SNOWSTORM RAIDERS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 87, 9 May 1916, Page 7

SNOWSTORM RAIDERS.

HOW ZEPPELINS TRAVEL.

The arrival of the Zeppelins during a snowstorm has upset more theories as to the capacities of these raiders (writes C. G. Grey, editor of the 'Aeroplane'). Snow lias been regarded as the worst enemy ol tho Zeppelin, m that an inch or two of snow on top of the ship would so weight it down that it would be form] t0 the ground. This is true, of course, on the assumption that a Zeppelin commander is loolish enough to fly into a snowstorm—which is not at all hkely. As a matter of fact, Sunday was rather a good day lor an airship raid. There was little wind, and what there was came from the north-east. The Germans had full information for hours beforehand of any change in the weather coming from that (|iiarter. Germany can obtain such information practically from the Arctic Circle to Franco, and eastwards far into Russia and down to Constantinople. This is why raids are more likely when the wind is anywhere between north-by-east and southeast.

So far as the snowstorm was concerned this would not necessarily have much or any effect on the raiders' actions. It might, in fact, be an assistance. As I write there are snowclouds hanging about and a small snow shower lias just fallen. Judging the height of those clouds by the habit of judging the height of aeroplanes, none of 'them is more than a couple of thousand foot high at- their lower surfaces and the tops of the highest clouds seem to be at perhaps 5000 ft.

In peace time I have known aeroplane pilots to go right through rain-cloud.-, and find themselves in bright sunlight, with a cloudless skv above tlieni 011 reaching 400011 to 5000 ft. It would be perfectly simple for a Zeppelin to come over at 6000 ft or 7000 ft. well above the snow-clouds. The starlight shining 011 the tops of the clouds would light them up and the ground would .probably be visible .in the clear spaces between the clouds, for in really cold weather thero would be no ground mists to confuse the view, and I know that on a clear, starlight night everything on the gound is visible from an aeroplane at 5000ft—so long as there ai'e no lights shining upwards to dazzle the observer.

Failing adequate coastal defence by guns, searchlights and patrol aeroplanes, our best defence is plenty of wet wind, lor then the Germans cannot get their warnings of approaching weath 1- and so are not likely to risk being taken by surprise.