The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-11-19
ADVENTURES OF AIRMEN.
How British Officers Destroyed Great
Zeppelin Sheds.

London, Oct. l9.-DurlnS the last
few days good many of the officers
and men of the royal navy air SER
vice who have been at work in Bel
gium, have come back to this country
for new machines and spare parts, so
that one is now able to get something
like a connected narrative Of the sue
cessful raid on the airship shed at
Dusseldorf. Taking all its circum-
stances into consideration, it is one
of the finest performances put up in
any war by aviators.
The three officers told off for the
Job, as stated in the official report,
we're Squadron Commander Spencer
Grey, Flight Lieutenant Mark and
Flight Lieutenant Sippe. When the
three of them, with a squad of ma
! rines and air machines. went to look
after the machines at the Belgian
flying corps ground. to the east of
Antwerp, they found that the Ger
man heavy guns were already at
work, and were actually firing over
the aerodome at the forts behind, so
that they had to land practically
under fire. At that time, however,
the guns were not troubling them
selves about the aerodome or the
buildings near it.
Flew High to Avoid Guns.
Close to the aerodome they dis
covered a chateau belonging to a
German, which had been vacated by
it's owner, and here they installed
themselves to wait for the morning.
First thing on the next morning they
started off, Squadron Commander
Grey and Lieut.. Mark each on one of
the little Sopwith biplane scouts,
which are commonly known among
aviators as "tabloids," and Lieut..
Sippe an a B. E. biplane of the royal
aircraft factory design. The little
scouts do about ninety-five miles per
hour and the B. E.'s about seventy
five.
Owing to all the German artillery
being to the east Of them the pilots
had to start off toward the west, in
the direction of Antwerp, and climb
up a great height in order to get
above the range of the German guns,
especially the high angle guns, COM
monty called anti-aircraft guns
which throw shrapnel to anything up
to 5000 feet.
Before they had got very far, the
engine of Lieut. Sippe's machine,
which had been sulky for several
days, retired from business altogeth-
er, and he had to give up the chase
of the faster machines and returned
to the aerodome. The other two
meanwhile went on their way.
Steered Separate Courses.
For part of the journey they were
flying through thick fog, and at one
point, Lieut.. Mark, going down loT
to try and find out exactly how far he
had got, found himself only a few
feet over tree tops, when at last he
sighted the ground. However, fur
ther eastward they ran into clearer
air and they started off on different
courses, Lieut.. Mark going to Dues
seldorf and Squadron Commander
Grey to Cologne. :.
On arriving at Dusseldorf, Lieut..
Mark proceeded to do violent spiral
dive, coming down at such speed
that, according to the Germans &C
count, the onlookers thought he had
been hit by guns mounted to pro-
tect the shed. When one realizes
that these little scouts pick up a
speed of 40 miles an hour within a
few seconds of having their noses
pushed down ,steeply, one can easily
lIlduS lHS OAlOohClo OOiAS ehoo
deceived.
AS a matter of fact, the manoeuvre
was thoroughly sound, for dropping
at such a pace the machine would
be very much more difficult to hit
with rifle fire, and its altitude would
alter so quickly that it would be prac-
tically impossible for the anti-air-
craft guns to vary their range to
suit.
He came down this way to height
of about 500 feet and then released
his bombs. Exactly where they fell
he could not make sure, but one, at
any rate, went through the roof of
the shed, and in few seconds the
flames were shooting out through it
as high as the place where he himself
had passed over the shed.
Treachery Suspected.
Relieved of the weight of the
bon,hc and forced far beyOnd her