Zeppelin Blitz

by Neil Storey

  L-22, the northernmost ship, was off Kilnsea at 10.25 p.m., and dropped three HE bombs in the sea. She passed over the Spurn lighthouse at 10.35 p.m. and dropped two HE bombs close to the searchlight and three near the Spurn AA gun, which had come into action. No damage was done to personnel or equipment, although one HE Bomb fell within 100 yards of the gun.

  The Zeppelin then went across the estuary to the Lincolnshire coast, dropping three HE bombs in the sea as she went, and came in at Donna Nook, dropping three more HE bombs in the sea.

  She passed over North Somercotes and dropped two incendiary bombs there at 10.40 p.m. Then steering west, she dropped five incendiary bombs at Grainthorpe, and one incendiary bomb at Fulstow at 10.45 p.m. She turned south-west to Utterby, where she dropped two incendiary bombs at 10.50 p.m. and went about in a northerly direction to Waltham, where she was heard at 11 p.m. She wandered around in this neighbourhood for some minutes, being heard at Holton-le-Clay at 11.05 p.m. and Laceby at 11.10 p.m. She dropped an incendiary bomb at Caistor at about 11.20 p.m. and then turned east, passed south of Donna Nook at about 11.35 p.m. and she was heard out to sea, still steering east, at 11.40 p.m.

  L-24 was heard dropping some of her bombs in the sea at about 10.54 p.m. and came in over the Lincolnshire coast near Mablethorpe at about 11 p.m. She was moving in the district east of Gainsborough from 11.30 p.m. onwards, but her movements could not be definitely traced until 11.45 p.m., when she dropped an incendiary bomb at Glentham, 10 miles east of Gainsborough. She wandered between Gainsborough and Grimsby for some time, evidently looking for the latter place and for Waltham wireless station. After leaving Glentham she seems to have been near Lincoln shortly after midnight and, at 12.30 a.m., was again east of Gainsborough.

  She dropped two incendiary bombs at Kingerby, north-west of Market Rasen at about 12.25 a.m. and then went off north-east towards Waltham. At 12.35 a.m., nineteen HE and eleven incendiary bombs were thrown by her at Scarthoe, south-east of Grimsby, doing no damage beyond light injury to the church roof and a few windows broken in the village. The Zeppelin was engaged by the guns at Scarthoe Top and Cleefields, after which she moved off out to sea at about 12.40 a.m.

  L-14 arrived with L-17 between Mablethorpe and Skegness. One of the two ships, which is taken to be L-14, was heard 4 miles north of Skegness at 9.55 p.m., at Ingoldmells, where she came in overland. The other raider, L-17, was near Alford at 10.20 p.m. Both ships went together to Lincoln, an HE bomb being dropped at Waddingworth (probably by L-17 on the way).

  They approached Lincoln at 10.45 p.m., and the Washingborough light and Canwick gun opened on L-14, which did not attempt to pass on to Lincoln but emptied her whole cargo of bombs over the light; the Zeppelin commander perhaps thought it was actually Lincoln.

  The village of Greetwell received fifteen HE bombs, which broke telephone wires and killed a sheep. Washingborough got twelve HE bombs which demolished a fowl house, tore up an orchard and damaged some outbuildings, while nearby Heighington had seventeen incendiary bombs dropped. There were no human casualties. After wandering above Lincolnshire for a while, the Zeppelin passed Alford going east at 11.23 p.m., Willoughby at 11.30 p.m. and went out to sea at Sutton shortly after.

  L-17, under Kapitänleutnant Herman Kraushaar, passed Lincoln at about 10.50 p.m., while L-14 was engaged with the Canwick guns; then, having verified her position, she altered course south-west in order to reach Nottingham, which was evidently her objective.

  Going slowly to make sure of her course, she was close to Newark at about 11.50 p.m. She apparently circled in its neighbourhood and, at midnight, dropped an incendiary bomb at North Muskham, 3 miles to the north, which fell into the River Trent. She then went on towards Nottingham at 12.15 a.m., passing Southwell and then Gunthorpe at 12.23 a.m. At 12.34 a.m. two HE and four incendiary bombs were aimed at the Great Northern Railway goods sidings at Colwick. They fortunately fell in fields and did no damage. Immediately afterwards, six more HE bombs were thrown on fields between Colwick and Sneinton.

  The AA defences of Nottingham now prepared to come into action. At 12.37 a.m. the Sneinton light was exposed but, at 12.39 a.m. a bomb fell (one of the six HE mentioned above) which severed telephone communication between the searchlight and the guns, which now had to act independently. Neither gun found the target owing to a thick ground mist. The Aspley and Wilford lights were also outranged.

