In the Air.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 67, 24 February 1916, Page 5

In the Air.

NEW ZEPPELIN IN FLAMES.

DETAILS OF THE L.Z.77 DISASTER

SHOCKING END OF THE CREW.

United Press Association. Paris February 22

Details nf the destruction of a Zeppelin show that at 8 o’clock in the evening slip was reported, with lights out, struggling against the wind at a height of two thousand metres when gun-fire was opened with incendiary shells, one of which struck her side and went right through her. The flames spread from end to end in a few seconds, outlining the airship clearly. There was no explosion, and the craft slowly descended, enveloped in flame. When it touched the earth all the bombs aboard exploded, and nothing remained but the tangled wreckage, in whiefc aven?: between 20 and 80 naked corpses, including an officer clad in a few shreds of Spiform. The Zeppelin was L.Z.77, of the new naval type. A second Zeppelin witnessed the disaster and turned tail. ZEPPELINS IN A DEATH TRAP. $ ’ FRENCH CELEBRATE VICTORY IN FIRST BIG AIR BATTLE. SUCCESS OF NEW CHASERPLANE United Press association. (Received 8.5 a.m.) Paris, February 23. The French celebrated the result of the first big air battle. It was a genuine victory, and included combined aerial operations with aeroplanes which were skirmishing on tiio wings while Zeppelins held the centre. The results were everywhere favorable to France, the new chaserplane proving fully equal to the Fokker.

Latest accounts show that two Zeppelins started from the Crown Prince’s shed at Ardennes, and it is believed the Kaiser, who is visiting headquarters at Mezieres, witnessed their departure. rue aiVships were detected by the noise of the engines in tiie Argonne lorest, and the news was telephoned to Headquarters. Batteries and searchlights were got ready and attackers soon located one of the Zeppelins. Motor cars equipped with searchlights and quickfircrs, and manned by special naval gunners, bad an exciting chase, rushing over the rough roads in the darkness. The Zeppelin tried to break through the mercilc.vi ring of searchlights, but the guiiems never lost sight of it. Ihcie weio several misses before a shout triumph announced that the airship had been hit.

TWENTY-SIXTH ZEPPELIN TO BE DESTROYED. AN EYE-WITNESS’S GRAPHIC PICTURE. £Dnit*d Pausa Association.] (Received 8.20 a.m.) Paris, February 2 5. It is believed the Zeppelin makes the twentyt-sixth destroyed during* the war. An eye-witness states that the searchlights suddenly caught the Zeppelin in the pitchy darkness. When the shell pierced the airship an immense sheet ol flame shot up, and the ship overturned two or three times, then fell like !| torch. The spectators were struck dumb with horror for a b'W moments, then there "as 11 slmiit o exultation. A terrific explosion tore, a vast hole in the ground.