IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1915, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

THE RAID ON LONDON. GERMAN COMMANDER'S STORY. Received Sept. 24, 11.25 p.m. London, Sept. 24. The New York World publishes a description of the London air raid by Zep-pelin-Commander Matby, who states:— "It was a clear moonless night. The distances in the sky were illusive and it was difficult to find the range, but our instruments told us : our exact helgnt. The most important guides were the silver surface of the Thames, and the London glow, which was visible at a distance of thirty-seven miles. The English can never eradicate the Thames, wherefrom we can always pick up any point of London. Although it is darkened there is still sufficient glow to enable straight steering until the city is outlined still and silent below, A DEAD CITY AWAKENS. "The darkest spot stood out in con- 1 trast to the blue lights in other portions, mostly residential. We were after the darker spots, when searchlights suddenly flashed, as if a dead city had come to life, waving their arms around the sky and sending out feelers for the danger which was threatening. Our height made it impossible for any effective anti-aircraft rangefinding. SPARING ST. PAUL'S. "There wa3 military justification for bombing a battery screened near St. Paul's, but we abstained from that, not desiring to damage the cathedral. We endeavoured to bomb Tower Bridge, but wc were not certain of the result. We never encountered any aeroplanes, but the British anti-aircraft gunners were always ready. "(tar motors and propellors soon revealed our presence. First one, and then another of those ribbons shot out from the glaring eye-like searcnugma, and picked us up. Later on, little flashes of first burst from the black background and the sound of guns. AN IMPRESSIVE PICTURE.

"It was a beautiful impressive picture from above, and probably equally, interesting from below, with the greyish dim outline of the Zeppelins gliding through waving ribbons of light ana shrapnel clouds, but we had no time to admire the scene, for we knew that at any moment we might be plunging below, a shapeless mass of wreckage and.! unrecognisable bodies. MUCH DAMAGE DONE. "I picked up St. Paul's where there was a big searchlight, and laid my course for the Bank of England. When above the Bank I shouted to the Lieutenant to fire. Slowly, mingling with the vivid flashes of guns, came explosions and burst of flames, due to our bombs. We dropped several on Holborn Viaduct, and from the Bank we went to the Tower. I believe we were successful in bombing Tower Bridge. Flashes from the Tower of London showed that guns were there, as I had observed during a previous attack. Arriving directly over Liverpool Street Station I shouted for a rapid fire, and my Lieutenant Gained down bombs. We could see that they hit well and apparently caused great damage, as flames burst out in several places, ZEPPELIN NOT HIT. "Having dropped all our bombs I turned the airship homewards. Despite the bombardment we were not hit. Our main attack lasted eleven minutes. The Zeppelin was ascending and descending until she found a favorable wind, and we made a quick return." SORRY FOR DEATHS CAUSED. "Comamnder Mathy is thirty-four years of age, and formerly commanded a destroyer. The present was his hundredth voyage in a Zeppelin, including several to England, He states that there is not one officer nor a man of the aerial fleet who does not feel deeply when he learns that women and children have been killed. He would rather fight aboard a torpedoer than attack a city from the air. The chief impression in the air is the speed and the intense cold when from three to five thousand feet up.

Asked at what height they were when they bombed London, Commander ilathy refused to give the English the range. "They are doing well enough and learning fast," he said. "If Mr. Balfour had stood at my side and seen the flashing of the guns lie would not have denied that London is a defended city." NUMEROUS UNTRUTHS. The <Press Bureau passes the story with the comment that it contains numerous untruths, notably that there is a battery under St. Paul's, and that statement can only be characterised as a falsehood, invented for the purpose of excusing what the raiders were attempting to do.

BOMBS DROPPED ON BRUGES. A FACTORY DESTROYED. Received Sept. 24, C.33 p.m. Amsterdam, Sept. 23. The Telegraaf states that on Sunday and Monday evenings Allied airmen bombarded the submarines in Bruges harbor, and a factory was destroyed. ALLIES' AIRCRAFT ACTIVE. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Wellington, Last Night. The High Commissioner reports under date, London Sept. 24th, 4 a.m.:—"An Allied dirigible bombarded several stations where the enemy movements were reported. The Allied aeroplanes forced a rapid descent of several enemy captive balloons, and groups of Allied aeroplanes bombarded three stations and cantonments in Langemark and Middelkerke. FRENCH AIRMAN SHOT DOWN. Amsterdam, Sept, 23. A German communique says: In an air battle at Pont-a-Mousson a German airman engaged two French machines and shot down one, which was burned between the lines. Reminder is given of the sale to be held at Ratapiko on Thursday next, by I Messrs Matthews, Gamlin ajid Co;, of the 'whole of Mr. A. Smith's farm stock, etc. The sale, it should be noted, is without reserve, and this opportunity for securing some first-class stock . should not b« misled*