Zeppelin Blitz

by Neil Storey

  At 1.10 a.m. the Zeppelin was found and attacked by Second Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey RFC, who had been out on patrol from Joyce Green to Sutton’s Farm. His third drum of ammunition set her on fire in several places and she began to fall slowly, finally crashing to the ground in flames at Snail’s Hall Farm, Great Burstead, south of Billericay. The wreckage burned for forty-five minutes. Second Lieutenant Brandon, who saw the combat from his aeroplane some distance off, said of Sowrey’s firing that the Zeppelin looked as if it were ‘being hosed with a stream of fire.’ The fireball of the burning L-32 was seen from a great distance away, even from a British submarine in the Straits of Dover.

  Views of the fired wreckage of L-33 at Little Wigborough, Essex.

  The combat report of Second Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey for the night of 23/24 September 1916:

  At 11.25 p.m. I received orders to patrol between Sutton’s Farm and Joyce Green and at 11.30 p.m. I left the aerodrome. The weather was clear with a few thin clouds at 3,000ft. At 4,000ft I passed another machine proceeding in a northerly direction. I was then flying due south. I continued climbing as hard as possible and at 12.10 a.m. I noticed an enemy airship [L-33] in a southerly direction. It appeared to be over Woolwich. I made for the airship at once but before I could reach it the searchlights lost it. I was at this time at 8,000ft. There was a certain amount of gun fire but it was not intense. I continued climbing and reached a height of 13,000ft. I was still patrolling between Sutton’s Farm and Joyce Green. At 12.45 a.m. I noticed an enemy airship [L-32] in an easterly direction. I at once made in this direction and manoeuvred into a position underneath. The airship was well lighted by searchlights but there was not a sign of any gun fire. I could distinctly see the propellers revolving and the airship was manoeuvring to avoid the searchlight beams. I fired at. The first two drums of ammunition had apparently no effect but the third one caused the envelope to catch on fire in several places in the centre and the front. All firing was traversing fire along the envelope. The drums were loaded with a mixture of Brock, Pomeroy and Tracer ammunition. I watched the burning airship strike the ground and then proceeded to find my flares. I landed at Suttons Farm at 1.40 a.m. 24th instant. My machine was BE-2c 4112. After seeing the Zeppelin had caught on fire, I fired a red Very’s [sic] light.

  L-31, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Mathy, came overland at Rye at about 11 p.m. and pursued a west-north-west course over Hawkhurst, Horsmorden, and Tunbridge Wells to Caterham at 12.15 a.m. Here, the Zeppelin first came into contact with the south-eastern defences which, however, gave her little trouble. This was due either to inexperience on the part of those in charge of the lights, or to a new manoeuvre on the part of the Zeppelin commander who – intentionally or not – blanketed or blinded the searchlights by dropping illuminating flares. Only one gun, the 4in QF gun at Croydon, opened fire and that only at the rate of one round per minute.

  Second Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey RFC.

  The Zeppelin was flying unusually high (estimated at 12,000ft) and fast. She was ably manoeuvred by her commander, and succeeded in bombing London, crossing the city from south to north, and in getting clear away without injury.

  Coming up from Caterham, L-31 dropped four HE bombs at Kenley at 12.25 a.m., severely damaging three houses and injuring two people. These were evidently her trail bombs aimed at the first light seen. She was next directly over the Purley light at 12.30 a.m. which had failed to pick up the target before, owing to a defective mirror. The Croydon light now picked up the ship for a moment, when two flares were dropped, which caused it to lose her. She was picked up again directly afterwards at 12.36 a.m. and the gun opened fire for two minutes when she dropped another flare which blanketed the searchlight. The Dulwich and Streatham searchlights did not find the Zeppelin at all. The Dulwich gun saw her for a second by means of other lights, but did not open fire.

  Meanwhile, after dropping two HE and two incendiary bombs on two farms at Mitcham, the concussion of which damaged a few houses slightly, the Zeppelin had begun her bombing of London. Going straight on northwards, at about 12.35 a.m., Streatham was severely bombed, with ten HE and twenty-two incendiary bombs falling in quick succession. Streatham Common railway station was damaged, and the permanent way and some rolling stock and a signal box broken. Four houses were wrecked, and ten shops and ten other houses were severely damaged. There was the usual large amount of broken glass. In all seven people were killed and twenty-seven injured; of these six were killed in a tramcar which was hit by the fragments of a 300kg HE bomb on Streatham Hill. The railway station at Streatham Hill was also damaged.

