Zeppelin Blitz

by Neil Storey

  L-11, under the command of Oberleutnant zur See von Buttlar, also encountered problems in the fog and clouds on this particular evening. She was first reported off Thorpeness at 11.05 p.m., and midway between Orfordness and the Shipwash at 11.15 p.m. At 11.20 p.m. the Zeppelin was over Hollesley Bay, and off Bawdsey ten minutes later. At 11.37 p.m., when she was between Felixstowe and the Sunk lightship, she was fired at by the 6-pdr anti-aircraft guns at Felixstowe and immediately turned back northwards along the coast to Woodbridge Haven, where she came landwards over Bawdsey Marshes.

  At 11.48 p.m. L-11 turned westward, and at 11.55 p.m. was at Trimley, where she turned southward to Harwich harbour, arriving there at 11.58 p.m. The low clouds prevented the searchlights from reaching her, so that fire was not opened from the defences. Buttlar was clearly unsure of his location, so he made no attempt to attack Harwich and went away again northwards up the Orwell as far as Pin Mill, where he turned north-east.

  The Zeppelin was engaged at 12.10 a.m. by a RNAS Maxim gun mounted on a motor lorry, posted on the Ipswich–Felixstowe road at Levington Heath. In answer to this attack, L-11 dropped five HE and two incendiary bombs on heath and fields near Bucklesham. One of the former, which burst 56 yards away from a house, merely dislodged a few bricks in the chimney and broke some cups and saucers. Going on in a north-easterly direction L-11 dropped two HE and three incendiary bombs on meadow and marsh near Newbourne, doing no damage. Eight HE and four incendiary bombs next fell in a mangold wurzel field in a marsh at Hemley, doing slight damage to the root crops and blowing out a window at Hemley Hall.

  Crossing the River Deben, L-11 threw two HE and twenty incendiary bombs on the marshes at Wood Hale Farm, Sutton, to no effect and there were no casualties. Four of the HE bombs, one at Bucklesham, one at Newbourne and two at Hemley appear to have been of 100kg weight, the rest were of the usual 50kg type. After dropping her bombs L-11 went out to sea near Orfordness at 12.12 a.m.

  L-15 undertook its first overseas voyage commanded by Kapitänleutnant Joachim Breithaupt. Seen off Shoeburyness at 11.48 p.m., on approaching the coast the raider found an unexpectedly low barometer, thick, foggy weather and heavy clouds. The Zeppelin was off Margate at 12.17 a.m. where she dropped three bombs, probably aimed at a steamer, all of which fell into the sea. L-15 then appears to have turned north, was 25 miles east of Dunwich at 3.15 a.m. and then probably headed home across the North Sea to Germany.

  13/14 October 1915

  The air raid of 13/14 October 1915 marked a very distinct advance in the attacks of German airships directed against this country. Previously, raids had either been of an experimental character or had been carried out principally by single airships which often exhibited haste in reaching their objective, usually very near the coast, and then darted home.

  On this occasion, however, a larger number of airships than hitherto known was employed. The skill exhibited in their navigation was of a very much higher order and there seems to have been a very distinct tactical plan underlying the raid. The damage caused by a single airship when bombing London was of great importance, if only for the reason that the very centre of the city was attacked. The casualties caused during this raid, if considered from the point of view of the total number of airships employed and of bombs expended, are the most severe that have been suffered before or since this date.

  On the morning of 13 October 1915, five Zeppelins left their sheds in north Germany with orders to bomb London. The first warning of the attack came from France at 5 p.m., when British wireless direction-finding stations indicated Zeppelins moving towards the east coast. Half an hour later, the Admiralty had news of a Zeppelin sighted from a troll vessel, 45 miles east of the Haisborough lightship. Four Zeppelins, L-13, 14, 15 and 16, all arrived in the Bacton area of Norfolk at almost the same time, while L-11 came in too far south and had to retrace her course to find Haisborough and Bacton.

  L-13, under Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Mathy, hovered between the Haisborough lightship and the coast for nearly an hour, and was first to make landfall when she came in over Haisborough at 6.15 p.m. She went directly west and was next heard at Aylsham at 6.30 p.m. She then turned south-west. The Zeppelin picked up the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway at Lenwade and followed a train going to Norwich, until the driver, who had sighted the Zeppelin, stopped at Drayton.

