Zeppelin Blitz

by Neil Storey

9.35, sighted large Zeppelin flying at about 20,000ft over West Hartlepool, heading due south. 2nd Lieutenant Morris was then at 14,500ft and proceeded to climb until at a height of 17,300ft. I then opened fire at the enemy’s airship, firing two double drums but without result. Firing was carried out in bursts of 10 or 15 rounds. 2nd Lieutenant Morris also fired about 50 rounds from his gun. As soon as he had fired, a searchlight from the ground found the airship, but was only able to hold it for an instant. This occurred over Redcar at 9.40 p.m. As soon as we had fired, the airship turned due east and we followed her out to sea. I fired at intervals until we lost her in the mist at 10.05 p.m. We were then about 35 or 40 miles out to sea. We then turned back but owing to the very heavy mist we were unable to locate Seaton Carew or Skinningrove. At 11.15 p.m. we landed at Hylton. It was impossible to see any part of the ground as low as 2,000ft.

  R.D. Linford, 2nd Lieutenant

  1/7th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment

  Seaton Carew

  14th March 1918

  Lieutenant Hill of 76 Squadron, in a BE-12b, went up from Helperby and patrolled for three hours between Hull, Middlesbrough and York at 17,000ft, and was commended in official reports as ‘a very good performance.’

  It was also noted in the Intelligence Report:

  The ceiling of the Zeppelin in 1916 was only 12,000–13,000ft. Now, however, the efforts of the German constructors have enabled it to rise at least 20,000ft, the original heavy load which was assayed at the end of 1916 has been resumed, the danger from aeroplane attack having so greatly diminished at the great height at which the raiders now fly. The aeroplane danger, however, still exists for the airship and on this account it would appear that clear nights have been purposely avoided by the German airship commanders. The preference which they now show for very cloudy and misty weather greatly hampers the operations of our aeroplanes but on the other hand it makes it almost impossible for the airship commanders to know precisely where they are and so long as their operations are not directed against an enormous target such as London, Manchester of Glasgow, the chances are the majority of their bombs will fall harmlessly. Otherwise, landing ground flares, searchlights and guns now appear to be favourite targets

  12/13 April 1918

  Five naval Zeppelins left the north German sheds under the command of Fregattenkapitän Strasser on 12 April. Their chief objective would seem to have been the Midland manufacturing towns. In the communiqué issued after the raid the German naval airship command claimed to have bombed Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, Hull and Grimsby. In actual fact, of the places mentioned, only the environs of Birmingham and the river bank opposite Hull were bombed.

  L-62, under the command of Hauptmann Kuno Manger, crossed the Norfolk coast at Overstrand at 9.30 p.m. and pursued a steady west-south-west course towards her target of Birmingham. Passing Bodham and Corpusty at 9.45 p.m., Foulsham at 9.50 p.m., and Litcham at 10 p.m., she was over Swaffham at 10.05 p.m. Turning west, the Zeppelin passed Downham Market at 10.15 p.m. and then veered off to the north-west, dropping her first bombs 200 yards west of Middle Drove Station at 10.20 p.m. The two 100kg bombs both exploded, breaking some windows in the properties near where they fell. A searchlight located about 1 mile from where the bomb dropped was probably the objective.

  L-62 then made its way to Tydd St Mary where, at 10.25 p.m., three 100kg bombs were dropped in a cornfield 1,000 yards east of the aerodrome, and five incendiaries 600 yards further on, doing no damage whatever.

  An aviator who endeavoured to engage the Zeppelin described her as ‘sitting’ over the aerodrome at about 18,000ft while she dropped her bombs, and she went off before he could get near her, turning sharply southward to elude pursuit and then apparently circling about for a time before resuming her westward course. At 10.35 p.m. the raider was near Wisbech, and at about 10.50 p.m., north of Murrow. The aviator appears to have lost her as soon as she doubled south, as he was under the impression he was still pursuing her in a north-westerly direction, until he finally crashed owing to lack of petrol at Buckminster.

  The Zeppelin actually went west-south-west after passing Murrow, and dropped a 50kg bomb, aimed at a searchlight 1 mile east of Nassington, at 11.05 p.m. breaking a window. Five minutes later she was at Oundle, and then passed between Glendon and Corby.

