GREAT AIR RAID.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 195, 26 January 1915, Page 7

GREAT AIR RAID.

SPLENDID FEAT. WORKSHOPS WRECKED. Two of the three heroes of the recent daring aerial raid upon the Zeppelin factory at Friedrichshaf en. passed through -Paris, proudly wearing the cross of the Legion of Honor, which the French mili-1 tary authorities, as the instant request I of General Joffre himself, conferred up-i on them in the presence of the garri- j son at Bclfort, the starting-point of the | heroic exploit. In this way we have! the first detailed account of their great adventure, which, apart from the unfortunate accident to Commander Briggs, seems to have been crowned with complete success. Here is the story as the Figaro representative narrates it from obviously first-hand information: The raid had a two-fold object, first, to destroy, wholly or partially, the Zeppelin sheds on Lake Constance, and secondly, to create a feeling of insecurity' throughout Germany. In both respects I the enterprise succeeded. It is an open secret that bombs reached their mark, destroying the extremely delicate apparatus indispensible for the construction and repair of Zeppelins, which is, moreover, irreparable without long weeks of labor.

The project, which was kept secret from all save the highest military authorities, was arranged for the 21st November, independently of atmospheric conditions, but these fo'tunately were favorable. The start took place at ten minutes past 10 on Saturday morning, the three aviators leaving Belfort at five-minute intervals, and in this order: Commander Briggs, Lieutenant Sippe, and Commander Babington. At once they rose to a height of 1500 yds., made for the Rhine, and followed the course of the River. The three aviators kept within sight of each other sis far as Scvhaffhausen, when Commander Briggs lost his way in the mist, and, bearing to the left, must have reached Friedrichshafen by way of Ludwigshafen.

CONCEALING THE FLIGHT. Meanwhile, Lientenant" Sippe and Commander Babington both followed the course of the Rhine independently. As soon as he sighted Lake Constance, Lieutent Sippe descended and flew so low that Ms machine almost grazed the roofs of the buildings, his object being to conceal his presence and the direction of his flight. Reaching the lake, he flew lower still, and came within a couple of yards of the water, cleverly using the surface mist as cover. Striking straight across the lake, he fjew beyond Friedrichshafen, turned, and rose rapidly. Then it was that he saw Commander Briggs was already at work his attention being first attracted to his companion by the bursting of fourteen or fifteen shells at a height of a thousand feet, obviously aimed from -he ground by the enemy's defensive artillery.