  The Zeppelin was now on the line of the main road through Streatham and Brixton Hill to Kennington, and followed it accurately as far as the latter place. On Brixton, six HE (one of them 100kg) and seventeen incendiary bombs were dropped, wrecking a house, and seriously damaging a garage, twenty-one houses and twenty-one shops, and slightly affecting forty more houses. Seven people were killed and seventeen injured.

  Finally, at Kennington, a single HE bomb was dropped which caused extensive damage to windows.

  L-31 then flew over the Thames east of London Bridge, being clearly seen from the Embankment at about 12.40 a.m., and six minutes later threw ten more HE bombs on Lea Bridge Road and Leyton. These caused serious damage to about a dozen houses, and lesser damage to a large number of others, besides killing eight and injuring thirty-one people. Mist had risen, and she was not seen well enough for any of the north-eastern gun stations to open fire on her.

  Her subsequent course lay east of Chingford at 12.50 a.m., over Buckhurst Hill and near Waltham Abbey at 12.59 a.m. Chingford searchlight picked her up from 1.03 a.m. to 1.07 a.m. Then the Zeppelin made a course over Harlow to Takeley, east of Bishops Stortford, at 1.15 a.m., Haverhill about 1.30 a.m., Bury St Edmunds at 1.45 a.m., Diss at 1.55 a.m., Bungay at 2.05 a.m., north of Beccles at 2.10 a.m., and finally moved out to sea south of Great Yarmouth at about 2.15 a.m., being fired at both from the shore (Fritton and naval gun) and by a warship. At 2.20 a.m. she passed over the Cross Sand lightship.

  Amid the victories in the air there was a tragedy …

  Reports of a dozen Zeppelins having crossed the North Sea intent on attacking London and the east coast were rife, and numerous aircraft went up on patrol to try to intercept them. Two Royal Flying Corps aircraft from 51 Squadron were dispatched to go on anti-Zeppelin patrol from Thetford (Mattishall). Tragically, one of the pilots of these aircraft, Lieutenant Michael Thunder, failed to gain enough height on take-off and crashed as a result. Badly burned, he was removed to the Norwich Hospital, but died of his injuries later on 24 September.

  Lieutenant Michael Hubert Francis Thunder RFC (1874–1916), the first pilot to be killed in 51 Squadron, was given a funeral with full RFC honours and six of his fellow officers acting as pall-bearers, at Ramsgate (St Augustine) Roman Catholic churchyard on 29 September 1916.

  25/26 September 1916

  L-16 and L-14 came in almost simultaneously at about 10.05 a.m. over Bridlington Bay, with L-16 to the northward at Barmston. She passed near Driffield between 10.10 p.m. and 10.20 p.m., was at Huggate at 10.27 p.m. and south of Malton at 10.45 p.m. and then returned to the coast.

  At 10.50 p.m. an incendiary bomb was thrown on Velmire Farm, Whitwell-on-the-Hill, near Malton. By 10.55 p.m. she was at North Grimston, and at 11 p.m. dropped another incendiary bomb at Langtoft, which did no damage. L-16 then turned northward in the direction of Scarborough, dropped flares and then returned southward, dropping a third incendiary bomb at North Burton, south of Hunmanby about 11.30 p.m.

  L-16 then went in the direction of Driffield, crossing the railway at Nafferton at 11.35 p.m. and turning sharply north again. At 11.40 p.m. she was engaged by the Bessingby gun, which fired a single round at her, without effect. One shell was afterwards picked up at Kilham, 6 miles west. Five minutes later, the Zeppelin was heard west of Bridlington, at 11.50 p.m. she went directly over Hunmanby and at 11.55 p.m. went
out to sea over Speeton, in Filey Bay, making her way back to base. She probably dropped the rest of her bombs at sea, but there was only one doubtful report of a single bomb being heard.

  L-14 came in at Atwick, passed north of Beverley at 10.20 p.m., near Market Weighton at 10.30 p.m., south of Pocklington about 10.35 p.m. and Stamford Bridge at 10.40 p.m., following the railway line to York.

  At 10.45 p.m. she approached the city from the north-east and dropped an HE bomb at Heworth. She then passed south over the eastern outskirts of the city dropping seven HE and two incendiary bombs en route, which wrecked one house and did extensive window damage, but caused no casualties. Still going south, she dropped two HE and five incendiary bombs at Fulford which merely damaged some telephone wires.

  L-14 was then engaged by the 3in gun at Acomb, which fired five rounds at her without effect, but with the result of bringing about her retreat. She passed again east of the city, going northwards and, shortly after 11.15 p.m., dropped an incendiary bomb on Pilmoor. The Zeppelin then turned south-west and dropped an HE bomb at Newby with Mulwith, south-east of Ripon, and four HE bombs at Ripon Rifle Ranges, Wormald Green, doing no damage.

