The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-05-21
ENEMY ROUTED
ABOVE LONDON
Five Raiders Shot Down by
Defenders and Two More
May Be Lost.
81 CIVILIANS ARE KILLED
City in High Spirits. Watches
Duels Between Fliers
in Clear Sky.
81 CIVILIANS ARE KILLED
spe~,n, Gable Desrntch IN THE srS.
copv-'ehf 1914: all -iohs r.serrrd.

SPECIAL Cable Desratch IN tn. srs.
Copv~i1hf 1914: all ri1h's veserrtd
LONDON. May 2o.-The most costly. TO
the enemy. OF all the German airplane
raids upon I.ordon took place last night.
Four Gothas were brought down by the
British defensive harraee. which was the
heaviest yet seen In airplane fighting.
Another machine. aays an ofric'al report.
fell flaming into the sen. and 1t is said
that two others were lost. although this
has not been corroborated.
The protracted battle lasted more than
two and a half hours. during which the
Germans used more machines than ever
before and dropped innumerable bombs.
the missiles beinR Of varying size.
The British casualties were 81 killed
and 1sI injured. OF those killed 1s were
men. ~ were women and s were chill
dren. Six Of the injured lived in the
provinces the others In London.
searchlights Are Effective.
As soon as the approaching raid was
heralded the sky was f,lled with flashing
lights. followed by the growl Of distant
guns and later by the rcreech Of shrap-
mel. The raiders swept in ever the
coasts Of Kent and Essex. where the sky
was csaaP. and the searchlights proved
very effective.
For about half an hour the air seemed
filled witt, German planes. Ave squadrons
In all arriving, travelling in relays. but
when they departed II was with their
tails down and sinEly. London obviously
was their objective. and they made de-
termined efforts to penetrate the bar
rage. Several machines which ap-
preached the capital we're driven off.
and those which did succeed in getting
past the bursting shells found a number
Of British alrmen circling the skies coA-
stantly.
The Gothas we're caught In the beams
Of searchlishts. and their efforts seemed
directed more to keeping clear OF these
than to dropping bombs upon definite
objects. The enemy machines on several
occasions wandered blindly overhead at
an altitude. judging from the roar OF
their engines. of not more than 5000
feet.
London was mpararively deserted
over the Wh,tsunt!de holidays. but those
who remained we're in the highest spir-
its. When the bomba rdment was al its
f1ercest and shrapnel fragments were
falling all around MOTOR boats and taxi
cabs still were running and newspaper
vans ratified along loaded with the early
editions OF the papers. with which they
were determined to catch the trains. 4
small hoy on a bicycle was whistlirg
- al 1,,lo 1
officer. driving with a woman In an open
! automobile. did not increase his speed.
In the outlying districts the nightin-
gales sang right on through the raid.
When the alarm was sounded a group
OF American "Buddies" was ordered TO
| the shelter Of n hotel. but. though told
, to hurry. one OF them insisted upon frst
fetching his personal belongings from the
kit room. remarking After the raid
will want my toothbrush. soap and
| towel" He got them.
Duel In the Air.
About 80 o'clock came the most
stirring moments Of the raid The great
silver beam OF searchlight climbed
the sky. catching the slim form OF a
Gotha in its tolls. Instantly the plane
was fenced in by the barrage. 1t was
darting In first one direction. then an
other. like bird, Then British air
! plane appeared on the scene and the
cracking OF machine gun ire was heard
overhead. Certain districts OF the me-
tropolis were treated to most remark
able duel Both machines spat forth in
| cessant volleys OF fire, the German eyt-