HOW A RAIDING ZEPPELIN CAME TO EARTH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 233, 8 December 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

HOW A RAIDING ZEPPELIN CAME TO EARTH.

CREW CAPTURED: COMMANDER WANTS TO TELEPHONE LONDON".

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, September 24, twelve Zeppelin airships raided England. London and the Midlands were the principal objects of attack. The invaders were beaten off, two airships falling in Essex, one in flames and one so injured that it could not continue its homeward journey. The special article about the injured airship, the crew of which are prisoner* in England. was written by F.,W. Memory for the "Daily Mail," and gives much interesting matter that was necessarily left out in the brief account received by cable.

East Coast Town, Sunday

This is the full story of the seconl Zeppelin which lies a stark and staring wreck in Essex. It was told me bv those who gasped for breath in the ntense heat of the burning and by tlios? who saw the German crew alight, cursing, from their gondolas, and then march off into the blackness of the night across the marshes. Picture it. A night of velvety blackness, out of which comes a flying terror, blotting from view hundreds of the twinkling stars as it floats lower and lower across the country. Suddenly it touches earth, and presently there whore it falls out burst a loud report and a vast flame which turns night into day. All this where the Essex coast go>es down to the sej, and habitations are few and far between. Yet the monster fell within ten paces of a cottage and 100 yards of a farm, and no <mi was injured. The adventures of tire night began just after 10 p.m., when the farm dog howled and the kine were lowing uneasily. Then came the drone of an airship flying in from the Sea. Later th; drone was heard again, but now there was something wrong. No longer was the hum continuous. The engincg to labour, and where earlier the sound came from high, now :t seemed just over the three-tops. Watchers ran to their windows to Pea the bulk of a giant Zeppelin trav, el'ing towards the sea. It lumbered through the air unhindered by oithei shot or shell and unsought by any stabbing light. Darkness absolute, save for the twinkling stars, reigned. Only the beat of the engines punctuated by metallic crashes and heavy thuds, reached the ground. Flying scarcely ."300 feet up. the air ship nosed its way to the sea, and then, as if its commander fcatvd what mig'it await him on the water, it seemingly turned back over the Essex coast. Slowly it worked its way inwards. Suddenly the "hum" ceased, and a farmer, looking from his window, saw the Zeppelin floating and rolling slightly over the orchard 30ft. from his house and heard the thud of heavy things striking the branches. The observer said, "seemed to float like a great feather," every moment getting nearer and nearer to the ground. It scraped the tree-tops, and then something dragged along the hedges, and a hare hundred yards from where the engine stopped it settled to the earth, stretching out its length and finally coming to rest within ten paces of a labourer's cottage.Then came the most surprising thing of all. Loud-mouthed curses came from the three gondolas, some in guttral English, understandable by those who watched and listened. One by one. till a score of men and an officer stood in the roadway, the Gvrmin oro.v clambered to earth and stood talking and gesticulating. They hurried to the cottage. The occupants, simple country people, were too unnerved by the sight of the monster at their door to pay heed to the hails of the Germans. The commander rattled and thundered on the door, anf. as a last resource broke a window. But no one came to his bidding, and, grumbling mightily, he rejoined his men. For a moment they conferred together, ono aparently urging this course, others that.

Three explosions followed, of grc.it violence. People within a hundred yards gasped and choked for breath. Still, hut for one or two smashed windows and scorched paint, the labourer's cottage* only ten yards away was undamaged, although the hair was singed from a little terrier crying in terror in the kennel in the gaixkn. The commander made his voice heard ti'biovo the chatter which had broken out among his men. A deop-tonod command, and they swung into column, without- hats, scantily clad but heavily shod, and, with their officer at tlwvr head, struck off inland. As they went. little stabs of light broke out here and their and pistol shots ripped tk' air. They were emptying their revolvers into the sky. Presently the weapons were hcr.vl striking tiro trees as they were flung away. People poured into the highways and byways. Tin; silent villages echoed with shouts and queries. Special constables on wheel and afoot, and the village police, hurried towards the place. Imagine the astonishment of one hurrying constable, who was the first to hit the track, when he heard the rythni'c tramp of many feet and a buzz of strangely foreign vo:ees coining :owards him on the country road. "Here, you," the sturdy "special'' demanded lis he barred the way of the advancing Germans, "what's up?" •'Which is the way?" boomed ba<k the deep voice of the leader. Peering into the darkness, the "spe:iaL" saw before him a score or niorv young and hefty men wearing a dark uniform and having the actions and appearance* of trained men. What could lie do —one, and unarmed at that. against a score of men. any one of whom was probably half his age and twice as agile? lie replied, "That is the road," indicating a road passing through a fair-sized village, where, it necessary, the help of other Esse:: men would he forthcoming. "Tank you,"' boomed the deop-voic\] <:m\ and off they nfarohed. The "special" followed hard on their heels. He'p was forthcoming in the shape of the British constable, and these two bold men. put to the touch, told the Germans that they weiv under arrest, and would have to go where they were told. The opportune arrival of a second constable added a little weight t> teh order.

