have taken very few risks with the.-e cosily aircraft*. pre erring to use them for raiding oxpoit-s ui nndel'ended towns. A crew of seven men seem- very small lor a Zeppelin hut it may lie that under war condition- the crews of aircraft are reduced lo the barest limit. A l'ei rograil war correspondent is re .ponsible lor the statement that, the G o'iean officer.-* and men captured when I he Zepp lin was brought down are not being treaTed as prisoners of war, but as Slate criminals and are confined in a fortress. They are. it is stated, to he tried by military court for murder ■ r attempted minder. This intention is strongly supported by the I'ussian new paper "Ncvoc Vroiuyn." The journal, w liTi'-h is ojio of considerable authority . maintains, in the course of an article' entiled "Uau.it.-." that this ■s I lie iogic;:) and proper course for the Allies to piirsii--. Tlie Ailie.s, it says, "-iioii.il bring lie;ore tile courts all those iviiu iiilringo I lie Hague Gonveiitioli regarding attacks on iindeiended places. "licgal reprisals are the only means in our power when fighting against German (savagery." says the paper. "\V ecannot reply by the same acts, not. is it any use to threaten. Let us take advantage of this incident to pass li'iiin words to deeds. Whatever tile sentence passed we should c.ommiimeal 1 ii: In the German Government ■v i 1!! the notice (hat the Allies will -o act whenever the laws of war are broken. Perhaps when L liny know that I heir officers run the risk of flying a shameful death as criminals. the head« of the (lerman and Austrian ai'mie- wi!l cease sending ihem against peacehd inhabitants ol undefended towns." ft is staled thai . this article has ■o-i ie a '"eat impression in Russia, attd "?i ii-'si■ in en),|i ( . opinion is strongly in tavo'ir ol if|(. puppr's suggestions being carrietl into effect.