WAR CATASTROPHE

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 81, 3 February 1928, Page 5

WAR CATASTROPHE

GERMAN SPECULATION. DESTRUCTION OF AERODROME. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z (Sable As.su. (Received S.'Mi a.m. BERLIN, February 2. The arrest of an ex-sergeant-major for alleged espionage,' although not •officially conlirmed, lias set all Germany speculating on the cause of the staggering catastrophe of the destruction of the Ahlhoni Airship Station, which was hitherto jealously guarded. The newspapers lengthily review the conflagration,' 1 pointing out that olficial theory of the baffling occurrence at the time was

that-it was accidental. It is declar ed the whole navy stood aghast liefore the ruins. it was an evil omer, for the year 1918. Nearly the entire garrison was in barracks, when, with, out warning, the countryside became illuminated by an immense column from the hangers. Flames six hundred feet, high rose into the air. There was a terrific report, th e barracks shook, and buildings collapsed in startling succession. Three remaining hangars blew up, although separated from each other by half a mile. The ground was littered with debris for miles. Five Zeppelins were destroyed, thirty men being killed and a hundred injured. „(A cable received on January 29 stated that a n ex-sergt.-major in the German air force had been arrested, it being alleged that he was a British spy during the war, and Was responsible for the Alhorn aerodrome. The latter was destroyed as some airships wer e about to leave for a raid oh England.)