THE SILENT RAID.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1918, Page 5

THE SILENT RAID.

ZEPPELIN ARMADA DESTROYED. RIDICULOUSLY SMALL DAMAGE. . London, Nov. 2. The Zeppelin visit to London, coming after a long series of visits by Gothftfl, and on the eve of an expected new series, was a weird experience. About 10 o'clock several uncanny rattles of window-sashes, usually more Sustained than when caused by passing rain, seemed to indicate that something was happening, but no explosions were heard', and the incident was regarded as closed. About an hour later, when most people were in bed, a good deal of London heard one or two very loud single explosions, such as we have lately associated with munition factory mishaps. The fact that there was no bombardment from anti-aircraft guns strengthened this conclusion, and the greater part of London was genuinely surprised to find next morning that a whole armada of Zeppelins had been across the Channel, raiding the Eastern counties. TIIE MYSTERY EXPLAINED. There was, of course, a certain amount j of annoyance at the official announcement, and a feeling that the air service j had failed in allowing such a number of Zeppelins to come and go without loss. The explanation came later. Within tv. enty-four hours it appeared that whereas twelve Zeppetin3 had started simultaneously from three German ports, and all had crossed the British coastline, only one had found its way home again, and five had definitely been destroyed, not by our defences, but by French antiaircraft guns and 'planes, and by the i elements.

The raid was somewhat in the nature of a surprise for the anti-aircraft defences, nnd the Zeppelins consequently had an immunity in England to which they had been quite unaccustomed for the last year. It seems that on approaching the coast the raiders found the land obscured by ground haze. Most of them drifted (i cross the coastline with engines stopped, and thus eluding, to some extent, the vigilance of the coast defences. They then scattered across England, some of them getting as far noHh as Bedford, and commenced to drop their bombs wherever they got the suspicion of a town. Only one got to London, nnd it seems to have been ignorant of its whereabouts. It floated across the city with engines stopped, and was, quite naturally, undetected by the searchlights. It seems, however, to have got a clue that a city lay beneath, for it dropped half a dozen bombs in the London area. The number of casualties in all the districts | visited by the twelve Zeppelins was only 27 killed and 53 injured, and the material damage in London did not exceed ;C 12,500. The German meteorological system, which has helped their raids materially, and on which they have prided themselves throughout the war, seems to have been seriously at fault. There was a steady depression forming over the Mediterranean, which apparently they had overlooked. As a result, when the Zeppelins, which had eomo over to England in the face of a gentle westorly wind, rose suddenly to got oijt of the reach of afiti-aircraft guns, they encountered a furious northerly gale, which blew the whole fleet of them across the Channel into France, where they found themselves in various kinds of difficulties when day broke. Owing to the failure of their wireless, they were unable to get the accustomed Information from their home station as to their bearings, and one of the airships descended calmly near Luncville, in the belief that it was in Holland or Westphalia. The LbO came to the ground at Montigny and dropped one of its cars and most of its crew, then rose to a great height and was lost to view near Besancon. This same ship, apparently, was seen late in the afternoon drifting out over tho Mediterranean in a southerly direction, since which time no further report has been received of licr.

Anotlicr of the Zeppelins was attacked by French anti aircraft guns, which dustroyed her at the fourth shot, and she fell in the orthodox manner in a ball of fire. Five mutilated corpses were found among the ruins, the rest of the crew having been unrecognisably consumed. L4U wa : attacked by five French aeroplanes, and compelled to descend. She fell into the little river at Apance, and the aviator* landed ahortly afterwards,

Meanwhile, tlic commander, « naval lieu* tenant, liutl drawn up hi# men and was about to fire his pistol into the enrehtjpe to destroy it, when a French peawnt Mined Boiteux, who happened to haw been shooting in the neighborhood, threatened liim with it shot-gun, and mndc liim desist. Kieiich interviews with the crews sho*r tluil tlicy dropp-d nil their bombs very quickly before rising 1o the height of three miles, where (hay were caught 111 tlie gale. The cold was extreme, and the men were frostbitten, despite their warm clothing. The alternators would not work, and the motors froze. Th« t wuter ball'isl, too, although mixed with petrol, froze hard. Two of the Zeppellni drifted over Holland, and were fired at bp the Dutch defences.