Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-10-21
-FOUR MAMMOTH
zEPPEL|NS LOST
Shot Down on Return Trip
From Raid on London;
Bombs Killed 27.
MAKE DESPERATE FIGHT
Chased for Miles Before
Yielding to Attacks of
Avengers.
MERCHANT CONVOY RIDDlED
Nine Freighters, Two British
Destroyers Victims of
Teuton Fleet.
MAKE DESPERATE FIGHT
MERCHANT CONVOY RIDDLED

LONDON, Oct. 20.-Ger-
many scored on the water ip
Saturdays news developments,
which recorded the breaking
up of a merchant convoy in
the North sea by raiding cruis-
ers that sank two British de-
stroyers and nine of the twelve
conveyed ships. She suffered
little less in a disaster in the
air, however, when four, and
probably five Zeppelin airships
believed to be returning from
a raid on England, were
brought down in French ter
ritory by airplanes and anti
aircraft guns. The lives of 135
officers and men on the de-
stroyers were sacrificed. About
n hi cred Of the merchant
sailor however, are Inown to
have reached the shore in boats
or in British patrol craft. All
but three of the trading ships
were of Scandinavian nation
ality, most of them apparent
ly being small vessels.
The character of the raiding war;
ships is not exactly apparent The
British admiralty describes them as
very fast and heavily armed, while
Berlin in its report refers to them as
light sea fighting forces" They es-
capped the vigilance Of the British
guardians under cover of darkness,
both on their outward and homeward
trips
Air Raider Brought Down.
The story of Germany's reverse In
the air began with the account OF a
raid on England last night, in which
the bombs the Zeppelins dropped
killed 27 persons and injured
SO others. Reports soon began TO
be received, however. of Zeppe-
Inns being brought down in France.
These were at first supposed to
belong to an independent raiding
fleet Dispatches from France late in
the day however, declared thee. to be
the raiders. returning from England.
They had appeared over French terri
tory it was stated. and were scattered
to various parts of the country as the
alarm went out and the French airmen
rose in swarms to attack them.
H. as appears from the dispatches,
these were the airships which ralded
England, their struggle TO get over
German territory was long and des-
perate one, for those brought down
were far from the sea when they fell.
one of them was chased thru several
districts OF central France before be-
ing finally disposed of. The fact tnat
none of them dropped any bombs in
France seems to indicate that they
had exhausted their supply previously.
Russian Fleet Sorciy Pressed.
The situation of the minor Russian
fleet which was caught bA the Ger
mans in the waters around the Gulf OF
Riga, Is apparently a desperate one.
The Germans have sown mines south
of Moon Sound to block an exit to the
Russians there, while they are closing
the route to the north by their opera
ftions for taking possession of Dago
Island, which Berlin reports say are
proceeding according to the German
plan.
On the western fighting front the
artillery battles are continuing both
in Flanders and in the Alsne region
but no infantry operations of moment
ere reported In none of the other
war areas either. have the operations
been of nature TO command special
attention.