New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-15
PILOT TELLSHOW
HERAIDEDLONDON
German Aviator Boasts OF
Destruction of Factories
and Warships.
DECLARES AIRMEN
KNOW CITY WELL.
Diriglble Lieutenant Denies the
Raids Have Been Made Blind
ly or Without Big Successes.

Berlin. Sept. 25.--Lieutenant Peter
son, Of the German navy. one OF the
few German officers who have repeat
eddy visited London since the outbreak
Of the war, has given correspondent
OF the Associated Press his impress
sions OF the British metropolis.
Lieutenant Peterson, young, beard
less. smiling Westphalian, is neither
secret service officer nor returned pris-
oner OF war, but one of the senior Of
fcers in the German navy's aerial
feet, and his visits have been made
in command Of one Of the naval Zeppe-
lin. which have kept London in semi
darkness and apprehension since the
opening of the aerial campaign He
disputes the reassuring reports given
out BY the English as 10 the unimpor-
tant effects OF the raids.
"Mr Balfour says that the destruc
tive effect of the air raids has been
small, almost insignificant, from mil
itary point OF view, and that We are
unable to see what we accomplish"
remarked the Zeppelin commander.
I'VE see and know better. When we
see big factory under US collapse
after an explosive bomb has been
dropped on ii or when we drop a fire
bomb on the London docks or adJoin-
ing storehouses and see these burst
into flames we know that we are ac-
complishing something.
Zeppelins Find Way Easily.
Eve cruise normally at great
heights. but with good glasses We can
see things very plainly. In great
\ Lon, 80 ~ f-lt
who has not visited it in peace times,
it Is, of course, impossible TO say
definitely that one has hit this or that
particular building, dock or store
house. but we can identify very well
the general locality, particularly OF
such regions as the dock district along
the river or the CITY and banking dis
trct of London, and find our way
easily to the spots selected for our
attacks.
"On one Of our visits this Is
a fact that has as yet not been ad-
mitted by the British Admiralty-we
witnessed clearly the destruction or
a warship on the Thames, one on
which a fair and square hit was scored.
"0n another occasion ] dropped a
bomb squarely on fort. | could not
from the fact that the guns OF the
fort, which had previously been con.
Quoting vigorous bombardment OF
the Zeppelin squadron, suddenly ceased
fire, and that the searchlight which
had been playing on u, went out after
a fash Of fame and heavy explosion,
concluded that the damage had been
heavy; perhaps a magazine exploded.
Veteran in Airship Service.
Lieutenant Peterson, although still
a comparatively young man, is one OF
the older officers in the German naval
airship service. having been attached
to the Zeppelin corps for two years,
or almost from the beginning Of the
navy's adoption OF the big dirigibles.
"The searchlights. OF course" he
said. "pick US up now and then, but It
is very difficult to hold Zeppelin long
in view, owing 10 clouds and the
changes in direction, speed and altitude
which we can make quickly, and 1t is
still more difficult for guns to get our
range in the darkness under these cir
cumstances."
Navigation for the Zeppelins, too, is
by no means yet an exact science. The
trips must be timed so as TO cross the
English coast in the darkness, make the
attack and get away again before dawn
at is not so easy to find England"
he said. Eve cannot navigate so ex-
actly at sea as over land, owing to tie
uncertainty Of the air currents, abb
sence of landmarks and so forth, so
that it is usually an open question at
just what point of the British coast
we shall bring up. Once there, how
ever, the conformation of the coast the
outlines of some coast city, or some
familiar light give us our bearings. and
we can then steer a straight course for
our objective. We can easily tell by
lust what route we are entering Lon