AIRSHIP'S BACK BROKEN

Nelson Evening Mail, 25 May 1916, Page 7

AIRSHIP'S BACK BROKEN

LIEUT. BRANDON'S FEAT. ■ 'f v : . - STORY 'OF EYE-WITNESS. '• i " : A cablegram last week announced thatthe Military Cross had been awarded to Lie.utenant A. de Bathe Brandon, of Wellington, for his conspicuous gallantry and- skill when he dropped bombs on a German Zeppelin during a night raid at the beginning of April. Writing on April 6th, the London correspondent 1 of ; The Herald states that hearty congratulations from all quarters have been showered on Lieutenant Brandon.

A young fliglit lieutenant ibears out the theory that it was the Lls which the New Zealander ■so seriously damaged that she. was .forced to into the sea. "The atmospheric conditions were ideal for a raid." he stvid. "There was no wind,..the night was fairly clear but dark, and- the sea" "We first caXight sigb# of two. Zeppelins- at nine Tlfey ' were flyinir' very Tapidly at a., height of- about 10,000 ft. Three others quickly followed. We. signalled the land batteries, ar;d got out of the zone of fire ourselves." It seems that three of the Zeppelins got a terrible punishment, and one at least -was damaged by gunfire. Lieut. Brandon 'then got over one of the enemy aircraft, and, says bis companion, "lie dropped 'several bombs, which .did iiot appear- to have -any -'effect, but, making a swift dive downward, 'he dropped, three more bombs, and believes he smashed the back of the Zeopelin. The commander of, the airship, realising his -predicament, dropped a little, and, though his craft was not working .well, he managed to get clear of Lieutenant Brandon's fire. ■ I cannot say fo rcertain whether LIS' fell into the waiter, or whether her commander- was able .to let her down. We immediately signalled to ..destroyers a.rd patrols, and' got 1 ' down ourselves .to within 200 yards of the derelict airship,ready to finsh her .off withxour remiming bombs if occasion - demanded. As it was w:as. however, the enemy ej»r- ; rendered when , our vessels came up-* The aerodromefrom which the New 'Zealander made the ascent consists of a broad" meadowland, none too level of surface, and sloping steeply towards the. bottom llpw ne - managed •to land: his machine safely in the darkne-is of the night. in so. / confined a, space seems a mystery, but the .fact remains that he did' so. Brandin himself refuses to discuss-;, his; achievement. He is modest and xraaSsuming _ to a degree. When he-first-caught sight of the. fleeing airship- he;; admits -that- he yas thousands of- feet ibelow, but, climbing steadily,, he at last got above her and dropped., two ibombs on her tail. She begaii to descend immediately. He then, lost sight of her, and "landed/' home in the eariy 'hours of Saturday morning.. . - . The New Zealander , has .don.^, what _gnly two other Britishers had. been able to accomplish before—namely, to drop bombs on a - Zeppelin when travelling in mid-air. • >