AIRSHIP ABLAZE

Evening Star, Issue 16089, 14 April 1916, Page 6

AIRSHIP ABLAZE

DOOM. OF A ZEPPELIN. WORK OF INFLAMMABLE SHELLS. SECOND RAIDER TURNS TAIL. An eye-witness of the doßtruction of Zeppelin L-Z 77 by French gunners near Revigny, a town which lies nine miles north-west of Bar-le-Duc, thus describes the exploit : " Two Zeppelins were signalled at 10.25 o'clock at. night by an artillery officer in a listening ])osfc in the first-line trenches of the Argonne. The night was clear, and the wind moderate. The officer could not see the airships, but he heard the noise of their engines, and telephoned to the battery base, whence the news was forwarded to the army corps headquarters. All the batteries of the districtwere at once on the alert, and within five minutes searchlights were sweeping 1 the heavens in all directions. "The Zeppelins were first sighted by an officer commanding a battery of 75millimetre guns. The nearest was then about two miles off, flying at an altitude of about 5,000 ft, and rising rapidly. Thfc second Zeppelin was some three miles behind the" first. The- officer was unable to get the elevation necessary to hit the airship, but lie managed to give trio exact position to the. searchlight operators. From that moment until it was destroyed the first dirigible was never lost to view, and tho searchlights never left it. As it was moving against the wind its progress was relatively slow. —Armed Motor Cars in Chase.— As soon as the warning reached Kevigny five automobiles with searchlights and with special anti-aircraft guns manned by naval gunners started in pursuit. These guns throw a shell which is expressely designed to explode on contact with the aluminium-painted covering of the Zeppelins, and to burst into flames once it is inside. As the car rushes along the road the officer standing in the back of the car gives the range and directs the fire of the gun by the crew which work the enn lying on the fiat of their backs. " The guns on tho moving automobiles opened fire as soon as they came within range. A shell burst just behind tho Zeppelin, throwine it into strong relief, and immediately the. gunners seized their opportunitv. ' Another shell passed over the target, but the next, of the inflammable type, hit the mark squarely about 75ft from (he Ftern. There was a shout of triumph from the Frenchmen as the shell anpeared to go through tho body of the. airship and to adhere to tho right sidn of the framework, which it set afire. A few seconds later two other shells went through the roar of the car, badly damaging the steering and elevating mechanism. - Shell Set Zeppelin on Fire.- - " For an instant nothing seemed to happen, nn<\ then a thin red line crept along the side of the airship, which shone in a bright, ruddy glow as tho flames spread and moved nnwards. No explosion was ! heard as the Zeppelin began, to fall. Thfl ! great maps, now blazing more and morn i fiercelv. descended slowlv, while burning | fr;;r'mrv.iis of (he eve" fluttered awny I in (he wind, and all the onlookers oxj pressed surprise thai, the airship took- so ' loner to come down. ■ "The cargo of bombs, which there is | ve->?on to believe were to have been | dropped on the inhnbitanls of Paris, exi pbvled with a- terrific roar as the Zep- ': peliu struck the ground. Fragments of j its c.ii- were hurled more, than 2,000 ft ! ai'-av. ami (ho remainder of the hinjo ; f r r ime"'ork col'an-erl in a heap, (he firs : continuing (o burn for several hours. ; "The second Zeppelin, which had wit- ; i-.-.cicp,! the il:-i-*er to its companion, i inrvoA (ail and harried back to the OerI man lines. j "T( i* believed that (he Zeppelins beI lonced (o the Crown Prince's army. Tho commanders had hoped to steal across the French lines unperceived, all lights in the gondolas bavins: been extinguished, but the head wind proved an obstacle to the speed which is so essential to the success of an undertaking of the kind, and pave, the defence time to bring up its gnns." The entire crew of from 30 to 35 officers and men. were killed, according to Par-le-Duc despatches. The gun crew which fired the shot that proved fatal to the Zepnelin will receive prises amounting to IS.OOOfr, 10,000fr being awarded by a. leading Paris newspaper and 5,000 by Marquis Oroano. Cheques for sums have already been sent to the Minister of Wat for dis-