ZEPPELIN RAID.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17283, 26 September 1916, Page 7

ZEPPELIN RAID.

TWO BROUGHT DOWN.

ONE BURNT AND ANOTHER

CAPTURED.

CASUALTIES TOTAL 127.

The High Commissioner reports : LONDON, September 24.

Fifteen Zeppelin-* made a raid last night on south-oastorn, eastern and east Midland counties, Lincolnshire princiPa Three raided London, two south-east and the other east, and eventually the London districts. „„,.„, A The damage caused was 28 killed ana 99 injured. , .i Two of the raiders were brought down in Ess3x.' One was in flames, and the crew and everything were destroyed ; and the other, with a crew ot twonty-isv'o, wiw captured. \

THREE.RAIDERS OF NEW

PATTERN

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

LONDON, September 24.

It is officially stated : Of the enemy's fourteen or fifteen airships, the three which attacked London were of the large new pattern. They principally visited the south-east, eastern and east Midland Counties, and Lincolnshire. , , T ■. r Two airships attacked London from the south-east. between one and two in the morningj and another from the east between midnight and one o clock. Aeroplanes were sent up and the anti-aircraft guns opened fire and drove off the raiders. Bombs were dropped in the southern and, south-eastern districts. , : Detailed reports of the casualties and damage have not yet been received.

ZEPPELJN DESTROYED. «A FIERY SHOOTING SERPENT." LONDON, September 24. A "special correspondent states that an airship passed overhead at midnight. Ten minutes later he saw tho ship going- southward. The guns wero busy and shells wero bursting all round it. Then it proceeded northwards, the guns suddenly ceased firing, and the airship disappeared. The engines were clearly heard again within. twenty minutes; it was apparently seeking to escape homewards. •. Another minute's heavy gun firing took place, -and shells wero bursting round tho airship. A red spot glowed, seemingly tho sizo of a small football. The flames swept along the back and almost immediately there were flames from end to end. Like a fiery shooting serpent, flames stabbing its'"sides, the airship's tail went straight up and her nose down. Her back seemed to break and then she made a headlong dive—a burning wreck.

Eeuter's Telegrams. (Recoived September 25, 5.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 24.

It is confirmed that a Zeppolin of recent typo was destroyed. li*, descended slowly, zig-zagging, tho commander trying to reach the ground. The screams of tho crew, whon they were jumping, were heard.

THE DAMAGE. WOMEN AND CHILDREN CHIEF SUFFERERS. LONDON, September 24. The latest official bulletins state that probably more than twelve airships participated. The damage in the provinces was slight. One of the east Midlands towns received a number of bombsj two per-

sons being killed and eleven injured. Dozens of houses and shops wore wrecked. There were no other casualties outside the Metropolitan area. Although numerous bombs were thrown down the damage was insignificant. In the Metropolitan area seventeen men, eight women, and three children were killed .and eighty-nine were in* jured, including fifty-four children and women.

Much small property was damaged and fires were caused in two factories. The railway was damaged in two places, but no military damage was done.

COMEDY AND TRAGEDY. INCIDENTS OF THE RAID. ZEPPELIN CREW CAPTURED BY VILLAGE CONSTABLE.. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received September 25, 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, September 25. Eye-witnesses' stories of the raids on the eastern counties and London show that the raid wap'-on the biggest scale yet was full of thrilling incidents: Public excitement was equally divided between the destruction in the artisan districts of southeastern London, the tragic end of the burning Zeppelin and the comic surren-. der of the officers and crew of a firsts class Zeppelin to the sleepy inhabitants of a lonely country village. Five Zeppelins engaged in raid on Essex dropped eighty-four bombs. Thanks to the authorities' precautions, they failed to discover a town or a populous village. The chief .victims were sheep, poultry and rabbits, which were burnt.

A Zeppelin travelling at terrific speed dropped incendiary and high explosive shells in East Anglia. ' It was greeted by an inferno of shell fire, but seemed to escape from the searchlights. The inhabitants were congratulating themselves that all was ended when the Zeppelin returned, flying very hign. When tho by a miracle it narrowly missed #6 cottages, only smashing the front windows. A few moments later the crew hammered at the door of a cottage.' A wily labourer insido prolented to bo msleep. Ho heard the commander swearing. The labourer put his wife and children in n. back room and escaped through tho window. He brought a constable, who met a body of men, who replied to his queries in broken English: "The Zeppelin engine exploded. We are prisoners of war." The Germans did not offer any resistance,' and appeared unhappy and dejected, but quite submissive. They were conveyed to a, detention camp. One sad incident is reported. A soldier on special leave from the front to see his dying father arrived' to find his homo in rums, his father killed, and his mother and sister unconscious in the hospital. The soldier scrambled over the ruins and gazed pitifully at the shattered remnant of his home. Then he flung himself on tho debris and sobbed unrestrainedly. The artisan districts of London suffered severely, especially the small working-class houses. A number of peoplo suffered from gas poisoning, suggesting that asphyxiating 1/dmbs were dropped] Ambulance and fire engines arrived in the stricken districts with splendid promptitude. The public showed fine courago. Many rushed out half-dressed', men with top coats over pyamas, and wtfnien in nightgowns., The children were bravest, although terribly frightened. Soma who were hurt showed wonderful patience. BRITISH AIRMEN IN PURSUIT. Eye-witnesses record the fine spectacle of several British airmen going in pursuit of tho assassins. Though the Zeppelins were flying very high, the Britishers wore soon m hot pursuit. The crew that vvero taken prisoner woro most timorous, and seemed to fear that tliey would be lynched. The couunander asserts that the descent was

dne to engine trouble, but the chief engineer hotly disputed this statement.