ZEPPELIN RAID.

Evening Star, Issue 16079, 3 April 1916, Page 3

ZEPPELIN RAID.

ONE AIRSHIP DOWNED. SUNK IN THAMES MOUTH. THE CREW SURRENDER. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. n ' LONDON, March 31. live Zeppelins raided tho eastern counties. The result is not known. It is reported that raiders. also visited the north-east coast. April 1. Official: A damaged Zeppelin descended in tho Thames Estuary and surrendered to our patrol vessels. ,The Zeppelin broke and sank. Tho War Office reports that the raiders were organised in two squadrons and a detached ship. , l The two squadrons made the eastern counties their objective, while the detached ship raided tho north-east coast. Fifty-four 'explosives and incendiary bombs were dropped in the eastern counties, and 22 on the north-east coast. The wrecked Zeppelin, Lls, was hit by gun. firo while over the eastern counties. A shell struck her on the upper part near the rear. She quickly dropped to a lower altitude, well down by the tail, and descended in the sea off the coast of Kent. A machine gun, 6ome ammunition, a petrol tank riddled with shrapnel, and some machinery were dropped by Lls or some otheT raider. The casualties hitherto reported are 28 people killed and 14 people injured. The Zeppelins crossed at different places and times. Two of tho officers of Lls and 16 of the crew have been conveyed to Chatham, and nine wounded members of the crew have been adraitted to hospital there. The commander wore a sealskin coat, the others ordinary naval uniforms. The captain of the steamer Svantholm saw Lls floating near the Kentish Knock early in the morning. Still earlier he heard heavy firing in tho air, and the steamer rocked violently. He described the Zeppelin as beii*< about 700 ft in length. She was broken in two, and had evidentlv been often hit. A German crawied along the envelope as the Zeppelin lay in the water and held up his hands as a sign of ?urrender, and when the boats from the patrol ships rowed up the heads of ethers were visible through a manhole. Tho forepart of the airship was 30ft and the stern 20ft above the water, tho ship floating buoyantly. LONDON GRATIFIED. LONDON, April 1. There was intense joy in the metropolis on the prompt announcement of the Zeppelin's downfall. An eye-witness states that the scene was most enthralling. The Zeppelin was of a larger type than usual. The night was starry. A huge glimmering shape attracted' attention, and hundreds of people left their houses, despite the instructions to the contrary. Searchlights illuminated the raider from stem to stern, and the shells from the anti-aircraft guns were seen bursting round the Zeppelin, ■srhich turned and made for the coast, evidently damaged.