GERMAN AIRMAN'S FLIGHT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 733, 30 December 1914, Page 5

GERMAN AIRMAN'S FLIGHT.

| DROPS BOMB AT DOVER. FOG AIDS HIS ESCAPE. London, Sunday. Aided by a fog, a German aviator eluded the watchers along the coast, and passed up the Thames as far as Erith, miles east of Woolwich. He wa§ first sighted at 12.35 p.m. over the insland of Sheppey, at the mouth of the Medway, at a height of 9000 ft. As he antiaircraft gun fired, but without effect. The enemy was then lost in a fog. Three British aeroplanes started in pursuit. The German made acroßS the Kentish marshes before he was located at Erith, flying towards London. Six shells fired from an aircraft station burst above and around the machine, which wheeled upwards and retraced its flight. Within a few minutes appeared the British aeroplanes, flying from the west. They pursued the enemy at a lower altitude. Ths German followed the centre of the river at an altitude of»4000ft. The British machines appeared to gain on the German aviator, who mounted higher as he passed above thi forts. He swept on towards Southend, and the chase continued across Essex. The firing of the forts was restricted, owing to the nearness of our own aviators to the enemy, but the latter and his pursuers kept up a crossfire. The German pilot skilfully manipulated his machine in a manner, which, while minimising the chances of being hit, made it difficult for the pursuers to fire without injuring each other. The German machine rocked violently at times, as if" it had been struck. Then the fog thickened, and baffled tha pursuer*, who returned to the base.

A later messge etatsa that bombs .dropped at Dover from a. height of 5000 ft 3cattersd fragments a radius of 100 yds, and excavatad a hola Oft by sft wide and sft dtep.

INEFFECTIVENESS OF RAIDS.£

MILITARY CONTROL OP EAST COAST TIGHTENING.

London, Monday,

In connection with tie German aeroplane raids, surprise is feltj not that tha raids sra taking place, hut because of their absolute ineffectiveness.

Buth Thursday and Friday were ideal dayß for sirh ventures so far ss wea f her conditions were concerned, and tha f:ct that so little wis accomplished is the best proof of the effectiveess of tha country's air defences.

There are ample Bigna that the authorities regard further raids, with possible attempts at landing troops, es rot improbable. Ihe control exercised by the military authorities on the East coast is, therefore, daily becoming mora strict.