GREAT AERIAL RAID ON LONDON.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13929, 10 July 1917, Page 5

GREAT AERIAL RAID ON LONDON.

BIG SQUADRON OF AEROPLAMS INFLICT HEAVY ! DAMAGE, j i RAID CARRIED "OUT WITH DARING AND TERRIBLE •■ (' ' "■' .. ' . ■ ';:'■:" .". : ..;■',, EFFECT. / , ■■•■- - --,:•■■ RENEWED DEMANDS FOR REPRISALS.''. ."*"''* ; (Australian and New Zealand Oabl?. Association,) '."■'''■ LONDON, July 8. ' Londoners unanimously pay a tribute to the amazing .daring of the raiders, who carried out their audacious plans with tlte utmost coolness. It.is believed that the entire squadron was composed of the latest Albatross type* carrying three-men and capable of a wonderful turn of speed and ability in lighting manoeuvres, with a machine gun able to shoot in any direction. It was noticeable that the citizens did not take the former risks in the streets, which, im-

mediately they were threatened, were almost-deserted, while those which had been passed were instantaneously thronged. Anti-German'riots occurred in the evening. A large body, of men and women formed a procession and attacked and dismantled ..several German butchers and delicatessen shops, smashed' the windows and penetrated the upstairs apartments, i'rom N which they threw furniture and piano:; into the street, set ft c to bedding in the middle of the roadway, and threatened aliens with violence. Strong posses of police quickly patrolled the localities, but the excitement continues. Mr Lloyd George, accompanied by Lord French, Lordililner, General Smuts:, and Mr Bjfirnes, to-night Visited'the bombed areas' in the City and East End.\ Crowds gathered in the party's wake,, ' cheering and shouting: "Don't forget reprisals." • Bombs,tore off a corner of a great block of public buildings in, a main street, dislodged giant granite pilton, and broke off huge masses'of-coping stones anckjviudow frames, -The. street was al-

most impassable owing to the heaps of debris, wire netting, brick and wood-work, and the tangle of telephone wires. The staff in the '■ building', aggregating thousands, including girls, were unhurt! The street was barricaded to enable the brigade to deal with a fire in the upper storey of the building. At one time the hostile squadron was directly overhead. Thousands oi girl clerks remained at their desks. The system of work- ' ing at the principal workshops and warehouses, enabled the workers to reach safety. The larger hospitals made elaborate preparations and arranged to receive an inrush of "injured people. The first. alarm war, given at 8,45, and the nil clear signal was raised at 11.30, As soon as the raid was over, queus of people waited at the public telephones anxious for the safety of relatives. The newspapers adopt a sterner tone in criticism of the defences, and call attention to France's lead in reprisals. They add that soldiers will not toler-, ate their homes thus being ravaged. ■' ' 'j' Lord Montagu, in an article, says: The best way of shortening the war is to concentrate on the construction of aircraft and embark on a. vast acrialoffenaive. The Lord Mayor of London, interviewed, said the raid ought to convince everybody as to the ease for reprisals. ; _Mr Johnson Hicks, in the House of Commons, on Monday, will ask the Premier to appoint a committee to enquire into the causes of the failure to cope effectively with the air raiders, and whether the Government will order punitive raids on German munition,,towns, on the Rhine. . ~ ■■/•"■ '■•& h' ••' EPvITISJI OPINION TURNING IN FAVOUR OF REPRISALS. ' ———j GERMANY'S VERSION OF,THE RAID.

(AUraiian and New Zealand Cable Association.)J LONDON, July 8. Experts are ci the opinion that the. type of raiders engaged were Gotha biplanes and were comparatively slow. They had come.with 'n brisk wind and were correspondingly slow in returning.. The ' aircraft flew much lower than in the previous raids. ■ ' ■ 'Many, members of Parliament now favour reprisals and it is understood that Ihe Government will reconsider its attitude. Mr Lloyd George summoned the experts after the raid. . 'Australian and New Zealand Cable Associate,) Received July 9> at G. 45 p.m. LONDON, July 8. A wireless German report says:, Enemy aviators dropped oiu hundred incendiary bombs in the Wcstphalian industrial region, and on Mannheimi Lizwigshafin and Podalbin. No military damage was done. ' Our fiqiiacjr-on yesterday freely bombed London docks, harbom works and warehouses. Fires and explosions were observed. On< English aeroplane was shot down. We also bombed Margate. Al our aeroplanes returned cxeeptQiie which wa.i compelled to deacenc

in the sea. The enemy yesterday lost nine aeroplanes. - vigorous aerial fighting along British front, GERMAN SQUADRON BOMBS NANCY HOSPITAL. r.r f —7i FRENCH AIRCRAFT CARRY OUT VIGOROUS REPRISALS. x ( ' M ""V rV ~, (Australian and Ilew Zealand Cable association) • LONDON, July 8. ' Sir Douglas ilaig reports: There was aerial fighting yesterday, ••chiefly bet-ween Lens and Ypres. In this area a large number of enemy machines were encountered, but, despite the enemy's pronounced activity we bombed and damaged aerodromes and carried out successful artillery work and photography. The enemy ' dropped 244 bombs on our side of the line, but our machines dropped three times that number on the enemy side. ' A French communique says: The'enemy air force raided the Nancy region on Friday. The hospital was boqibed and three people were killed and four wounded. Several people were wounded at - Epcrnay. Eighty-four French machines carried out a series of bril- '■ liant operations on Friday night, some attacking towns far into enemy territory a.> reprisals for the German bombardments, Eleven machines dropped tons of bombs at Treves, causing'fires. Six' 'machines bombed Ludwighafen, wlier.e the great aniline works were• . set-afl ime. / One pilot bombed Kriipps works at Essen. He . started at "9.15 in the evening and returned at 4.14 a.m.; after ' covering 440 miles. Military establishments and stations at Hii'scn and Thionville were bombed. Altogether 13} tons of t ' bombs were dropped... Two machines have not returned.