The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1917-09-28
HUN AIR FLEETS ARE
DRIVEN OFF AGAIN
AGAIN AN OBJECT OF GER
MAN RAID.
In Second Attack Enemy Air
men Fail to Penetrate Be-
yOnd Outskirts of London.


tile air plane raid on London took
place tonight. There were two at
tacks apparently, for after 40 min
utes quiet interval anti-aircraft
guns resumed firing in the London
district.
In the first attack. after brisk
firing by the defense guns, lasting
only ten minutes, the raiders were
driven off without succeeding in
reaching the city of London.
The firing of the anti-aircraft
guns in the second attack was only
of brief duration. The raiders were
finally driven off and the police
gave out the "all clear" signal at
$50 o'clock.
A report of the raid was issued
by Field Marshal French as follows:
The Thames estuary was again
the object of hostile air raid this
evening. The Kent and Essex coast
was crossed at various points and
a few bombs were dropped. but no
casualties there are as vet reported
Twenty Casualties.
"One raider penetrated as far as
the southwestern outskirts of Lon
don, where two bombs, fell causing
some 90 casualties"
London, Sept 25.-The follow
ing official report was given ont by
Lord French. commander of the
home defenses, on Monday nights
air raid:
"Airplane raid: The last reports
concerning last nights airplane raid
show that the group Of raiders
which approached London was driv-
en- of by the fire of anti-aircraft
guns. Only one or at the most two
machines, penetrated the defenses.
The casualties in all the raided dis
tricts reported by the police up to
injured 20. The material damage
was not great
"Airship raid: Enemy airships
crossed the Yorkshire and Lincoln
a. M. There is no evidence of
their having penetrated to any dis
tance inland. They were driven
off by gunfire from defended local
tiles, which they attempted to APP
proach. Bombs were dropped at
one coast town, three women being
slightly injured. Little damage was
caused"
1t appeared that the fierce battle.
which the British airplanes and an
ti-aircraft artillery put up forced
the raiders to leave London without
dropping any considerable part of
their cargo of explosives. Two
bombs fell in the Thames near the
bridge, throwing column of water
so high that it splashed clear over
the walls.
Over City Two Hours.
The enemy remained over London
at great height for the better part
of two hours and the raid appears
to have been on a pretentious scale.
but 1t was even more abortive than
the previous attemps. 1t is safe to
say that at least three-fourths and
probably four-fifths of the casual
ties were suffered by persons who
had failed to take cover
A suburban county official nam
ed Lapwood dropped dead from over
during the raid.
Reports from a Kentish town say
that about eight bombs were drop
ped in last nights raid. According
to telegram from an Essex coast
town the first intimation of the raid !
zane about 1880 o'clock. when an
ti-aircraft guns opened fire and the
ironing OF the airplanes' motors
'ould be heard The bombing over
his town continued for about two
hours, at intervals, but so far as
could be learned only three bombs
we're dropped and apparently there
was no great property damage.
The Zeppelins which crossed the
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire coasts
did not penetrate inland. being
driven off by gunfire. Three wom-
IN were injured by bombs.
Two Penetrated Defenses.
Only two airplanes at the most
penetrated the defenses of London
asst night, 1t Is reported officially.