  Turning south, she passed over Killinghall Camp near Harrogate, shortly after midnight, and dropped four HE bombs at Dunkeswick at 12.15 a.m. on the RFC landing ground to no effect. At Harewood, at 12.20 a.m., thirteen incendiary bombs fell, which did slight damage to an outhouse.

  The Zeppelin, now going east, was picked up by the mobile searchlight at Collingham. On getting to the beam she steered directly for the light, dropping three HE Bombs, one of which severed telegraphic communication between the gun and the light. Nine rounds were fired by the gun, and the Zeppelin went off north-east. She was next reported passing over the North Eastern Railway main line at Tollerton at 12.50 a.m. At 12.55 a.m. she was between Easingwold and Strensall, and at 1.15 a.m. over Rillington, east of Malton. At 1.30 a.m. she went out to sea at Scarborough.

  L-21, under Oberleutnant zur See Kurt Frankenberg, arrived over Sutton-on-Sea at 9.45 p.m. At 9.50 p.m. she was at Alford, and south of Wragby at 10.15 p.m. From there she travelled onwards to the north, passing round the northern outskirts of Sheffield, crossed the Peak District and on to Todmorden at 11.55 p.m. At she was at Bacup and went north-west to Lumb, between which place and Newchurch she dropped two incendiary bombs.

  She then turned south-west and made for the railway at Rawtenstall, where she dropped two HE bombs. She moved onwards west to Haslingden, following the railway south, and dropping five HE and two incendiary bombs at Ewood Bridge, which caused slight damage to the sewage farm, railway line and smashed some windows. Still following the railway, L-21 dropped seven HE bombs at Holcombe, which damaged the post office, injured the postmistress Mrs Elizabeth Hoyle, damaged telegraph wires, and broke windows in the church and stopped its clock.

  At Ramsbottom, further down the valley, two HE bombs were dropped, followed by two incendiary bombs at Holcombe Brook. L-21 was reported as having approached Bolton from Astley Bridge and Sharples at 12.20 a.m., dropping a bomb that narrowly missed the Eden Orphanage. Travelling in a south-westerly direction the raider went across Halliwell where the blast from an HE bomb smashed widows on Darley Street. A bomb then destroyed a terraced house in Lodge Vale. Fortunately the three women inside escaped with shock and minor injuries. Incendiary bombs also fell on Waldeck Street and Chorley Old Road. L-21 then made for the centre of town, travelling over Queen’s Park. Another incendiary fell on Wellington Street, which set a house on fire. Fortunately the fire brigade were on hand in time to rescue a woman and two children, who had been trapped inside, from an upstairs window.

  The worst of the damage was then suffered from the bombs dropped on Kirk Street and John Street; six houses were demolished, six more were badly damaged and many of the others suffered doors blown in, windows shattered and their brickwork gouged by fragments of bomb casing hurled around in the blasts.

  Sixteen people were pulled out of the wreckage alive, but two died on the way to hospital, bringing the death toll to thirteen.

  Those killed were:

  Mr James Allison, 64 Kirk Street.

  Mrs James Allison, 64 Kirk Street.

  David Davis, Lodger, 64 Kirk Street.

  Mrs Elizabeth Gregory (42), 66 Kirk Street.

  Miss Ellen Gregory (17), 66 Kirk Street.

  Frederick James Guildford, Lodger, 64 Kirk Street.

  Mrs Bridget Irwin (44), 58 Kirk Street.

  Ellen Margaret Irwin (2½), 58 Kirk Street.

  Mrs Anne McDermott (36), 62 Kirk Street.

  Mary Ellen McDermott (5), 62 Kirk Street.

  Mr William McDermott (42), 62 Kirk Street.

  Mrs Martha O’Hara (41), 60 Kirk Street.

  Mr Michael O’Hara (42), 60 Kirk Street.

  Passing over Great Moor Street, Spa Road, Moor Lane and Marsden Road, the raider then turned south, passed over Gilnow Mill, crossed the railway lines and dropped bombs on Rope Walk in Washington Street and the Co-op Laundry on Back Deane Road. Properties were damaged but no one was injured.

  Crossing Deane Road, the raider flew over Quebec Street and Cannon Street before arriving at Ormerod and Hardcastle Mill in Daubhill. Here an incendiary fell and started a fire, but it was swiftly extinguished. Another bomb fell on Parrot Street and Apple Street, damaging privies and smashing windows. Turning North, an HE bomb was dropped on Trinity Church, causing some damage, but failed to explode.

  The final three bombs fell around the Town Hall, on Mawdsley Street, Ashburner Street and Mealhouse Lane. At 12.45 a.m. the raider left, travelling in the direction of Darwen. During her time over Bolton L-21 dropped a total of nine HE and eleven incendiary bombs. No damage was done to the Bessemer Steel Forge or public buildings.

