AIR RAID ON LONDON.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6301, 30 September 1915, Page 4

AIR RAID ON LONDON.

Version by Member of Zeppelin

Crew.

Rec Sept 23, 12.45 p.m.

Berne, Sppt 27

A member of the crew of a Zeppelin, writing to the newspaper Derbund, says London is beyond our raid* but it is possible to reach it. If a st<ady east wind blows vessels can float a considerable di?taßC?, thua ccnsarving petrol. Unfortunately England's best ally is the weather, which is either windless, over-windy, or bright moonlight. We took fewer, but specially larger bombs on the London raid. We reached the mouth ot the Thame? and wet} not observed, owing to clouds and the silence cf our engines, until we arrived at Tower Bridge, where we crossed to the north side. The searchlights then caught us. Immediately the sky was ablaze with searchlights and the air was rent with a terrific cannonade of guns, the lire cf v/hich was unable to reach us. We dropped bombs regularly and shrapnel began to play around us.

At last we could discern dark &pota of considerable siz<j amid the glow of light. We dropped bomb 3 thereon, but the searchlights hampered us by. cutting off the view of ouPbbjectives. The English are terror-stricken at our wonderful Zeppelins. The,effect must hve been awful. The English land guns were useless, but there were better ones on the coast, so we were careful when returning. They always try to intercept us from Dunkirk in tte morning, w we take another direction. A great thing is plenty of petrol when the English aeroplane are about.