  At 11.35 p.m. she was heard from Lutterworth, and at 11.42 p.m. the Wyken and Radford guns near Coventry opened fire upon her, continuing in action for five minutes; although she was only momentarily visible, the lights failing to pick her up properly. In answer to this fire, she turned south-west and, at 11.45 p.m., dropped thirteen bombs south-east of Coventry on a length of about 1 mile, running from south-east to north-west parallel with the Willenhall–Coventry Road, between Baginton Sewage Farm and Whitley Abbey Park. Of these bombs, two were of 300kg weight, two of 100kg and nine incendiaries – all fell in fields. At Baginton a bullock, a heifer and a lamb were killed, at Whitley Abbey windows were broken by the concussion of the 300kg bomb that fell in the park. There were no casualties.

  From Coventry the Zeppelin passed on north of Kenilworth, and between 11.50 p.m. and 11.55 p.m. dropped six 100kg HE bombs, in groups of two, between Packwood and Monkspath. No damage was done, except some window glass at Hockley Heath. There were no casualties.

  L-62 then approached Birmingham directly at a speed of 60mph. At 11.57 p.m. the gun at Lodge Hill opened fire with anti-Zeppelin (AZ) shells, followed a minute later by guns at South Yardley and Brandwood End. The Zeppelin was now between Yardley and Hallgreen; she suddenly turned and dropped two 300kg bombs roughly at midnight, one at Hallgreen and the other at Shirley while receding south-east, and went off over Solihull in a north-easterly direction. The first bomb caused slight damage to a farm and cottages, and the second broke some glass in shops and houses, there were no casualties.

  At approximately 12.10 a.m. the Zeppelin was near Water Orton, and five minutes later passed over Baxterley. When over Atherstone a minute or two afterwards, she had turned again south-west and, at 12.24 a.m., was reported between Longford and Coventry, going east.

  The Zeppelin then circled north of Coventry, under the fire of the Wyken gun which again opened at 12.30 a.m., followed at 12.34 a.m. by Radford. They had ceased fire by 12.38 a.m., the Zeppelin having gone off north-east towards Hinckley.

  She then turned suddenly southwards, and at 12.45 a.m. passed over Rugby, going east. Two or three British aeroplanes were searching for the raider in their neighbourhood, and one of them engaged her, the pilot receiving a wound to his head. The presence of the aircraft no doubt accounted for the erratic movements of L-62.

  At 12.50 a.m. she was east of Lutterworth and at 1 a.m. just north-east of Daventry pursuing a steady course eastward. At 1.15 a.m. she passed between Northampton and Brixworth, at 1.20 a.m. between Burton Latimer and Wellingborough, and at 1.30 a.m. between Thrapston and Raunds. Veering south-east at 1.45 a.m., she passed over Huntingdon and five minutes later over St Ives.

  At 2 a.m. she was near Littleport, and 15 minutes later near Lakenheath and Brandon. The raider was spotted north of Thetford at 2.25 a.m., Attleborough at 2.35 a.m. and Forncett at 2.45 a.m. From 2.46 a.m. to 2.49 a.m. one of the Pulham 18-pdr anti-aircraft guns at ‘The Beeches’ was in action against her, firing seventeen AZ rounds.

  At 2.50 a.m. she passed Long Stratton, and five minutes later was west of Loddon. Here, she appeared to stop her engines in order to ascertain her whereabouts and then went past Loddon at about 3 a.m. There were several British aeroplanes in the neighbourhood. Owing to the heavy mist prevailing at that time she was generally invisible, and the sound of her engines appears to have been confused with that of the aircraft pursing her.

  Seen from Pakefield, Suffolk, at 3.10 a.m., she descended to 11,000ft to escape the headwind and approached Yarmouth from the west. Yarmouth was cloaked in fog so the 3in 20 cwt AA gun at Nelson’s Monument could only open fire towards her sound at 3.20 a.m. The firing was suspended soon afterwards, on account of the p
resence of British aircraft in pursuit of the Zeppelin. The firing, however, had driven L-62 south-westward, and she passed over Herringfleet at 3.25 a.m., then Gorleston at 3.34 a.m. before going north-east and out to sea.

  The guns later fired towards the sound of targets at 3.55 a.m. and again at 4.15 a.m., when there was no hostile aircraft overland anywhere in England, thus illustrating the confusion and danger that could arise in cloudy and misty weather if British aeroplanes passed over the areas defended by AA guns.

  L-63 was first heard by Skegness, passing to the south at 10.05 p.m. and steering west until 10.25 p.m. when south of Coningsby. Three minutes later, when reported by Billinghay, she was steering north-west and at 10.29 p.m. the Brauncewell gun came into action against her and continued to fire at her until 10.34 p.m.

  The first bomb thrown by the Zeppelin was a 100kg HE that harmlessly dropped at 10.30 p.m. on a field at Blankney Farm, a few miles north-east of Cranwell Aerodrome, the flares of which may have been the intended target.