  Meanwhile, L-17 had dropped eight HE and eleven incendiary bombs on Nottingham, doing considerable damage, killing three people and injuring eleven more. The Midland Railway goods station was seriously damaged, while the Great Central Station and permanent way suffered slight damage. A chapel was partially wrecked and set on fire; three houses were totally wrecked, four houses and three shops and a public house seriously damaged and three others slightly affected. A large number of windows were broken.

  No damage was caused to any munition or other factories doing government work. It was stated by the local authorities that the air raid on the city was directly caused by the failure to extinguish lights on the railways when Zeppelins were heard in the immediate vicinity. The point was communicated to the Railway Executive Committee and was investigated.

  Leaving Nottingham at about 12.49 a.m., L-17 passed over Mapperly, dropping an HE bomb there which seriously damaged a house, and then went off on her return journey. She passed Lincoln again at about 1.20 a.m., passed Grimsby, dropped bombs in the sea and was off the Spurn, where she was fired at without result at about 2 a.m. She retired out to sea, probably at Kilnsea.

  L-13, the fourth ship to visit Lincolnshire, came in north of Skegness at about 10.30 p.m., following in the wake of L-14 and L-17. She passed near Wainfleet at 10.40 p.m., and 10 minutes later was between Boston and Sibsey. She seems to have hovered in the neighbourhood of Boston for some time before making off towards Sleaford, passing Langrick at 11.20 p.m. and Swineshead at 11.25 p.m.

  At 11.50 p.m. she was south of Sleaford, being engaged by an aeroplane sent up in pursuit from Cranwell Aerodrome and by the Rauceby gun. Her height was estimated at 6,000ft. On being fired at she dropped one incendiary bomb at Silk Willoughby and four at Holdingham, then thirteen HE bombs on Rauceby itself at midnight. L-13 then went about and, after dropping seven incendiary bombs at Leasingham, which did no damage, made off at high speed to the coast.

  She was seen at Langrick at about 12.05 a.m. and went out to sea south of Wainfleet at 12.15 a.m., but did not head back to her base, instead heading up the coast to the Spurn where, at 12.43 a.m., she was engaged by the gun. A hit was claimed by the gunners, but this was not substantiated as the Zeppelin returned safely and at regular speed back to Germany. It is not improbable that she dropped the rest of her bombs in the sea when fired at – between 12.45 a.m. and 12.55 a.m. the explosions of eight bombs were heard from Cromer at a very great distance northwards.

  L-23, under Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Ganzel, passed near Haisborough light vessel at 8.35 p.m. She was heard dropping bombs in the sea north of Cromer at 8.55 p.m. then she seems to have approached the land and dropped bombs at Overstrand at 9.20 p.m., but none of these bombs fell on the shore, let alone on land. L-23 was heard to drop ten bombs in all, presumed to be HE bombs, in the sea between 8.55 p.m. and 10.05 p.m. and then returned towards her base.

  L-21 was heard at sea east of Aldeburgh steering south-west, and was seen and heard coming in north of Orfordness at 9.40 p.m. After coming overland, she passed over Sudbourne Camp at a height estimated to be 8,000ft. She circled over Orford and then went west-south-west over Capel St Andrew at about 9.50 p.m.

  She turned north-west to Wickham Market, where she was at 10 p.m., and a minute or two later dropped a flare at Letheringham. She then turned south towards Woodbridge and north-west again to Crowfield where, at 10.23 p.m., she threw out a petrol tank. Two minutes later, a second petrol tank was thrown at Stonham Parva. She then turned south to Coddenham where, at 10.35 p.m., an HE bomb was dropped, doing no damage.

  She travelle
d on to the River Gipping and followed it north-west to Needham Market, where an incendiary bomb fell at 10.37 p.m. Two minutes later, she dropped two HE bombs at Badley, crossed the river northwards and was engaged by the Stowmarket guns, which fired twenty-five HE rounds at her without apparent result. In response, she dropped sixteen HE and ten incendiary bombs at Creeting St Peter and five HE and one incendiary bomb at Stowupland between 10.40 and 10.43 p.m.

  At Badley, damage was done to the roof, windows and doors of a farmhouse, and the telegraph wires of the railway were broken. At Creeting St Peter, five sows were killed and farm buildings damaged. There were no casualties. Some of the bombs fell within 500–600 yards of the guns.

  L-21 went off immediately east to the coast, flying high. Reported as passing over Saxmundham at 10.58 p.m., she passed along the coast between Dunwich and Walberswick at 11.05 p.m. She was seen over Henham Park, between Wangford and Wrentham, at about 11.15 p.m., having circled inland for some distance. She then went south-east out to sea at Easton Broad at 11.20 p.m., was off Great Yarmouth shortly after midnight, and then went home by way of Texel.

