ZEPPELIN RAIDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16035, 29 September 1915, Page 8

ZEPPELIN RAIDS.

LONDON BEYOND RANGE.

DEPENDING ON THE WIND.

EVADING AEROPLANES.

Berne, September 27.

A member of a Zeppelin crew, writing in the newspaper Der Bund, says: " London is beyond our range, but it is possible to reach the city if a steady east wind is blowing, when we can float a considerable distance, conserving our petrol. Unfortunately the weather is England's best ally. It is either windless or over-windy, or bright moonlight.

"We took fewer bombs on the London raid, but they were specially large ones. We reached the mouth of the Thames unobserved, owing to clouds and the silence of the engines, and flew up to the Tower Bridge, where we crossed to the north side. Searchlights then caught us, and immediately the sky was ablaze with searchlights. The air was rent by a terrific cannonade. The guns were first unable to reach us, and we dropped t bombs regularly, until shrapnel began to play around us.

" We could discern dark spots of considerable size amid the glow of light, and dropped bombs there, but the searchlights hampered us and cut off the view of our objective. The English are terror-stricken at our wonderful Zeppelins. The effect must have been awful.

" The English land guns are useless, but there are better ones on the coast, so we are careful in returning. They always try to intercept us from Dunkirk in the morning, so we take another direction. The great thing is plenty of petrol when English aeroplanes are about."