The Story of the Great War, Volume 6: History of the European War from Official Sources
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 6: History of the European War from Official Sources
World War, 1914-1918
Two days later, during the night of September 25, 1916, a smaller
squadron of about six airships attacked the northeastern and southern
counties of England. Bombs did considerable damage, most of which,
however, was inflicted on privately owned property. Thirty-six people
were killed and twenty-seven more injured.
With the advance of autumn Zeppelin raids became less frequent. Only
once during October, 1916, on the night of October 1 to 2, did a
squadron of Zeppelins appear over English territory. At that time ten
airships attacked the eastern coast and London. The damage again was
principally to private property. Only one person was reported killed
and one injured. One of the Zeppelins, however, was brought down in
flames near Potter's Bar, and from its wreckage the bodies of nineteen
members of its crew were recovered.
Not until the end of November, 1916, was another Zeppelin attack
reported. At that time, during the night of November 27 to 28, 1916,
two airships raided Yorkshire and Durham. They did considerable
damage, killed one and injured sixteen persons. Both Zeppelins were
brought down and destroyed and the entire crews of both perished.
One airship was attacked by an aeroplane of the British Royal Flying
Corps and brought down in flames into the sea off the coast of Durham.
Another airship crossed the North Midland counties and dropped bombs
at various places. On her return journey she Was repeatedly attacked
by aeroplanes of the British Royal Flying Corps and by guns. She
appeared to have been damaged, for the last part of her journey was
made at very slow speed, and she was unable to reach the coast before
day was breaking.
Near the Norfolk coast she apparently succeeded in effecting repairs,
and, after passing through gunfire from the land defenses, which
claimed to have made a hit, proceeded east at high speed and at an
altitude of over 8,000 feet. She was attacked nine miles out at sea by
four machines of the British Royal Naval Air Service, while gunfire
was opened from an armed British trawler, and the airship was finally
brought down in flames.
During December, 1916, no Zeppelins were apparently used actively. As
far as it was possible to determine definitely, the number of German
airships wrecked from the outbreak of the war up to January 1, 1917,
was nineteen. Of these twelve were lost during 1916 as follows:
_L-19._ Wrecked in the North Sea on February 3.
_L-77._ Shot down by French guns near Brabant-le-Roi on February 21.
_L-15._ Shot down in raid on eastern counties, and sank off Thames
estuary on April 1.
_L-20._ Wrecked near Stavanger on May 3.
Unnamed airship. Destroyed by British warships off Schleswig on May 4.
Unnamed airship. Brought down by Allied warships at Saloniki on May 5.
_L-21._ Burned and wrecked near Enfield, September 3.
_L-32_ and _L-33_. Brought down in Essex, September 24.
Airship brought down at Potter's Bar, October 1.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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