South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-20
Several Are Wounded in First
Attack by German ZeppeIinS
Over Six Towns and Villages
Near English Coast.
REPORT ONE SHIP IN
SQUADRON SHOT DOWN
Panic Follows Raid in Damaged
Towns = Royalty Escapes
Before Invaders Reach Place
Within 100 Miles of London.

LONDON, Jan. 2O.-Three persons
were killed. a number of others
wounded and six towns and villages
were damaged in the first German
Zeppelin raid over England. Bombs
from the attacking aerial craft. which
launched their assault upon east coast
of England from the skies late last
night. fell upon the towns of Var
mouth. Sheringham and Grimston.
Sheringham is only a half mile
from the country seat OF the late King
Edward VII and the home of Dowa-
ger Queen Alexandria, the mother of
King George.
Smottisham lies on the edge OF the
royal estate at Sandringham.
Sandringham is only six miles from
Kings Lynn and Kings Lynn is 50
miles north OF London.
1t was evidently the intention Of
the Germans to attack King George
and Queen Mary. who have been stay
ing at Sandringham, but their majes-
ties had left the Sandringham palace
for London only about six hours be-
fore the raid was made.
Early dispatches stated that two
persons had been killed at Yarmouth
and one at Kings Lynn.
Panic Follows Raid
Panic has followed the raid. The
government is taking fresh precau-
tionary measures all along the east
coast and In London. Insurance rates
against damage by Zeppelins in this
city are rising.
In the damaged towns the terror
which followed the attack was un-
abated today. A mad search for Ger
man spies was begun. as a result Of
reports that signals had been flashed
10 the raiding Zeppelins at Yarmouth
According TO these reports a signal
was given from a house near the
Aquarium theater in Yarmouth Just
before the attack began.
Owing 10 the darkness of the night
and the extreme distance il was i'm
possible TO tell accurately how many
ships there were in the squadron, but
il is reported that there were six. 1t
IS reported that one of the Zeppelins
had been shot down, but the report
lacked confirmation at a late hour.
Attack Yarmouth First.
Yarmouth was the first place at
tackled After dropping their bombs
there the raiders turned sOuthward.
Then they turned inland. Kings Lynn
seems 10 have been the last point at
tackled \ telegram TO the Daily
Telegraph from Kings Lynn says:
THE night was very dark. but
few persons here claim to have seen
the airship which attacked the town.
The first missile destroyed the hydraul-
ic engine house at the docks. The next
fell upon house near the docks This
bomb went clean through the roof
and two floors 10 the basement. but
killed no ore. The worst damage was
done in the central part of the town
near the fine old Gothic grey Friars'
tower Here one bomb totally de-
stroVed three cottages i'm BentticK.
killing a lad and badly manning his
sister. A man had both legs broken"
An Exchange Telegraph Co. dis
patch from Kings Lynn gave the fol-
lowing details:
Zone house which was struck by a
German bomb was demolished and
17-year-old boy and his father were
completely buried Both were dug out
safely, however. having had a narrow
escape from death. So far as known
seven high powered bombs were drop
ped here IL is believed that the air
craft went toward the east after leav-
ing Kings Lynn. The airships re-
mained very high in the air and the
buzz OF their motors was barely audi
BILE AS soon as the attack began all
lights were eNtinguished and most of
the residents took refuge IN the cellars
Of their homes"
Drop Three Bombs.
A dispatch 20 the Daily Mail from
Great Yarmouth (the geographical
name for Yarmouth SAYS:
Three bombs were dropped upon
Yarmouth last night. The following
account of the attack was given by
Arthur Harbord. q member OF the
municipal council:
About $50 O'Clock last night.
when mum bers of persons were i'm the
streets and places of amusements were
in full swing. an airship passed over
the city and dropped bombs which did
considerable damage. one OF the vic
TINS here was a shoemaker named
Smith, who was at work i'm his shOp
about so yards from 81. Peters
church. when bomb was dropped on
or near the building and his head
was blown of A number OF buildings
IN ST Peters read were badly dam
aged"
other press reports from Yarmouth
said that green and red lights had
been seen az sea about the time OF the
Zeppelin attack which Indicated that
a German warship had accompanied
the aerial craft from German waters.
AT Yarmouth and other towns at
tackled the soldiers turned out and
nred volieys into the air with their
rifles Afterward the soldiers helped
calm the frightened residents and 20
clean up the debris left by the
bombs.