GERMAN RAIDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16744, 28 December 1914, Page 7

GERMAN RAIDS.

A VISIT TO SHEERNESS. HOSTILE AEROPLANE CHASED AWAY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, December 24. . A German aeroplane appeared over Sheerness at midday. A British aviator engaged and hit the enemy three times and drove it off seawards. AEROPLANE AT SEA. LONDON, December 25. Two heavy reports at midday on Monday were attributed to gunfire, but it is now stated that they, were due to a German aeroplane dropping twq bombs at sea, westward of the Admiralty Pier, at Dover. ' * GERMAN AIRMAN AIDED BY FOG. DRIVEN BACK FROM ERITH. AN EXCITING CHASE. (Received December 27, 3.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 26. Aided by tho fog, a German aviator eluded* tho coast watchers and passed up the Thames as far as Erith. He first was sighted at 1.35 p.m. over Sheppoy. at a height of 9000 ft. As he descended an anti-air gun was fired, but without effect. The enemy then was lost in the fog. . Three British aeroplanes started m pursuit. The German made across the Kentish marshes. He was located at Erith, flying towards London. Six shells fired by the aircraft station burst above arid around his machine, which wheeled upwards and retraced its flight. Within a few minutes a British airman flying from tho westwards pursued at a lower altitude. The German followed the centre of the river at an altitude of 4000 ft. The British pursuers appeared to gain, and' the German mounted higher above the forts and swept towards Southend. f? Tho chase continued across Essex. Tho firing of the forts was restricted owing to the propinquinty of their own aviators to the enemy. The latter and his passengers kept firing, and skilfully manipulated their machine, which, while minimising the chances of being hit. made it difficult for the pursuers to fire without injuring each other. The German rocked violently at , times as if struck. Then the fog thickened and baffled the pursuers, who returned to tho base. _ © THE DOVER BOMB. (Received December 27. 4.50 p.m.) LONDON*, December 26. Tho Dover bomb was dropped from a height of live thousand feet. It scattered fragments over a radius of a hundred yards and excavated a hole nine feet by five feet .and live feet deep. THE SCARBOROUGH AFFAIR, "Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services. LONDON, December 2-5. A Danish steamer which witnessed tho attack on Scarborough states that three cruisers shelled tho town and afterwards steamed off so quickly-that they were much moro beneath than above the water. They disappearea in tho thick fog in a few minutes LESSON OF THE RAID. LONDON, December 25. " Tho Times," in a leading article on " Tho Real Lesson of Scarborough," sa y S ;—"Empty denunciation of the enemy is useless and worse. What is needed is a calm and reasoned demonstration of the way to defeat him."