Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-02
RAID ON ENGLAND
GREATEST OF WAR
TWenty-Eight Killed and Thirty
Four Injured in Zeppelin
Incursion.
MANY MEMBERS OF CREW
LOST; AIRSHIP INJURED
Destruction of German Dirigible
Cause of Great Rejoicing
in London.

LONDON. April dispatches re-
ceived from points on the southeast,
the east and the northeast coasts and
in the eastern counties indicate that
last nights Zeppelin raid, or raids
for there were apparently separate
ventures north and south-were the
most extensive yet undertaken.
The identity of the wrecked Yep
pelin and other details of the raid
were disclosed in the following official
statement:
eft has now been ascertained that
the Zeppelins which carried out the air
raid last night were organized in two
squadrons and one detached ship. The
two squadrons made the eastern coun-
ties their objective. while the de-
tached ship raided the northeast coast
so far as is known at present. fifty
four explosive and incendiary bombs
were dropped in the eastern counties
and twenty-five on the northeast coast.
Comes Down in Sea.
The Zeppelin reported by the ad-
miralty to have fallen into the sea was
Lis. She was hit by gunf1re while
over the eastern counties. a shell strik-
the tail. After being hit she quickly
dropped to a lower altitude. well down
by the tail. and finally came down into
the sea off the coast of Kent.
a machine gun, some ammunition, a
petrol tank riddled with shrapnel and
some machinery were dropped either by
this vessel or by another of the raiders.
owing to damage to the telephone
and telegraph wires caused by recent
storms. II is not yet possible to ascer
tain fully the casualties or the damage
caused. The casualties at present re-
ported amount to twenty-eight kill
ed and thirty-four injured"
Rescues Survivors.
Credit for rescuing the survivors of
the Zeppelin Lis belongs to the scout
ing trawler Divine. commanded by
Lieut.. William R. Macintosh, royal
naval reserve.
mouth of the Thames soon after 3
O'Clock Saturday morning. That
stretch of water. as well as the ad
joining coast waters. swarms with
patrolling craft. The arship's back
had been broken by gunfire; her gon-
dolas were riddled with shrapnel bull
lets. Several of her crew were badly
wounded Her commander had suff1-
cient confidence in the humanity of
British sailors to send out wireless
signals of distress.
She came down like sick bird.
Topping at both ends as if they were
wings" said a sailor who witnessed
the descent of the Zeppelin.
All Taken on Board.
The sea was smooth and the night was
clear. though dark. so the trawler was
able to take aboard wounded as well as
Some of the crew were at
the top of the balloon, while the wounded
and their attendants remained in the bas-
kets below.
Divine the crew of the trawler attached
a cable to the Zeppelin in the hope that
they would be able to bring the prize to
port, but towing was difficult, as the
stuck up in the air, while the middle sec
ton was well down in the water. After
making about two miles the Zeppelin be-
came entirely waterlogged.
The Divine is engaged in patrol duty
and Lieut.. Macintosh transferred his
prisoners to a destroyer and again put
out to sea. He did not expect to return
within week.
The destroyer took the Germans to
SheernesE to report and proceeded with
the prisoners to Chatham, where the
were placed in hospital.
The German prisoners from the de-
stroyed Zeppelin number seventeen, with
their command. All of the prisoners are
youthful in appearance and were cheer
full. The commander wore the iron
cross.
Some of them related their expert
ences quite freely and asserted that
the crew drew lots to decide who
should remain behind and blow up the
Zeppelin when it was found the diri-
gible could fly no further. The task
fell to a junior officer. whose duty was
to wait until the remainder of the
complement had left. then. on receiv-
ing signal. blow up the airship. This
meant almost certain death for him
col