THE RAID ON LONDON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16541, 15 November 1915, Page 6

THE RAID ON LONDON

ZEPPELIN COMMANDER'S ACCOUNT. GERMAN FALSEHOODS. (Feom Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, September 28. The Press Bureau has authorised for publication the interview secured by Mr Karl Wiegand, the Berlin correspondent of the New York World. But the Bureau points out that numerous statements in the interview are quite untrue, notably the one that anti-aircraft guns had been placed under cover of St. Paul's. Lieutenantcommander Ma thy relates that two Zeppelins left Germany early in the day, both painted grey, and by sunset they were well over, the North ■Sea. As. night approached the weather grew cold, and on nearing the EngFsh coast Mathy rose to a great height in order not to disclose his presence too soon. " It was a cold, clear, moonless night," said Mathy, " and such a night as makes it extremely difficult for the gunners to get the range. Off in the d'stance we can see the Thames River, which po'nts the way to London. It is an indestructible guidepost and a sure road to the great city. The English can darken London as much as they want. They can never eradicate or conceal the Thames.

"It is our great orientation po : nt. from which we can always get our bearings and pick up any point in London we desire. That does not mean wo always come up along the Thames." Thirty-seven miles from London, Mathy said he could see reflected the glow from the great city. "We headed straight for the glow in the sky, and then for a po ; nt on the Thames, to get our bearings for our objective of attack. Soon (ho city was outlined. Still silent below in the distance there were dark spots which stood out from the blue lights in the well-lit portions. The ros : dential scct'ons are /not much darkened. It wa-s the dafk spots I' was after, and I bore down on them, its they marked the business sect : on of the city. The large city, seen at night from a great height, is fairly like a picture. We wore too high to see human beings in the streets below. DISCOVERED.

" There was no sign of life, except, in the distance the movement and light of what was probably railroad trains. All seems very quiet. No noises ascend from below that penetrate the scl uttering motors and whirring propellers. As if in a twinkling of an eye iill 1 his changes. A sudden 'flash; a narrow band of brilliant light reaches out. from below and begins to feel around. A second, third, fourth, fifth, soon more than a score of criss-crossing ribbons aecond. From the Zepoc/i'ii it looks as if the city has (suddenly come fo life, and was waving its arms around the skv. sending our feelers for the danger that threatens, but our imnrcssion is more that they are tentacles seeking to drag us to destruction. London keeps a good watch on the eky. Our motors' pro-

I pollers soon reversed our presence. B'irsfc one and then another of those, ribbons shooting out (mm Hie glaring eyelilte searchlights pick us iiy. "Now from below comes an ominous sound that penetrates the noise of tho motors and propellers, and little red flashes and short bursts of fire which stand out prominently against the black background. Frcm north and south, right and left, they appear, and. following tho flashes, there rolirt up from below the sound of guns. It is a beautiful and impressive, but (looting, picture as seen from above." 'Die commander said ho had little time to register impressions, but, picking out St. Paul's as the point of orientation, ho laid his course for the Bank of England, which ho intended to destroy. He complained that he saw a battery round St. Paul's, and declared he would have been justified in bombarding the cathedral on that account, but refrained. TEN MINUTES' ATTACK. Arrived at the bank, Mathy says, ho started to bombard* slowly. "I soon observed flames bursting forth from several places over Holborn Viaduct and the vicinity of Holborn Station. We dropped several bombs. I tried to hit the Tower Bridge, and I believe I was successful." Liverpool Street Station, he declared, waa hie main object of attack, and when ho thought he was over the right spot he gave the order "rapid fire." He believed he did grout damage there. The main attack lasted trom 10.50 p.m.. to 11 p.m., and when all the bombs were dropped ho turned for home. As to a companion Zeppelin, Mathy faiicd to mention what it did or what became o f it. Askr ( ? from what height he attacked London, Mathy replied: " Sorry, but I don't want you to_ givo the English their rangeThey are doing well enough as it is, and learning fast." Mathy said Zeppelins had been greatly improved since before the war, but he refused to give details, except to intimate they had a much greater radius than from Germany to London and back. He had never experienced a fight with aeroplanes, but •he did not fear them unless they, attacked in a regular swarm. Zeppdin commanders, Mathy concluded, had no wish to. destroy indiscriminately or injure or kill women, children, and other non-combatants.