  L-33, under Kapitänleutnant Alois Böcker, passed into the Thames estuary north of Black Deep lightship at 10 p.m. She was fired on by a destroyer in the Edinburgh Channel at 10.12 p.m. and came overland to Foulness at about 10.40 p.m. She went directly inland, going between Southminster and Burnham at 10.45 p.m., dropped an incendiary bomb, which did no damage, at South Fambridge at 11.05 p.m. and flew on slowly straight towards London.

  She was north of Rayleigh at 11.05 p.m., south of Wickford at 11.20 p.m., west of Ingrave at 11.25 p.m. and near Billericay at 11.27 p.m. She threw a flare south of Brentwood at 11.35 p.m. and then dropped four incendiary bombs on Upminster Common at about 11.40 p.m. Ten minutes later, she dropped six HE bombs at South Hornchurch.

  At 11.55 p.m. L-33 was south of Chadwell Heath, where she dropped another flare and was picked up by a searchlight going west. The other searchlights in the neighbourhood did not pick her up and appear to have been surprised. No guns found her at this point and she went on to Wanstead where, at 11.59 p.m., she suddenly turned south-east, and at 12.06 a.m. turned south-west between the Beckton and North Woolwich guns. She afterwards headed north-west towards West Ham, where she passed over the gun at 12.10 a.m.

  The guns and lights of this portion of the London defences were now well onto her, and L-33 was subjected to a continuous bombardment as she passed to the northward, dropping bombs on east London as she went. The shooting was good, West Ham getting off eighteen rounds in two minutes, and Victoria Park seven rounds in one minute. Unfortunately, both the Victoria Park guns jammed. One 4.7in shell from Beckton burst very close to the Zeppelin, and hits were claimed on her nose and tail. Wanstead fired eleven rounds in three minutes; the last three rounds observed as ‘range’. It is probable that she was hit here, either by Beckton or Wanstead, but no immediate effect was caused, although shortly afterwards she began to lose gas.

  L-33 began dropping bombs on Bromley, west of the Gas Light & Coke Company’s works, at about 12.11 a.m. One 100kg HE and five incendiary bombs fell first in St Leonard’s and Empson Streets, wrecking four two-storey houses and breaking windows in a large number of others. Six people were killed and eleven injured here. A 50kg HE bomb grazed the wall of Spratt’s Dog Biscuit factory and exploded, exposing the foundations without damaging the wall. One 300kg HE bomb, one 100kg and two 50kg bombs were next dropped on the North London Railway Carriage Depot and Overtime Tractor Company’s premises at Bow, causing considerable damage to sheds and a boiler house, also damaging rolling stock and permanent way.

  About 12.12 a.m. a 50kg HE bomb seriously damaged a Particular Baptist chapel in Botolph Street, and a 100kg bomb wrecked the interior of the Black Swan public house at the corner of Devon’s Road and Bow Road. Three women and two children were killed, and one man and three children injured in the public house. The neighbouring premises were also practically destroyed, and the windows of the County Council School and other adjoining windows were smashed. Two men, four woman and a child were also injured in the vicinity.

  Crossing Bow Road, the Zeppelin dropped a 100kg HE bomb on the junction of Old Ford Road and Wrexham Road, doing considerably less property damage but injuring three women. An incendiary bomb landing on Brickfield Road caused limited damage to a house but caused no fire.

  L-33 then turned north-east towards Stratford and dropped a 100kg HE bomb on Cook’s Soap Works. The bomb did not explode.

  The two HE bombs which fell further east on Marshgate Lane caused severe damage. The British Petroleum Company’s works were severely damaged; a concrete wall was blown down and underground oil pipes were broken, an 18in water main was broken and part of a sewer bank washed away. The windows of several factories close by were broken, but there were no casualties.

  Seven more 50kg HE bombs and one incendiary fell on Messrs Judd’s match factory, which was set on fire and the greater part of the building, including the stock, destroyed.

  The Zeppelin, now finding the fire to which she was subjected dangerous to her safety, and possibly having been seriously hit, was reported to have disappeared ‘in a cloud’ (probably released ballast) at 12.19 a.m. The engines were heard to be running badly and making a pounding noise, no doubt owing to the propeller having been hit.

  At 12.23 a.m. she was picked up by the Kelvedon Common searchlights again and, at 12.25 a.m., she was fired upon at an estimated height of 9,000ft by the 13-pdr guns on the common.

