THE AERIAL ATTACK ON BRITISH COAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 5

THE AERIAL ATTACK ON BRITISH COAST.

RACE BETWEEN A ZEPPELIN AND A TRAIN.

TWO CHURCHES SELECTED AS TARGETS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

(Received January 21, 11.35 p.m.)

London*,, January 21. Varying accounts of the German aerial raid on Norfolk are coming to hand.

One report states that an airship circled over King's Lynn twice, sometimes appearing to hang motionless. Terrific reports followed the dropping of the bombs.

One bomb blew out the windows of the church at Snettisham, 10 miles north of King's Lynn. The rector and his family were standing at the rectory gate, close to the church, at the time. They watched the manoeuvres of the airship, believing it to be a British aeroplane, until, by its shape, they realised it was a Zeppelin. They escaped with a shock.

At Yarmouth nobody actually saw the aircraft, but it is believed it was a dirigible. Two unexploded bombs were so large as to have been scarcely portable in a Taube aeroplane.

Only one aircraft raided the town. Another'went straight ahead in the direction of Cromer.

Several of the points struck in Yarmouth were in a straight line 100 yds apart. Two bombs fell close to St. Peter's Church. They were evidently aimed at the steeple, which they missed by yards. Two persons were killed, including a woman. Seventy-two windows within 200 yds radius, including the church, were smashed. An intercession service had just been finished in the church. The vicar, who was inside, was surprised to see the double-locked vestry door blown open. '

There were several narrow escapes in the other places visited One man escaped unhurt from his demolished house. A girl who was playing the piano in Yarmouth was blown off the stool down the stairs, but was not injured.

An enginedriver reports that a Zeppelin chased his train from Hunstanton to King's Lynn, using it as a guide. He pulled out the throttle and raced along, leaving the Zeppelin behind.

Coastguards on the Norfolk coast assert that four Zeppelins took part in the raid, while some fishermen declare that there were six, and that three of them steered -n a south-easterly direction towards Yarmouth, and three towards Cromer.