BRITISH AIRMEN’S RAID.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 64, 14 November 1914, Page 7

BRITISH AIRMEN’S RAID.

FLIGHTS OVER GERMANY. ZEPPELIN SiilN.j a i I ACKED_ i.■OiD.j.i, Cslcb-.u British navt.i a.rmon recently made a daring raid in . Ge.-m.ui L iimm-v. The Zeppelin hangar a.. Dnssehk :•£ and Cologne were the on; .. . 1 .ok, and while tin- ; g ..at ..-an a! Cch .viie, the G... mans .. i. i - ■ Lae DimredCiT shed snhero-J i-e-.ou damage. The airmen operated Re;,: Pelgin m. On St pi ember 21st a icims c: cyclist carabineers and armcured motor-car; prceeebm} east, their oh let' : bject he lug n mar the district of Gorman patrols ana make a safe base for the English aviators as close as passible to the German frontier. Very early in the morning five British aviators left, flying east. They were made the more confident in their mission by the knowledge that their allies had provided for them half-way across the German frontiers a safe supply base, the locality of which is, of course, not indraled. It was a very daring enterprise. Flight-Lieutenant C. IT. Collett, flying very low, dropped three bombs on the hangar at Dusseldorf. Major Gerard, in command of the Corps of Aviators, in giving details of the raid, emphasises the admirable co-operation of the aliredforces, who supplies the English aviators with an advanced base which was managed per fectly. Leaving at dawn the corps of aviators flew without misadventure to ths base. The weather was clear, and there wag a little wind. At the base they divided into two parties, one going to attack the Zeppelin hangars at Dusseldorf, the ether to attack the hangars at Cologne. As far as the River Meuse the weather continued (dear and favourable, but after the Meuse fog was encountered. The pratly having Cologne as their objeM reached the city to find it enveloped in a thick fog. For an hour and a-half | the aviators circled round, afraid to discharge bombs at random for fear of i wounding civilians or damaging I houses or churches, but utterly unable I to distinguish the Zeppelin hangars. I Finally this section was obliged to . (urn back, having fa Hoc! in Ps mission, ! and not having discharged any bombs, i The second section, having Dusscl df rf as its objective wv-. more fortun ale. flue town was !. end to be wrapped in mist, but net fog. Descending very lew, one avf ;rr was able to disi tinguish the Ze. • Hin r near, and dis charged all hi- pn.v.bs upon it. That ! some effect w. l < 'Rained lie was sure, I taut he could nr;- be certain that the ; flames that broke out ware quelled or I not. iie is afraid that owing to the lew elevation at which he discharged the bombs, about 400 feet, some of i them did not explode owing to the 1 rprvaticn cf the time safety fuse, which is intended to safeguard against ! explosions sc premature as to damage i the aeroplane discharging the bombs, j All the aviators of both sections re- | trued to the base or near it, those not ' reaching it exactly finding armoured motor-cars waiting to convoy them. All reached their destination safely.