The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-10-14
A ZEPPELIN RAID.
German Writer Describes all AirShip
Raid on England.

In a recent issue of the Cologne
Gazette, a German journalist thus
describes an airship raid on the Brit
ish coast:
Intelligence cruises by airships and
aeroplanes almost daily increase our
knowledge of the enemy. The air
ships float in their hangers ready to
sail at a moments notice.
1t is a barely growing dusk when
Lieutenant Commander x, in COM
mand of airship l., receives an order
over the telephone to cruise on the
morrow in a northwesterly direction
in the latitude of Terschelling. lie
gives the necessary orders, lies down
and early next morning enters the
hangar.
The crew of two deck officers and
twelve non-commissioned officers are
already at work with a group of men
under the orders of the officer of the
guard. The lieutenant looks to see
that everything is in order.
Sailors in the gondolas test the
motors. One of the officers salts
fes himself that the supply of petrol
is complete, while the other superin-
tends the placing of bombs and in
cendiary missiles in the gondolas.
The skipper climbs into the Condo
10, and after a brief inspection ex-
presses his satisfaction with a nod of
the head.
He is very particular to note that
light refreshments, warm tea in
thermos TASKS and bread and but
ter, have been shipped. On longer
trips he is accustomed to take sau-
sages also. They are easily warmed
on the exhaust in tiny aluminium
pot. The necessary maps being al
so in order, he descends to the
ground
There is silence in the great hall,
of which the doors have been open
ed. The men who hold down the
vessel are in their places. The crew
are at their stations in the gondolas.
The officer in charge reports: "All
In order" to the skipper, who calls
out instructions to discharge the
water ballast.
There is rush of water, and the
vessel gradually rises above her
props and floats in the air. The cap
tain places her whole length, scan
ming her with careful eye. Then he
climbs into the front gondoia and
orders her to be taken out.
The lieutenant repeats the order
"Airship forward and the men with
the mooring ropes tow her into the
open. ( A gust of wind outside causes
her to sway, and her nose is pointed
in the direction of the wind. The
breeze increases now, as though it
had been waiting for the airship
to venture outside. A squall seems
to threaten.
The skipper has to wait patiently
and squats on the bulwark of the
gondola waiting for more propi-
tious moment. The wind goes
down. Springing to his feet, he
shouts, Loosen" and the mooring
rope at the bow is let go.
She is now held only by the gon-
dolas, into which the lieutenant
climbs an impatient steed
champing at it's bit the airship is
tugging at itsmooring ropes. There
is a cry of sAsfention!'' and long,
shrill blast from the boatswain's
whistle. The last ropes are dropped,
and almost. simultaneously the en-
CINE room telegraphs signal Motors
full speed ahead
With noise like thunder the pro-
pellers spring into life, and the ves-
sci shoots forward and upward.
! The forward gondola resembles
nothing so much as the bridge of a
warship and as in the chart house of
cruiser so the skipper now bends
over his maps. But the occupation
of an aviator is harder than that of
the seafarer.
Clad in fur lined leather clothes,
he has to protect himself against
cold, which particularly attacks his
feet. He also has to protect his
ears from the noise of the motors,
so nerve racking is their throb. No
matter how long the cruise lasts the
officers never quit their posts, and
although hammocks are provided for
the crew it is seldom that they are
used.
Already in the ascent the ship has
cleaved it's way through banks of
clouds. The sun shining through
them on the sea facilitates steering.