AIRSHIP'S BACK BROKEN

Taranaki Daily News, 26 May 1916, Page 8

AIRSHIP'S BACK BROKEN

LIEUT. BRANDON'S FEAT. STORY OF EYE-WITNESS. A recent cablegram announced t'liat the, Military Cross had been awarded to Lieut. A. dc Bathe Brandon, of Wellington, for his conspicuous gallantry and skill when he dropped bombs on a German Zeppelin during a night raid at the beginning of April. Writing on April C, the London correspondent of the Auckland Herald states that ihearty congratulations have been showered on Lieutenant Brandon.

A young lliglit lieutenant bears out the theory that it was the LIS which the New Zealander so seriously damaged that she was forced to descend into the sea. "The atmospheric conditions were ideal for a raid," he said. ''There was no wind, the night was fairly clear but dark, and the sea smooth. We first caught sight of two Zeppelins at nine o'clock. They were flying very rapidly at a height of about 10,000 ft. Three others quickly followed. We signalled the land batteries, and got out of the zone of lire ourselves."

It seems that three of the Zeppelins got a terrible punishment, and one at at least was damaged by gunfire. Lieutenant Brandon then got over one of the enemy aircraft, and, says his companion, "he dropped several bombs, wliich did not appear to have any effect, but, making a swift dive downward, he dropped ihroe more bombs, and believes he smashed the hack of t'hc Zeppelin. The commander of the airship, realising his predicament, dropped a little, and, though his craft was not working well, he managed to get clear of Lieutenant Brandon's fire. I cannot say for certain whether Lls fell into tlbe water, or whether her commander was able to let lisr down. We immediately signalled to destroyers and patrols, and got down ourselves to within 200vds of the derelict airship, ready to finish her off w it'll our remaining bombs if occasion demanded. As it was, however, the enemy surrendered when our vessels came up."

The aerodrome from wliich the New 1 Zealander made the ascent consists of a broad meadowland, none too level of surface, and sloping steeply towards the bottom end. How he managed to land Ilk machine safely in the darkness or' the night in so confined a space, seems S mystery, but the fact remains that he did so. Brandsn himself refuses to discuss the achievement. He is modest and unassuming to a degree. When he first caught sight of the fleeing airship he admits that he was thousands of feet below, but, climbing steadily, he at last got above her and dropped two bombs on her tail. She began to descend immediately. He then lost sight of 'her, and "landed'' home in the early hours o.f Saturday morning. The New Zealander has done what only two other Britishers had been able to accomplish before—namely, to drop bombs on a Zeppelin when travelling in mid-air.