Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-05
GERMANS KILL II
NRAID ON BRITAIN
Teuton Planes Shell Har-
wich-Two Brought Down
by English
RIG BATTLE OVER SEA
Naval Aircraft From Dunkirk
Intercept Enemy and
Join in Pursuit
RIG BATTLE OVER SEA
LONDON, July 5.

Several tons of explosive bombs were
Sropped by British airplanes Tuesday
and Wednesday nights on German sea-
Dlane sheds at Ostend, airdrOmes at
chistelIes and Nieumunster and the
zarren Railway station, according to
an Admiralty announcement today. The
british machines all returned safely.
LONDON. July 5.-From twelve to four
..sn German air raiders dropped bombs
an Harwich, a seaport town in Essex.
savsntv miles northeast of London. The
latest official report says eleven persons
were killed and thirty-six injured.
rwo Of the German machines that took
r.rt in the raid were brought down by
pr,t,sh naval aircraft and a third machine
was damaged, II Is officially announced.
Al the British airmen who engaged the
cermans emerged safely from their fight.
late dispatches from the coast say that
onIv Ave minutes elapsed before the de-
,snslye aircraft and anti-aircraft guns drove
IN the invaders. 1t was a very misty morn
lne but the German machines could be dis
aIstinguished at intervals when they APP
neared from behind cloud banks.
The German squadron Travelled at great
sneed and in close formation, heading first
one way and then another in erratic man.
ner Bombs were dropped in rapid success
son. British airmen. under the most ad-
verse conditions broke up their formation
Frustrated in their enterprise, the Ger
mans turned toward the sea- There retreat
was marked by series of duels with Brit
Ish ayiators One British machine was seer
10 engage two Germans.
The text Of yesterday afternoons offlcla
report follows:
squadron Of some twelve to fourteen
.nemy aIrplanes attacked Harwich from
A northeasterly direction about 7:05
o'clock this morning A number of bombs
were dropped Only slight material dam
age was caused
Fire was opened from the anti.aircraft
defenses and the enemy's formation was
broken up, although the low.lying clouds
rendered the visibility very bad. The
raiders also were engaged by our own
aircraft from a neighborng station.
After dropping their bombs the enemy's
squadron turned seaward without at
tempting to penetrate inland The whole
raid only occupied few minutes.
Another official report last night says:
The vice admiral at Dover reports that
naval aircraft from Dunkirk intercepted
the hostile squadron returning from
England after the attack on Harwich
this morning An engagement ensued
at considerable distance from the Bel
gan coast. Two hostile machines were
brought down in flames and a third
was seen to have been damaged.
Several other machines were attacked
with indecisive results. All our machines
returned safely.
Harwlch is one of the most strongly de
Tended ports on the east coast of England
and has been bombarded several times b!
zsppelIns, the last time August l6, 1916.
Before the war Harwich was one fth
principal English ports for continental pas
senger traffic, steamships regularly servinI
the Hook of Holland, Amsterdam, Rotter
dam, Copenhagen and Hamburg The pas
senger traffic of Harwich, indeed, was o
great Importance as far back as the four
teenth century. 1t has a splendid harbo
and valuable fisheries. The population be
fore the war was about 10000.