  After hovering for some time, L-13 went westwards to East Dereham and passed over the town at 7.15 p.m. She then turned south-west and pursued a direct course, passing Griston near Watton at 7.25 p.m., over Brandon at 7.40 p.m., Exning at 8 p.m., Newmarket at 8.03 p.m., Saffron Walden at 8.25 p.m. and was seen north of Harlow at 8.45 p.m. Here, L-13 turned westward to Ware and on to Hertford at 8.58 p.m.

  At 9.02 p.m. L-13 was fired at by a 13-pdr AA gun at Birchwood Farm, 1 mile north-north-west of Hatfield. Three rounds had been fired when the main string of the gun broke, and by the time it could be replaced the airship was out of range. On being fired at, the Zeppelin dropped four HE bombs, two in answer to the first round and two after the second. Of the two last, one fell 70 yards from the gun and the other failed to explode. No damage was done beyond the breaking of windows in some cottages adjacent. The third round was supposed at the time to have hit the airship, but no confirmation of this can be derived from her subsequent movements. She was also fired on with rifles by some men of the Army Service Corps. The airship had shut off her engines and was drifting when engaged.

  L-13 went off northward, then turned south-west and passed over St Albans at 9.20 p.m., was near Watford about 9.25 p.m. and Rickmansworth at 9.30 p.m. Here she altered her course southward, along the course of the River Colne, past Uxbridge and Staines, and was seen from Windsor. She crossed the River Thames at Weybridge at 9.50 p.m. and was near Effingham five minutes later. She now passed near Gomshall and turned west to Guildford, passing over Newlands Corner at 10.05 p.m.

  L-13 was travelling slowly, apparently uncertain of her whereabouts, and dropped a flare at Clandon at 10 p.m. Around 10.10 p.m. she appeared over Guildford, hovered for a few minutes and then went up the valley eastward towards Chilworth, where a second flare was dropped which lit up the surrounding area.

  The pom-pom manned by the AA Detachment, Sussex Royal Garrison Artillery, at the Powder Works opened fire with seventy-seven rounds just after 10.15 p.m. The airship at first sheared off westward, but in a minute or two returned to the factory and then definitely went westward as far as Wood Street, and then south-east over the Hog’s Back to Artington, St Catherine’s and Shalford, dropping a third flare and then twelve HE bombs. No casualties were caused, but a considerable amount of minor material damage was done to houses in St Catherine’s, and up the line of the London & South-Western Railway there was damage caused between two tunnels south of Guildford. Two of the bombs fell in the River Wey and one of them killed a swan. The bombs all fell in a direct line from north-west to south-east about ½ mile in length.

  The airship subsequently headed off east, and at 10.35 p.m. passed over Chilworth where she was again fired on by the AA gun and rifles, all of which were unable to reach her. She went on without responding and passed Willinghurst, near Cranleigh, going south-east, five minutes later. L-13 kept on this course for some time before turning north-east

  Somewhere around 11.05 p.m. she passed over Tandridge Camp, near Oxted, going north-east to Limpsfield and then turned northwards. It is evident that she had seen L-14, which had come up from Shorncliffe and was now close to her to the west and bombing Croydon, and she turned to join her.

  When west of Hayes, L-13 waited some minutes for L-14. At 11.30 p.m. both airships were together at Bromley going east, L-14 being to the south of the pair. The two went on, very close to one another, as far as Bickley, where L-13 turned suddenly north and L-14 east. It was no doubt here that the two airships very nearly collided. This fact was later stated by the prisoners of L-33, taken at Little Wigborough on 24 September 1916, many of whom had served under the same commander on L-14 on this
occasion. On the return of the airship to Germany, Kapitänleutnant Böcker, the commander of L-14, lodged a very strong complaint against L-13, under Mathy’s command, for faulty navigation.

  On parting company, L-13 passed over Sidcup at 11.35 p.m., turned over Bexley Heath towards Woolwich, passed south of it and, at 11.45 p.m., approached from the south-west. She was picked up by the Blackheath searchlight and gun, and the latter fired seventeen rounds at her before the gun jammed badly. Honor Oak fired nine rounds at L-13 at the same time.

  The Zeppelin sailed right over the whole length of the barracks and Woolwich Arsenal. On the former, she dropped three HE and fourteen incendiary bombs. Extraordinarily little damage was done – the first HE bomb burst in the middle of the front parade and broke the windows of the Royal Artillery mess, the second fell on a barrack dining room in the East Square, completely destroying it and a stable below, and the third blew in the end of a clothing store in the Grand Depot barracks. In the stable, one horse was killed and nine injured and the same bomb slightly injured four men.