Til.- Gorman commander simply shrugged !iis shoulders ;ind obeyed the directions of the civilians. Further help for the throe Englishmen win wVre unafraid—a patrol of armed soldiers™.'ippeand. To thorn tin' situaation was inside clear. The German officer admitted his identity. It should he remomlicivd that ail this took place in the dead of night in the pitch hlacfcnes of a country lane. "I am," he sp.'d, "the coninninder of a German airsli:p wliii-li has come down, and thes.> are mv crew.''

IM'N TO TELEPHONE TO LONDON

Th.mi, as if this were not sufficient

he fired the following verbal bonibslwi!; "Please allow me to go to the nearest post office so 1 may telephone to someone in London, who will let my wiire know that lam sate." The proposterousness of the suggestion was quickly countered by a soluier, who ejaculated: " Don t you he so sure you are sale, niaU'y. We don't know what there may ce against you." Phlegmatical'y the Hun comniander bowed to the nevitable, and w.th his crew marched stoliilly off to tiie captivity wnieh at the moment ot writing lias brought him and his crew to the sale keeping ol tl.v. authorities.

It should be told how the military patrol came so opportunely on the scene. One ot those who watched the destruction of the airship was a cripple. Ho hurried with a brother-in-law to the spot at which it fill. As they neared the spot they .saw the Germans standing in the road. For all they knew the Huns were armed.

CRIPPLES MOTOR-CYCLE RIOK

The crippled fanner determined to ride for lu'lp on his motor-bicycle. Hurrying !>;ic kto the farm, he set out an,l had nearly completed his task when '.n the darkness ho collided with a motorcar, and now lies in hospital, where it is feared his leg may have to be amputated ; but bei'oro he was carried off le made his errand known and the military authorities were apprised. Before the Zeppelin finally descended the sound of many articles falling to earth was heard. A widespread search to-day has discovered many things—gums, maps, notes, instructions, telegrams, parts of machinery, and the like. Among them were the making of a meal a piece of Germai sausage, a sandwich of smoked bacon, and very black bread covered with land.

The airship is a monstrous tiling. As the wreck lies it is a landmark for miles. It completely blocks the road across which it has fallen, while it dwarfs thy trees and buildings in i*.s vicinity by its "Oft. of height. Nothing now of the aluminium frame-work remains, but it gives a splendid idea of what the monster fully equipped must have looked like. A great blunt nose swells to the centre of the framework which tapers off ro a fin-like stern. In the centre can be seen distinctly the ladder passing through the ballonets by which the gun platform at tha top of the envelope is reached. Tho whole glistens and shmimeis in the noondoy sun like burnished silver.

EVE-WITNESSES' ACCOUNTS. Eve-witnesses of tho stirring scenes tell thrilling storiovS. One woman said : "My husband and I heard the hum «,f the airship engines, and on looking out saw it just above our orchard in front of the house. It scorned to overshadow everything. We saw it come down near our men's cottage, and I saw the Germans get out of the car and heai J them speaking in English. Some <-f them spoke English very well, and were using bad language, which we could understaand. We were concealed in the hedge, watching them as they pissed. We heard thorn fire their .e----volvers, and there was a rattling m the trees, as if they were throwing thtfir pistols away." The special constablo who stopped the Germans is a carrier. A sturdilybuilt man of midle age, he makes little of his plucky action. ''l was attracted by the fire," he said, .and I went towards it. At the top of the road it was pitch black, and I had no light on my bieyjcle. 1 met them, and said, 'Here, you, what's up?' and one at them, whom I learned afterwards to bo the commander, said, 'Which is the way?' 1 saw that there .was a large number of them, and they went off. 1 followed them until I met the village constable, and then we told them that they must consider themselves under arrest. They ail seemed youngish, thick-set men, but I could not judge properly as they were heavily padded against the cold. One wanted to know what I thought about the war. But 1 did not tell him. I did not want to hint his feolings, but he seemed quite plcised that the war would not affect him much more."

The occupants of the double nient cottage near which the Zeppelin ijll frankly admit that the sight of the monster terrified them. They told how the commander or another member of tho crew came and hammered at their door and finally broke a window. They thought perhaps it was done with the intention of warning them that there wis danger. As a matter of fact, the two families wh ooccupy the building were unhurt by the fire, as they took shelter in the coal-house. A few windows and doors were smashed and, ,'s stated above, the dog in its kennel was injured.