THE ZEPPELIN RAIDS

Southland Times, Issue 17659, 17 February 1916, Page 5

THE ZEPPELIN RAIDS

TONGARIRO OFFICER’S STORY. “BEAUTIFUL, YET TERRIBLE." SAFETY IX FLYING LOT. The steamer Arrino, which reached Auckland on Thursday from England, via Australian ports, and the steamer Tongariro, which arrived from West of England ports on Wednesday night, were both berthed at London when the Zeppelin raid took place in October last. An officer of the Tongariro said recently that shrapnel bullets fell aboard the vessel. Two Zeppelins were seen, at about 9.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. respectively. None of ■ the bombs dropped near the ship, and the shrapnel bullets were from the anti-aircraft guns. One cause of the sometimes fairly heavy death-roll was the persistence of people In treating the episodes as occasions for sight-seeing. “To see a Zeppelin attack is a beautiful, yet terrible sight,” he said, “and the engines of the airships make i a noise like the roar of a ,rapidly-moving and heavily-laden goods train.”

Alluding to the new methods of meeting the attacks, tho officer said that the task of keeping away Zeppelins fell chiefly upon the navy and its seaplanes. When any Zeppelins passed, this outer defence, the authorities were warned that an attack might be expected. The warning, however, was not passed on to the public, as it it were given they would probably crowd the streets to watch the attack. When a Zeppelin arrived, all trains were stopped, for the enemy bad been known to follow the light from moving Wains, and sometimes passengers were held up until two o'clock in the morning. Aeroplanes were only sent up rarely in the city, owing to the danger of their being hit by tbe anti-aircraft guns. A surprising feature was that it had been discovered by tiie enemy that lie was safest flying low. Wiiy that should be so did not seem clear but the fact remained.

In regard to the effect of the British blockade of Germany, the officer said there was no question but that Germany tvas feeling it severely. He concluded; “German organisation has proved itself wonderful, but there is one organisation that is more wonderful still—that of the British Navy. Germany set out to beat the world, and failed'; the British fleet set out to maintain supremacy on the seas, and lias succeeded.”