LONDON'S DARKEST HOUR.

Shannon News, 25 July 1924, Page 3

LONDON'S DARKEST HOUR.

i ZKPPIUIjLN raid which failed. ' "AN ANGUISH OF ANXIETY." I The most remarkable parti of Comj mander Rawlinson's book, "The De- ' fence of London, 1915-1918," is the account of the last Zeppelin raid on. the night of October 19, 1917, when' the meropolis was completely at the mercy of seven or nine airships, and so narrowly escaped great disaster. Those in charge of thedefence of the city that nighti were aware that this fleet had been built to fly at altitudes which could not be reached by aeroplanes, and that tie undersides of the 1 airships had been coated with a certain black paint wjiich rendered them invisible from the glare of a searchj liyht, even when full in its beam. It ! was obviously the intention of the enemy to assemble at Watford and to "float down wind" over London at a high altitude with engines stopped. The entire Zeppelin fleet, unknow- - ingly, was over tihe heart of London. The single bomb dropped in Piccadilly Circus, which damaged the premises of Messrs. Swan and Edgar," was discharged with the object of inducing the searchlight to uncover, but an order had been issued that they should remain masked, and this undoubtedly saved London. Mercifully the darkness and silenee below still remain D d impenetrable and unbroken. The succeeding minutes were charged with such an anguish of anxiety, and the horror of the awful tragedy which appeared likely to be enacted at any moment was so great as to cause me an absolute spasm of nervous agony. \ A north-easterly wind increasing to a gale sent the fleet away. With regard to the future defence of cities against air attack, the author says that efficiency can only be attained by unity of control.