Norwich bulletin., 1915-06-08
Thrilling Battle
 Fought in Midair
ZEPPELIN DESTROYED BY BRIT
 ISH AVIATOR.
CREW OF 2s KILLED
From Greater Altitude of AeropIane the Britisher Pierced the ZeppeIin's Shell Repeatedly with His Incen- diary Bombs.

London, June 2. s.37 p. m.-For the first time on record a Zeppelin in the air has been destroyed by an aviator m an aeroplane. Reginald A J. .Warneford, a young Canadian sub heutenant in the Royal Navy. who mastered aeroplaning only this sum- mer, has performed the feat and to- night is somewhere within the British lines, while the Zeppelin lies in ruins sprawled on the roof and ground of an orphanage near Ghent.
 Falling there a blazing mass, after being struck by the young aviator's bombs. it's crew of about 28 men were killed, as were also several occupants or the onphanage building.
 Zeppelin Sighted Far Of.
 The theory is advanced that this Zeppelin was the craft which raided the east coast of England last night for the fact that it was in the air over Belgium, between Ghent and Brussels, at o'clock in the morning leads to the belief that it was return ing from an expedition, not starting Dawn breaks early these days and the huge Zeppelin could be sighted far of and 1t is presumed that the craft was headed for her home hangar when Warneford came winging swiftly un- der the gray skies.
 The Zeppelin, which was flying com paratfvely low, began to mount at once, but the British wasp was speed fer and climbed into the air in long spirals, reaching a position, at length over the Germans vast bulk.
 Pierced zeppeIin's Shell.
 From this point of vantage Warne- ford pierced the Zeppelins shell re- peatedly with his incendiary bombs
 Without parallel in this war or any other, Is the story which the young aviator will have to relate, for de- tails of the fight have not yet been told. First came the long pursuit. for according to the admiralty report, the aeroplane was 5000 feet up. To reach this altitude would require nearly 20 minutes and the Zeppelin, meantime could drive forward approximately 15 miles.
 Manoeuvring for Position.
 Then followed the manoeuvring for position and finally the dropping of the bombs, from which the dirigibIe tried vainly to escape. Minor ex- terrific force and the Zeppelin burst into flames.
 Turned Completely Over.
 At that moment Warneford must have been at close range over the dirigible, for almost simultaneously with the outburst his machine turned completely over and for a moment he hung head down, with his monoplane, all control of which had been lost, pitching and tossing in the swift cur rents of air which rushed up to fill the vacuum created.
 Righted His Machine.
 Then by a desperate effort Warne- ford righted his machine far above the earth and planed to a landing behind the German lines. He alghted unhurt, got his propeller going again and flew off to the west.
 Whether the zeppelin's machine guns or rifles were turned on the aviator is not disclosed. but in order to attain such an advantageous posi- tiOn, the British lieutenant must have handled his machine skilfully, for this is an extremely difficult feat Although the target the Zeppelin presents is extensive, it can be lifted by it's own buoyancy to a great height, while the spirals by the power of it's engine alone.
 Hopes Raised in London.
 AS the fight in midair occurred over that part of Belgium held by the Ger mans, hopes are raised in London that their Zeppelin base eastward, thus making raids on England more haz ardous
 Four Killed in Orphanage.
 Some of the reports say that the n-combatant victims were two nuns and two orphans and that others were injured but a Reuter- despatch re- ceived tonight says that two nurses and two children were killed and many others injured. All versions agree that the Zeppelin crew perished and this seems certain, as the great craft was struck while more than a mile in the air and must have been a roaring torch before it struck the earth.