  From Bolton she turned due north, was south of Blackburn at 1.05 a.m., and at 1.30 a.m. she was near Skipton. At about 1.35 a.m. she dropped an HE bomb at Bolton Abbey, which failed to explode. Passing over the North Yorkshire Moors, she apparently had some difficulty locating her position, and it was not until 3.05 a.m. that she passed out to sea at Whitby.

  L-22 came in over the Lincolnshire coast at 10.30 p.m., and dropped an incendiary bomb at Maltby-le-Marsh shortly afterwards. Going north-west, she was seen from Louth at 11 p.m. and at 11.13 p.m. dropped another incendiary bomb south of Market Rasen. Heading in the direction of Rotherham, at 12.15 a.m., she dropped seven incendiary bombs near Tinsley Park Colliery, doing no damage.

  L-22 then followed the railway to Sheffield, approached from the south-east and passed diagonally across the Attercliffe and Brightside districts at the east end of the city, over the quarter in which all the great armaments works were situated. She dropped fifteen HE and fifteen incendiary bombs in total but, by good fortune, no damage was done to any of the munitions works except in the case of Messrs John Brown & Co.’s Atlas Works, where an incendiary bomb dropped through the roof of a machine shop causing a slight fire. With this exception, all the damage was done to a small cottage property nearby, and private houses in the district, with resultant loss of life. In all, twenty-eight people were killed and nineteen injured. Nine houses and a chapel were demolished and damage of varying amounts occurred to sixty-two other dwellings.

  The Zeppelin was at a great height, and there was a considerable amount of mist that prevented her from being seen. The first five HE and three incendiary bombs dropped near the gun position at Manor Oak, one HE falling within 50ft of the gun, which did not fire owing to the fog and the height of the Zeppelin. The 3in gun at Shire Green fired two rounds in the direction of the Zeppelin, although unable to see it. On being fired at the raider fled north-east and looked for a route seaward. She was south of Barton-on-Humber at 1.30 a.m. and at 1.40 a.m. she was engaged by the Chase Hill gun with one round.

  Two minutes later she was spotted over the Humber, where a round was fired at her by HMS Patrol. The Zeppelin hurried inland to avoid the warship and crossed over the river at Immingham at 1.48 a.m., dr
opping bombs which fell in the water.

  At 1.50 a.m. she passed south-west of the Sutton AA gun, travelling north, and was engaged by the Sutton, Marfleet and Harpings guns. Sutton fired four rounds, Marfleet the same number and Harpings eight. Only Harpings saw the target, which was flying at a height estimated at 10,000–11,500ft. She passed west of Grimston Hall out to sea at about 2.05 a.m.

  L-23 was about 30 miles out to sea off the Norfolk coast at 8.00–8.30 p.m. when five bombs were heard from Cromer at a great distance. The Zeppelin does not appear to have come overland but went back to base after discharging her bombs in the sea.

  L-30 was also believed to have been off Cromer at 8.15 p.m., and approached Yarmouth at about 8.50 p.m. She wandered up and down the coast for some time, dropping a large number of heavy bombs in the sea at about 10.25 p.m.

  L-30 was reported in the southern area of the North Sea at midnight, and an hour later on the Dutch coast off Helder on her way back to base. It was not thought that either Zeppelin crossed the coastline, but reports of ‘strange airships’ came from various places in Norfolk during the night and were dismissed as improbable. Another ‘phantom airship’, which seems to have been taken more seriously, was also reported from the Spalding and Boston district between 8.30 and 11 p.m.

  L-31 followed the new line of attack inaugurated by her in concert with L-32 two days before. She came through the Straits of Dover, but without attacking the defences, and was off Dungeness at 9.35 p.m. At 10.05 p.m. she was close to Hastings and at 10.15 p.m. was heard from Bexhill going west out at sea. She passed over Selsey Bill at 11.06 p.m. and then headed across to the Isle of Wight after dropping a flare to ascertain her whereabouts. At 11.30 p.m. she was over Sandown Bay, practically stationary, and then after passing south-west of the Culver battery (which did not open fire on her) went inland over Sandown, was seen over Yaverland at 11.40 p.m. and over Ryde five minutes later, going north and making straight for the entrance of Portsmouth harbour, flying very fast at a great height. She was well seen by the searchlights and all the AA guns opened on her. Curiously, the guns firing on the Zeppelin suffered a great number of misfires, owing to faulty ammunition, and accidents to guns were reported. However, not a single bomb could be traced as being dropped in the town of Portsmouth.