Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-21
-FOUR zEPPEL|NS
BROUGHT DOWN IN
FRENCH TERRITORY
Big Dirigibles Probably Re-
turning From Attack
on England.
TWO TEUT0N RAIDERS
SINK BRITISH CONVOY
Send Scouting Destroyers and
Nine Merchant Vessels
to Bottom. st
NO ATTEMPT TO RESCUE CREWS
Artillery Battles Continuing Both In
Flanders and In Aisne
Region.
NO ATTEMPT TO RESCUE CREWS
Artillery Battles Continuing Both In
Flanders and in Aisne
Region.
rBv Associated Press,


Germany scored on tho water In
recorded the breaking up of 4 mer.
chant convoy in the North Sea by raid
ing cruisers that sank two Brftiah do
atroyers and nine of the twelve com
voyed ships. She suffered little less
than a disaster in the air. however.
when four and probably i've Zeppelin
airships. believed to BIO returning from
a raid on England. were brought down
In French territory by airplane and
antiaircraft gun fro.
Tho sea tragedy cost tho Brttish tho
lives OF 1S6 OF tho officers and mon
on the destroyers, who were left to
their fate by tho German raiders IN
their haste to escape, m were the
crews OF tho sinking merchantmen.
About 100 Of the merchant sailors, how
ever. are known to have reached tho
shore In boats or on British patrol
craft All but three OF the trading
ships were OF Scandinavian nationality,
most OF them apparently being small
| vessels. -
The character OF tho raidins war;
ships is not exactly apparent. Tho
British Admiralty describes them as
Berlin In It's report refers to then, as
light sea fighting forces" They es-
capped the vigilance of the British
guardships under cover of darkness
both on their outward and homeward
trips.
zEPPELINs BROUGHT
DOWN IN FRANCE
Tho story Of Germany.s reverse in
the air began with tho account OF
raid on England Friday night, IN which
the bombs the zeppeiins dropped killed
twenty-seven persons and injured fifty
three others Reports soon began to
be received, however, of ZeppelIns be-
ing brought down In France These
were ut first supposed to belonr to an
Independent raidinE feet. Dispatches
from Franco late in tho day, how
ever, declared them to be the raiders
returning from England. They had
appeared over French territory, 1t was
stated. and were scattered TO various
parts or the country as the alarm
went out and the French airmen rose
In swarms to attack them
III, as appears from tho dispatches.
these were the airships which raided
England, their struggle to get over
German territory was a long and
desperate one, for those brought
down were far from the sea when they
fell. Ono OF them was chased through
several districts OF Central France be-
fore being finally disposed Of The
fact that none OF them dropped any
bombs in France seems to indicate
that they had exhausted their supply
previously.
The situation Of the minor Russian
feet which was caught by the Ger
mans in the waters around tho Gulf OF
Riga Is apparently desperate one.
The Germans have sown mines south
of Moon Sound to block an exit to the
Russians there. while they arc closing
the route to the north by their opera
tions for taking possession Of Dago
island. which Berlin reports say ares
proceeding according to the German
plan. fs*
On tho western lighting front the
artillery battles are continuing both In
Flanders and in the Aisne region, but
no Infantry operations OF moment are
reported. In mono of the other war
areas. either. has the operations been
OF nature to command especial at
tention.