THE SILENT RAID.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19039, 8 December 1923, Page 7

THE SILENT RAID.

London’s Night of Greatest Peril. STORY TOLD FOR THE FIRST TIME. (By An Air Correspondent). In “Tire Defence of London, 1915-1918,” Lieutenant-colonel A. Rawlinson, whp helped to create an air defence organisation for London, tells the inner history, for the first time, of London’s night of greatestperil during the war —October 19, 1917. This was the silent raid in which the Germans used for the first time' a new type of highflying aU’saip, It was obviously the intention, of the enemy to assemble in the neighbourhood of Watford, then to float down wind over London at a high altitude with tlioir engines stopped ; in which case we should neither be able to see them to shoot with our “eyes,” nor hoar them to shoot with our “ears.” The one advantage the defence, possessed was that, being on the ground, they were in a. position to know the speed of the wind. This the enemy, gt- their great altitude, had no means of judging, but the moment our searchlights were unmasked the enemy would be able at once to judge the speed at which their ships were moving over the ground -by the change ip the bearing of the various lights, i called all stations and gave orders that no lights should be uncovered under any consideration. At 11 p.m. Watford reported sounds of aircraft to the north. The fleet was therefore at last complete and about to start on its float over London. In the meantime our faithful and invaluable ally, the wind, still continued to t freshen, Interminable minutes passed in absolute darkness and silence, and no sign was given from the sky. But at 11.24 p.m. bombs were reported from south-east of Harrow, on the direct line from Watford to the heart of the city. I thought- then, and still think, this was an attempt to induce us to uncover our lights, but, if so, the enemy must have been sadly disappointed, as not a' glimmer of light was shown. Four minutes later another single explosion was heard, bearing north-east-by-east from my headquarters at Putney, and about four miles distant. The crucial moment had arrived, and the whole Zeppelin fleet, fully loaded with bombs, were in the position they had striven so long to attain, and the heart of London then lay below them at their mercy, but shrouded in impenetrable darkness. AGONISING MOMENTS. There can bo no doubt that this bomb was also discharged with the object of inducing the lights to uncover; and the accuracy of its aim w r as go astounding that, had its discharge been based on any definite knowledge of their actual position, it is certain that every bomb in the Zeppelin fleet would have been dropped simultaneously at that critical moment. Only one was dropped, however, and mercifully the darkness and silence below remained impenetrable and unbroken. The succeeding minutes were charged with such an anguish of anxiety, says Col. Rawlinson, and the horror of the awful tragedy which appeared likely to be enacted at any moment was so great as to cause him an absolute spasm of nervous agony. This he found it almost impossible to control, and says it threatened every moment to render him physically sick from apprehension. The good north-west wind still stood our friend. It gained steadily in strength until six minutes later, another bomb was dropped in the neighbourhood of Grove Park, _ far to the south-east, and our agonising anxiety was over, for in the freshening gale no airship- could ever hope to return against- (be wind. * London was saved from a- catastrophe of which the possible extent can never be estimated accurate!}'. The one largo bomb which dropped at 11,28 p.m, wai the one that foil at Pioudilly circus which demolished premises of Messrs Swan ami Edgar. “f :;e to it!” As illustrative of what might have been done had all t-ho tons of bombs carried ■by the airships been dropped, the actual damage done by the three bombs (which were the only ones dropped that night in the metropolitan district) was : killed 43, injured 49, structural damage £50,C00. The lowest estimate of the number of bombs at that moment floating over the town would ho at least 100, and the actual numbci; was probably nearer 200. ‘lt onlv remains for us,” concludes Col. awlinson, “to bo thankful for our wonderful escape that night, and to see t-o it. as far as may lie in (he power of each and all of ?;s, that London shall rover bo exposed again to the dnngcrof such an appalling disaster.” lie is convinced of the inefficiency of ground defence for dealing with air raids such as London might have to face in tlie future. Neither London nor any other district, lie says, can be defended successfully except by adequate aerial forces.