Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-05-26
16MACHINES
HURL DEATH
To P0PULACE
German Craft Make Night
Attacks Shot Down
TIA Persons Hurt.

London, May German air
ships to the number OF about six
teen raided southeast England on
Friday evening. according to an
official statement issued today.
Seyenty-siX persons were killed.
Three al the German atrshlpa
were shot down. one hundred and
seventy T0ur persons were IN
iured. The raiding aircraft which
were brought down were air
planes.
Nearly all the damage occurred in
one town where some bombs fell In
the streets. causing considerable cas-
uaJtes among the civilian population.
Official Report.
The following report on the air raid
was made by Field Marshal Viscount
French;
"A large squadron Of enemy air
craft about sixteen attacked south
east England between 5-15 and $50
o'clock last evening. Bombs were
dropped AT a number Of places but
nearly all the damage occurred In one
town where some bombs fell into the
streets. causing considerable casual
ties among the civil population Some
shops and houses also were seriously
damaged.
The total casualties reported by
the police from ali districts are
KILLED. rs: injured. ia.
of the killed u were women and
/ % were children. while 43 women and
( 10 children We're injured.
"Airplanes Of the Royal flying
corps went i'm pursuit and the raiding
aircraft were engaged by fighting
souadrous of the royal naval air ser
rFsIy
I journey. The admiralty reports that
three enemy airplaneE we're shot down
later by the latter
Three Shot Down,
Three hostile airplanes. returning
from last nights raid ON England,
were brought down by British air
forces in the English channel and off
the Belgian coast the admiralty an
nounced today. The admiralty state
ment says
Naval airplanes attacked the air
drome at ST Denis Westrez. near
Bruges yesterday morning dropping
many bombs
In the evening several enemy air
craft returning from the raid on Eng
land were engaged oversee by royal
naval air service machines An en-
counter took place between one Brit
ish and three hostile airplaues iu mid
channel and one OF the latter was
destroyed. Several encounters also
took place off the Belgian coast, in
which two large twin-engined hostile
machines were shot down. All our
machines returned safely"
Second in Week.
This lis the second German air raid
on England within three DAYS On
Wednesday night four or FIVE German
r4 fF.I-
counties and dropped number of
bombs, killing one man. For six
months no attack en- England had been
made from the air following two dis
astr0us raids IN which three Zeppe-
Inns we're destroyed, except for the ok
plot of q lone airpisne on May =
This machine appeared over the out
skirts of northeast London and drop
ped bombs which killed one man and
injured a man and woman.
Worst Yet Undertaken.
Town on the Southeast Coast Of
England Friday evening May % fvia
London MAY %. ie25 p. m The
most ambitious airplane raid yet un-
dertaken by the Germans on Great
Britain occurred here late this after
noon while the streets were crowded
with shoppers. promenaders and
workers returning to their homes.
The raiders dropped "a large number
of bombs, apparently iu baphazard
fashion. from a mile or two above the
town. killing 76 persons, mostly wo-
men and children and injuring nearly
175 more
Bombs DemoHsh Houses.
Many persons in the streets first
learned Of the air raid when they
heard explosions of bombs around
them. The zone I'm which the bombs
were dropped cut a wide swath across
the city. with the chief damage In the
shopping and residential districts.
The bombs, which were Of large size.
demolished completely houses and
small shops which they struck.
Dover Is Targetl
Berlin May 20 German air squad
rons yesterday dropped bombs on
Dover and FoIkestoue, says the an
nouneement issued today by the Ger
man war department
Dover is British naval base OF
great importance II lis situated on A
still bay on the eastern coast of the
English channel directly across that
water way from Calais The populs
ton including the garrison, numbers
about As 600