  The raider now steered due north, and at 10.35 p.m. eighteen bombs were dropped 1 mile east of Metheringham. Two of these were of 300kg weight, fifteen were of 50kg and the last was an incendiary bomb. No casualties were caused, and the only damage was to windows in the vicinity. After dropping the bombs the raider made off to the southward, and was not observed again until half an hour later when she reappeared near Spalding, going east.

  At about 11.10 p.m. she dropped one incendiary bomb at Fleet and five at Little Sutton, to no effect. She then headed northward over the Wash to Skegness, which she passed going north at 11.45 p.m. The raider appears to have lingered around the mouth of the Wash for half an hour and then went south-east to Hunstanton, which she passed going east at 12.30 a.m. Hugging the coast until 1.10 a.m., she was spotted off Cromer, after which she went out to sea.

  L-64 came in at Saltfleet at approximately 9.45 p.m. and was seen at Louth steering south-west at 10 p.m. At 10.02 p.m. an incendiary bomb was dropped at Biscathorpe, but did no damage. At 10.15 p.m. the raider circled to the north of Lincoln, during which the gun at Burton Road opened on her at 10.28 p.m. She passed on south-west, and retaliated by dropping two 100kg bombs at Skellingthorpe, followed by twelve 50kg HE bombs at Doddington, one of which did not explode. At Skellingthorpe the railway, an engine shed and telegraph wires were damaged. Three men were wounded by anti-aircraft shell fragments, and some windows were broken at Doddington. There were lights showing at Skellingthorpe and Doddington, there having been no warning given that a raid was in progress, because the buzzer at Lincoln which usually gave the warning was not heard. The raider was followed by gunfire until 10.45 p.m., when the sound of her engines had died away to the south-west.

  Shortly after, between 10.40 and 10.45 p.m. she doubled back, and dropped four more HE bombs: a 50kg HE at Waddington, and two 50kg and one 300kg at Mere, south of Lincoln. The 300kg bomb failed to explode, and the others caused no damage. The flares of the aerodrome at Waddington were lit, and almost certainly the target of these bombs.

  At 10.54 p.m. the Brauncewell gun came into action again against the Zeppelin, and fired upon her until 11.07 p.m. when she was to the north of Swineshead. At 11.35 p.m. Spilsby reported her to the southward, travelling east and at midnight she was over the Wash, in the neighbourhood of Wainfleet. Turning north overland again at 12.05 a.m., near Burgh-le-Marsh, twenty minutes later she was off Skegness. She then went north along the coast, finally circling in the neighbourhood of Mablethorpe until 1.05 a.m. when she went out to sea.

  L-60, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Flemming, was only overland about an hour. She came in south of Spurn Head at 9.20 p.m. and went up the estuary under the fire of the Cleefield, Scartho, Immingham and Chase Hill guns. She probably struck inland at East Halton, where her first and last bombs were dropped. Four 100kg bombs, three of which did not explode, eight 50kg and one incendiary were thrown, killing two sheep and slightly damaging a signal box.

  Pursuing an easterly course, a number of bombs were dropped in rapid succession roughly between 9.40 p.m. and 9.55 p.m. at Thornton Abbey and Thornton Curtis, on the outskirts of Barton-on-Humber, and at Horkstow and at Saxby. Three 100kg, eight 50kg and ten incendiary bombs fell, but beyond damaging some telegraph wires and glass there was no further damage.

  After throwing her last bombs at Saxby, the raider turned north, then north-east, passing around Hull and coming under fire from Harpings and Sutton guns at 10.14 p.m. and 10.16 p.m. respectively. The Sutton gun reported the Zeppelin departing east-north-east, but she did not immediately go out to sea as she was heard at Tunstall to the north-west, flying east. The German communiqué stated that the commander of the raider claimed he had bombed Grimsby.

  L-61, under Kapitänleutnant Herbert Ehrlich, appeared to have Leeds as its target. Crossing the coast near Withernsea at 9.30 p.m., at 9.35 p.m. fire was opened on her by the Paull and Marfleet guns, to the north of the Humber estuary, and these may have caused the raider to divert south-west, as at 9.50 p.m. she passed over Brigg.

  Passing over the Peak District, she reached Bold, between Warrington and St Helens, Lancashire, where at about 11.10 p.m. she dropped two 50kg bombs, one falling in the main road and one in a field close to Clock Face Colliery. There were no casualties, but there was damage to telegraph wires and a water main.