  There can be little doubt that, during the bombardment over east London, one propeller had been damaged and a shell had passed through her body. She also began to lose gas, though not rapidly, through punctures caused by shell splinters.

  At 12.30 a.m. L-33 was attacked by Second Lieutenant Alfred de Bath Brandon RFC (while he was out on patrol from Hainault to Sutton’s Farm), but his bullets failed to bring her down. The majority of the prisoners of L-33 were later vague as to the aeroplane attack, which apparently passed more or less unnoticed by them; but they are unanimous that the Zeppelin was pierced by a shell shortly after leaving the river, i.e. over east London.

  Brandon continued his close pursuit of the Zeppelin which, at 12.35 a.m., passed south of Ongar and at 12.45 a.m. was north of Chelmsford, Essex. It was here that L-33 started to jettison cargo. At Broomfield, spare parts, two aluminium cartridge boxes and a leather machine gun case were thrown out, and at Boreham, a mile or two further, a machine gun followed.

  At 12.55 a.m. the Zeppelin was between Witham and Maldon. She now began to labour considerably as her speed and height diminished. Around 1 a.m. she dropped a second machine gun in the grounds of ‘Moncktons’ at Wickham Bishops. A third machine gun followed at Gate House Farm, Tiptree. At 1.05 a.m. she was near Tolleshunt Major and gradually drifting nearer the ground owing to her loss of gas. Here, a fourth machine gun was thrown out at Gate House Farm.

  At 1.15 a.m. she went out to sea near West Mersea. However, Böcker (her commander), in view of her condition, preferred to land and be taken prisoner rather than run the risk of drowning with his crew, like the men of L-15. So he almost immediately returned to the coast and, at 1.20 a.m., brought his ship down to earth in a field between Little Wigborough and Peldon, some 3 miles inland, north-east of Mersea.

  The GHQ Intelligence Report stated:

  Slight explosions took place and the ship took fire but owing to her great loss of gas comparatively little damage was inflicted upon her, only the outer casing being destroyed and the front gondola suffering severe damage. The framework partly collapsed amidships when the casing took fire.

  In reality, L-33 had had a forced landing and the crew fired it. Kapitänleutnant Alois Böcker and his crew were all taken prisoner shortly after the landing.

  Early in 1918, Böcker was returned to Germany in an exchange of prisoners, with the usual stipulation that he should not fly in combat again. He did end the war in the air though, in his old Zeppelin L-14 as dir
ector of airship training at Nordholz.

  L-32 passed through the Straits of Dover between 9 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. She then felt her way along the coast to Dungeness where she came in at 10.50 p.m. and dropped six HE bombs, wrecking one house and seriously damaging another. Two bombs fell in the sea.

  She then hovered for a time, and went inland towards Appledore, worked round south-west to Peasmarsh and then off towards Hythe, appearing again at Lydd at 11.45 p.m. Finally, at about 11.45 p.m., she went off by Appledore and Cranbrook to Tunbridge Wells, where she arrived at 12.10 a.m.

  She now turned north and at 12.30 a.m. dropped an incendiary bomb at Ide Hill, near Sevenoaks, doing no damage. At 12.50 a.m. she reached Crockenhill and Swanley Junction, and dropped seven HE bombs near the Crockenhill searchlight, which had opened on her. No damage was done, but windows were broken at Swanley.

  Passing over Dartford, L-32 crossed the Thames east of Purfleet at 1 a.m. and was at once picked up by the lights and guns north of the river. There seems to have been a mist south of the river, which rendered the Zeppelin difficult to see and prevented the guns and lights of the Woolwich subcommand from dealing satisfactorily with her.

  North of the Thames, L-32 was engaged and dropped bombs in answer to the attack. She passed between Beacon Hill and Tunnel Farm, under fire from the guns at the latter place, which claimed two distinct hits. Immediately afterwards, at 1.03 a.m. she dropped nine HE bombs (two weighing 100kg) and six incendiary bombs at Aveley, doing no damage. She then came under fire from Belhus Park, Tilbury, Shonks and Fobbing.

  Aerial view of the fired wreckage of Zeppelin L-33 shortly after its crash landing at Little Wigborough on 24 September 1916. (RAF Museum, Hendon)

  At about 1.05 a.m. the Zeppelin got rid of the rest of her bombs, dropping twenty-three HE bombs (including two of 300kg weight and eight of 100kg) and twenty-one incendiaries at South Ockendon, which miraculously only broke a few windows and injured two horses. The bombs between Aveley and South Ockendon were thrown in a straight line from a point about 3,000 yards north-east of Aveley to within 400 yards south-west of North Ockendon – a distance of approximately 3 miles.