Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-25
French GunnerS
Shoot Zeppelin
From the Sky
Bomb-Laden Aircraft Headed
for Paris, Is Shot Down in
Chase by Automobiles Car
ying Anti-AirCraft Guns
[ By Associated Press. !


PARIS, Feb. 2S.--An eyewitness OF
the destruction of Zeppelin LIZ "a by
French ;unuers Monday near Revigny,
a town which lies nine miles northwest
of Barbecue, thus describes the ex-
ploit
1.-TWO zeppelins were signalIed at
I1O:25 o'clock at night by an artillery Of
fcer in a listening post in the first line
trenches of the ArgOnne. The night was
clear and JAe wind moderate. The Of
feer could not see the airships, but he
heard the noise of their engines and
telephoned to the battery base whence
the news was forwarded to the army
corps headquarters. All the batteries of
the district were at once on the alert
and within five minutes searchlights
were sweeping the heavens in all dlrec-
tnons.
1.-THE Zeppelins were first sighted BY
an officer commanding a battery of
seventy-five millimeter guns. The near
est was then about two miles off, fly
ing at an altitude of about 5000 feet
and rising rapidly. The second Zeppelin
was some three miles behind the hrst.
The officer was unable to get the ele-
walton necessary to hit the airship,
but he managed to give the exact posi-
ton to the searchlight operators. From
that moment until il was destroyed the
first dirigible was never lost to view
and the searchlights never left 1t. AS
it was moving against the wind its
progress was relatively slow.
PURSUIT IS STARTED.
"As soon as the warning reached
Revigny. five automobiles with search
liehtk and with special anti-aircraft
guns manned by naval gunners, started
ir pursuit. These guns threw shell
which is expressly designed to explode
on contact with the aluminium painted
covering of the Zeppelins and to, burst
into flames once ii is inside. AS the
car rushes along the road the oflcer
standing in the back of the car gives
the range and directs the fire of the
gun by the crew which work the gun
lying on the nat of their backs.
1.-THE guns on the moving automobiles
opened fire as soon as they came Wlthln
range A shell burst just behind the
Zeppelin, throwing it into strong rehe1,
and Immediately the gunners seized
their opportunity. Another shell passed
over the target, but the next, of the in
fiammable type. hit the mark squarely
about seventy-five feet from the stern
There was a shout of triumph from the
Frenchmen as the shell appeared to go
through the body of the airship and
10 dQnGT6 To tue ilShN SAuS VI bAS AeSAiAS
work, which it set afire. A few seconds
later two other shells went through the
rear of the car badly damaging the
steer and elevating mechanism.
"For an instant nothing seemed to
happen, and then thin red line crept
along the side of the airship, which
shone with a bright rudy glow as the
flames spread and moved upward. No
explosion was heard as the Zeppelin be-
oil no hlaZ-
ing more and more fiercely. descended
slowly, while burning fragments of the
cover fiuttered away in the wind, and all
the onlookers< expressed surprise that
the airship took so long to come down
BONES FOR PARIS.
"The cargo of bombs which there is
reason to believe were to have been
dropped on the inhabitants of Paris ex-
ploded with a terrific roar as the Yep
pelin struck the ground. Fragments Of
its car were hurled over 1000 feet
away, and the remainder of the huge
frame work collapsed in a heap, the
fire continuing to burn for several
hours.
1.-The second Zeppelin, which had wit
messed the disaster to its companion,
turned tail and hurried back to the Ger
man lines.
1T is believed the Zeppelins belonged
to the crown princes army. The COM
manders had hoped to steal across the
French lines unperceived, all lights in
the gondolas having been eXtinguished,
but the head wind proved an obstacle to
the speed which is so essential to the
success of an undertaking of the kind,
and gave the defense time to bring up
it's guns
The gun crew which fired the shot
that proved fatal to the Zeppelin will
receive prizes amounting to $4,000
francs, 10000 francs being awarded by
a leading Paris newspaper and 5000 by
Marquis Ornano. Checks for these
sums have already been sent to the
minister of war for distribution.