  Proceeding north, the raider dropped bombs at Ince on the southern outskirts of Wigan at about 11.30 p.m. As no warning had been received, the blast furnaces of the Wigan Coal & Iron Company had not been damped down and were in full blaze. Three 100kg bombs, one 50kg, which did not explode, and four incendiaries, one of which did not ignite, were dropped on Ince. Only one man was injured, but considerable damage was done to cottage property. A signal cabin was also damaged, two railway wagons were wrecked and a portion of the permanent way of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway main line was destroyed.

  Proceeding over Wigan, fifteen more bombs were dropped on the borough, of which seven were 100kg, six 50kg and two incendiary bombs.

  Five people were killed:

  Bamlett, John Robinsom (42), a discharged soldier, killed in the street.

  Fordham, Jane Ann (67), buried in the kitchen of her wrecked house.

  Kershaw Henry Wright (8) was going to take shelter in a large cupboard with his mother, who was carrying his younger brother, when a bomb fell outside their front door.

  Middleton Joseph (11)

  Readman Ellen (4)

  A further 14 people were injured. Three small houses were completely demolished, and considerable damage was done to others.

  Steering north-east, the raider was over New Springs, Aspull at about 11.38 p.m. and there dropped four 300kg bombs. They fell in a field, but considerable damage was done by the concussion to cottages in the vicinity and a fire broke out at the Crown Brewery, resulting in damage estimated at £1,630. Four people were injured. From Aspull, L-61 went off due east, dropping her remaining bombs, both incendiaries, at Little Hulton about 11.40 p.m. and at Outwood, Radcliffe, a few minutes later. Both fell harmlessly in fields. Passing over Middleton the raider dropped a flare, and at 11.59 p.m. the sound of her engines was heard north-west of Oldham.

  Resuming her easterly course, the raider passed over Pontefract at 12.40 a.m. and, at 12.51 a.m., came under fire from the Selby and Howden defences. She turned south-east, and was next heard north-east of Goole at about 1 a.m. and over Staddlethorpe at 1.09 a.m.

  At 1.25 a.m. the Hull guns came into action against her. The raider hovered over the town for half an hour, and it was not until 2.03 a.m. that the guns on the east side of the city and south of the estuary opened on her. She then turned south-east, and at 2.38 a.m. was fired on by the Spurn and Kilnsea guns and was last heard from Withernsea, out at sea at 2.50 a.m., where HMS Albion also fired several rounds at her.

  The consensus of opinion from guns, pilots and observers, was that the Zeppelins had navigated at 16,000–20,000ft during this raid.

  5/6 August 1918

/>   Götterdämmerung

  On the afternoon of 5 August 1918, five airships were despatched to carry out a raid on the Midlands. Three of them, L-53(under the command of Kapitänleutnant Eduard Prölss), L-65, (under the command of Kapitänleutnant Walter Dose) and L-70, (under the command of Kapitänleutnant Johann von Lossnitzer) which was also carrying Zeppelin chief Peter Strasser, approached the coast together.

  At 8.10 p.m. the three Zeppelins were sighted by the Leman Trail lightship, bearing east about 8 miles, steering west-north-west and flying low. Messages were relayed across the sea until the east coast defences were alerted and the daylight warning was sounded. The Eastern Daily Press reported: ‘There was no sign of alarm; just the anxiety to get cover in the event of anything happening. The police and special constables took up their positions and all arrangements in case of emergency were made.’

  At 9.25 p.m. the leading pair, L-70 and L-65, were seen from the Haisborough lightship bearing east-north-east about 12 miles, at a very high altitude. Both were plainly visible in a clear patch of sky. They then passed behind the clouds and were not spotted again until half an hour later when L-53, which had fallen behind, passed north of the Leman Trail lightship at 9.25 p.m., and went directly over the Haisborough lightship heading south-west. The three airships were thus disposed in a ‘V’ formation, and the leading pair appeared due north of Cromer at 9.50 p.m., dropping flares. Ten minutes later they were north of Wells and L-70 dropped three bombs that fell in the sea very close by the schooner Amethyst.

  In the meantime, the telephone of the Great Yarmouth RNAS station had rung with the warning of the approach of the Zeppelins. The duty officer, Captain Robert Leckie, commander of 228 Squadron, the ‘Boat Flight’, acted immediately. Informing the station commander, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholl, orderlies were sent post-haste across the town to call in officers and men. These included Temporary Major Egbert Cadbury, commander of 212 Squadron, who had been at Wellington Pier where he had been in the audience of a charity concert at which his wife had been due to sing (they were newly married and it had been a wartime romance – she was Mary, the eldest daughter of the Reverend Forbes Phillips, rector of Gorleston.)