ZEPPELIN RAID ON LONDON.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6498, 27 September 1915, Page 4

ZEPPELIN RAID ON LONDON.

Description by German

Commander.

Rec Sept 24. 11.45 p.m. «fe*«s London, Sept 24. The New York EWorld publishes a description of an air-raid by a Zeppelin on Londbjvhy 1* Commander Mathy, who says: "It was a cl°ar moonless night. The distances in the sky were illusive and it was difficult to find the range, but our instruments told us the -exact {[height. The most important guides were the silver surface of the I Thames and the glow of London, visible at a distance of 37 milns. The English will never eradicate the Thames, from which we csn always pick flip any point in London. Although darkened there was a sufficient glow to enable straight steering until the city was outlined. It was still and silent below. The darkest Bpota stood out in contrast with the blue lights in other portions, mostly'residential. We were after the darker spots. The searchlights suddenly flashed, as if a dead city had come to life, waving their arms around their stays, and sending out feelers for th« danger which was threatening. Our height made it impossible for effective antiaircraft range finding. There was military justification for bombing a battery screened at St. Paul's, but we abstained from doing so, not desiring to damage the Cathedral. We endeavoured to bomb the Tower Bridge but are uncertain as to the result. We never encountered an aeroplane, but the British anti-aircraft gunners are always ready. Our motors and propellers soon revealed our presence. First one and then another of those ribbons shot out from the glaring eye-like searchlights and picked us up. Later, little flashes of fire burst from the black background and the sound of guns was heard. It was a beautiful and impressive picture from above ani probably equally interesting below. With a greyish dim outline the Zeppelins glided through the waving ribbons of light and the shrapnel clouds, but we had no time to admire the scene, for we knew at any moment that we might be plunging below—a shapeless mass of wreckage and unrecognisable bodies."

Commander Mathy, continuing, said: —"I picked up St. Paul's, where a big searchlight laid the course for the Bank of England. When above the Bank I shouted to the lieutenant to fire slowly. Mingled with the vivid flashes of the guns came the explosions and bursts of flames, due to our bombs. We dropped several bombs on the Holborn Viaduct. From ths Bank we went to the Tower. I believe we were successful in bombing (he Tower Bridge, flashes from . ths Tower of London showed there were guns there, as I observed during a previous attack. Arriving over Liverpool Station I shauted: 'Rapid fire.' The lieutenant rained down bombs and I could see they hit.wdl and apparently caused great damage, as flames burst out in several places. Having dropped all the bombs we turned our airship homeward. Despite bombardment we were not hit. Our main attack lasted ten minutes and finished at eleven o'clock. The Zeppelin ascended ard descended until we found a favourable wind and made a quick return."

Mathy is thirty-four years of age. He formerly commanded a destroyer. The present is the his hundredth voyage in a Zeppelin, including several raids on England.

Mathy states there is not an officer or a man in the a?rial fleet who does not feel deeply when he learns that women and children are killed. He would rather fight aboard a torpedoer than attack a city from the air. The chief impression in the air is the speed of the Zeppelin and the intense cold -when from three to five thousand feet up.

Asked a question in regard to the height from which he bombed London, Mathy refused to give the English the range, and eaid they are doing well enoughjin learning the fact. J He states: ".'lf Mr Balfour had stood by my side he would have seen the flashing of the guns and would not have denied that London, was a defended city."

: ThelPress Bureau passes without comment the numerous untruths, notably that a battery was under St. Paul's. The statement can only be characterised as a falsehood invented for the purpose of'excusing what the raiders were attempting to do.