  The incendiaries which fell in the East Square and the Depot barracks did practically no damage, and the small fires caused by them were put out. An incendiary bomb fell in St John’s Churchyard, causing no harm. Eight others fell in streets and gardens close by, slightly damaging St John’s Church School and a house in Wellington Street; damaging premises in Cross Street and Beresford Square; and destroying a shop which was burnt out in Thomas Street.

  On the Arsenal, the Zeppelin dropped three incendiary bombs near the surgery, another incendiary in the new machine shop, ‘Avenue G’, another in ‘5th Street’ and one HE bomb in the main machine carriage shop which wrecked a crane and damaged a machine. Nine men were injured in the Arsenal, one of whom died later. Finally an HE bomb was dropped in the magazine area on Plumstead Marshes causing no damage. L-13 then went off north-east.

  Fire had been opened from the Woolwich AA guns at 11.47 p.m. and ceased at 11.54 p.m. The shooting was poor and the airship obviously out of range. The roof of a house in Plumstead was damaged by the fuse of an AA shell. West Ham fired fourteen rounds at the airship at 11.52 p.m. and she was also fired on by Clapton.

  L-13’s commander seems not to have been aware that he had bombed Woolwich Barracks and Arsenal, as he reported on his return that he had attacked the docks. He no doubt saw the Albert Dock plainly. L-13 crossed the river at Barking Reach to Dagenham about 11.55 p.m. and then was engaged by the 13-pdr gun at Sutton’s Farm, which fired ten rounds at her. After the fifth, which burst quite near, she turned off at right angles. She then turned again north-east when she was engaged at midnight by Becontree Heath, which also fired ten rounds.

  At the fourth road the airship rose to a height estimated at 10,000–12,000ft, and passed on towards Romford. At this time she seems to have been fired upon from Erith and Purfleet, although she must have been far out of range. L-13 was claimed to have dropped ‘smoke balls’ (actually water ballast that vapourised and probably turned to snow when coming into contact with the cold air) and a light is said to have been shown in her gondola between Woolwich and Romford, which was put out when she was fired on from Becontree Heath.

  She went on north-east past Brentwood at 12.10 a.m. and Ingatestone at 12.15 a.m. Here, she was now flying low again and, from observations, it would appear that her propeller was damaged. The light shown at Romford may have been connected with this – repairs were possibly being attempted. At 12.20 a.m. L-13 passed south of Chelmsford, and at 12.30 a.m. south of Maldon. She approached the estuary of the Blackwater at Tollesbury, turning north-east towards Colchester.

  At 12.45 a.m., L-13 was fired at by a Maxim from near Mark’s Tey. Turning up the railway line and river at Wivenhoe at 12.50 a.m., around five minutes later she was fired upon by pom-pom and rifles. L-13 then picked up the main line of railway and followed it to Ipswich, which she passed at about 1.15 a.m., going erratically. Travelling over Earl Soham at 1.40 a.m. she changed direction, and went off at high speed due east over Framlingham and Saxmundham. She passed north of Leiston around 1.55 a.m. and out to sea at Dunwich at 2 a.m.

  L-14, which was under the command of Kapitänleutnant der Reserve Alois Böcker, came in at Bacton at 6.30 p.m., where she was fired upon by a RNAS Maxim armoured car. She passed North Walsham at 6.35 p.m. and was fired on for a second time, in this instance by the machine guns of the 6th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment (Cyclists) TF, posted there.

  L-14 traversed the rest of the county via Felthorpe and Thetford unmolested, and proceeded across Suffolk and Essex to Kent, where she dropped her first four bombs at 9.15 p.m., while flying at a height of about 6,000ft, upon the camp of the 8th Howitzer Brigade and 5th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery at Otterpool Camp, Shorncliffe. The bombs were probably directed at the lights and fires of the camp. A total of fifteen men were killed and eleven wounded, seven horses were also killed. No damage was done to guns or equipment.

  L-14 moved north-east towards Westenhanger Camp, and dropped two more HE bombs on the racecourse, which did no damage beyond breaking some windows. She passed on to Sandling and out to sea at Hythe. Here, her commander seems to have realised that he was on the south coast and turned south-west, coming overland again at Littlestone at 9.35 p.m., passing Lydd at about 9.40 p.m. and Winchelsea around 9.55 p.m. He went along the coast as far as Pett, near Hastings, and turned inland having now apparently fully satisfied himself as to his real position and getting his true direction for London, probably by means of the Hastings–Frant railway.

  The airship does not seem to have been observed, on account of the mist, until it reached Frant where, at 10.30 p.m., seven incendiary bombs were thrown, one of which did not ignite. No damage was done. The raider then turned north to Tunbridge Wells where, at 10.40 p.m., three HE bombs fell, causing no harm except to windows. The Zeppelin could still not be seen on account of the thick mist.

  Going off north-west, L-14 crossed the path of L-13 at Oxted and then passed over Tandridge Camp at 11.05 p.m. L-13 went north over Limpsfield while L-14 pursued a north-west course to Warlingham and Purley at 11.15 p.m. and on to Croydon, which she bombed at 11.20 p.m. Some seventeen HE bombs were thrown, falling along a line from Eldridge Road, over the railway and across Addiscombe Road, immediately east of East Croydon Station, to the corner of Essex and Stretton Roads. A final incendiary bomb was dropped on South Norwood but it failed to explode.

  As the line followed is roughly parallel with the railway, it is probable that this was the objective aimed at by the Zeppelin. Since Croydon was an important junction, the railway lights would have been on. The bombs, however, all fell, with one exception, on villa residences, doing considerable damage and causing loss of life to civilians. Three villas were destroyed, eleven seriously damaged and six less seriously damaged. One bomb fell by the railway, but only damaged the permanent way slightly. Thee men, three women and three children were killed, and five men, six women and four children were injured.

  The airship passed on immediately east of Crystal Palace and, at 11.30 p.m., was again in company with L-13 over Bromley. L-14, having exhausted her supply of bombs, headed back over Essex and Suffolk and was fired upon by a RNAS Maxim armoured car at Melton. Following the railway to Saxmundham, which she passed at 1.35 a.m., over Leiston and out to sea north of Aldeburgh at 1.45 a.m.

  L-15 was under the command of Kapitänleutnant Joachim Breithaupt. She came in at Bacton at 6.25 p.m., closely followed by L-14 and L-16, all of whom were fired on by a RNAS Maxim armoured car there. She went inland on a south-westerly course, reaching Aylsham at 6.35 p.m., and Honingham (6.55 p.m.), and threw a flare west of Thetford, over Elveden, at 7.25 p.m. Changing course southward, L-15 flew over Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk, and travelled across Essex where she dropped a petrol tank at Matching, east of Harlow at 8.25 p.m. Passing south of Harlow, the Zeppelin was observed signalling by means of flashes to L-13, which was coming up behind her from the north.

  Following the line of the river a
nd railway past Roydon and Hoddesdon and Broxbourne, she was fired upon by a mobile 13-pdr AA gun, which fired eight rounds to which the airship replied with four HE bombs. Estimated to be at a height of 5,000–6,000ft, and immediately overhead, the searchlights were of no use because they were too close to the gun. Three of the bombs dropped within 100 yards, blowing down the gun detachment with the force of the explosion, but there were no casualties. A 30cwt lorry belonging to No. 50 Company, Royal Engineers, and the motor car attached to the gun section were wrecked by one of the bombs.

  Proceeding to London via Potters Bar, after passing Edgware at 9.03 p.m., L-15 cut her engines and drifted silently with the north-west wind and was not observed until she dropped her first bomb at 9.25 p.m. on Exeter Street, the Strand. The second fell in Wellington Street, between the Lyceum Theatre and the offices of the Morning Post. The third landed on Catherine Street, the fourth and fifth in Aldwych and the sixth and seventh between Aldwych and New Inn. Two incendiaries fell on the Royal Courts of Justice, and the eighth and ninth HE bombs in Carey Street. The tenth fell on the roof of a house in New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, followed by an eleventh on Old Square. The twelfth HE and a third incendiary bomb fell almost simultaneously on the roadway of Chancery Lane, opposite Stone Buildings.

  Three more incendiaries fell immediately afterwards north of Holborn, in South Square, Gray’s Inn, followed by the thirteenth HE bomb, which fell in the north-eastern corner of Gray’s Inn Square. Four more incendiary bombs were thrown on and near Hatton Garden, and one in Farringdon Road. L-15 then made eastward over the city.

  Considerable damage and loss of life were caused by this first fall of bombs. In Exeter Street, houses were damaged, one person was killed and two injured. In front of the Lyceum Theatre seventeen people were killed, twelve seriously injured and nine slightly injured. Panic was fortunately avoided in the theatre, due to the presence of mind of an officer who was present. The theatre itself, the Morning Post offices, and other buildings were only slightly damaged by the explosion. In Catherine Street, one person was seriously and eight slightly injured.