The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-02-14
END TERROR By
ZEPPELIN RAIDS
Explosive Bullets Fired by British
Airmen Conquer Hun
Airships.
had OWN WAY FOR. WHILE
untii Invention of New Weapon Ger.
man Gas Bags Roamed About
over England at viii. .ss
Weather Permitting.

London. Britain conquered The
Zeppelins with explosive bullets. lit
til the invention of this weapon Aep-
peIins roained about over Engiantia 81
will. weather permitting. The filsr
air raid upon London was by Iep'
pelins. This was May 81. 1918, and
until the explosive bullet came into
defense work the Germans came over
In their rigid gas bags as their pleas
ure dictated. The British had no
Zeppellns then for connter-attaek and
the airpianes they possessed were
helpless. because they could not fiy
high enough quickly enough.
On one occasion when Zeppelins
were above the city British ayihtors,
as usual, went up to engage them.
But the British flyers could only at
tain $1,000 feet altitude. There they
sat, looking up at the monsters far
above them. the machine guns OF the
airplanes being as useless as toy pis-
tolls That Is the real reason why
Britain built fast, high-cilnbing air.
planes She had TO Guido the Xepps.
could reach 10000 feet or more, above
which distance zeppelins could not
work effectively. These hlgh-elmbiag
tighting planes, together with the ex-
piosiye and incendiary bullets, made
England too hot for the airing OF a
Lepp.
Lead Zeppelin Raids.
nm, III. .i4s., - ~, Vann0ltn saa ids An
London was Commander Peter
Strasser who had unbounded hatred
for England. He had an iron nerve
and III Germany was regarded as an
authority ON air raids against Eng.
land. He met his death on August 4.
last year, III the Huns largest Yep
pelln. Off the English coast. An ex.
ploslye bullet ended his journey.
70 keep our Of range OF ordinary
anti.aireraft fire the Germans en-.
larged their Zeppelins from 10000 TO
about 100000 cubic feet, thus In
creasng ascent abilities. But this
was quickly eountered by improved de-.
tense methods lii srasulii. rnee AeppS
carried about 1900 pounds OF bombs
each.
The first time the Zeppelins visited
London the people took 1t as q great
Joke. fiocking to the hnnsetops to see
the incendary bo.,.9s that were
dropped. Only six Persons We're. killed
in the initial raid, although 90sincen-
diary bombs were heayed overheard
The men Ia the later type OF zep-
pellns We're provided With parachutes.
The captain and navigating personnel
We're supposed to jump from the for.
Wurd pendola and the crew, generally
about twenty men. from the engine
and ln.dslllp cabins. In the face OF
disaster, however, there Is no record
OF any member or Zeppelin ersw
having saved himself by this means,
either because the machine became roo
quickly envelonad La flames or fell too
rapidly for the parachute 10 open our.
The Zeppelins usually set out from
Germany In the morning and timed
their arrival Off the English coast
about dusk. The fate OF Strasser's
ship was sealed because he arrived
too early, being spotted above the
horizon by British lookout.
Penetrate Heart of England.
There evidently was no concerted
action among the Zeppelin raiders,
each acting more or less indepen,f-
emily. They selected targets upon
which they could unload their boluba
uninterruptediy. if possible, ana then
flee. They often penetrated into the
heart of England.
Six IeppeIins were brought down in
England, the first by Lieut.. Leefe
Robson at Cufiey. He was awarded
the Victoria Cross. The incendiary
machine gun bullets which he used
had been Issued for the first time only
the day before the raid, September
2, 1916. The second Zeppelin was
brought down In flames at Great Bur.
sted. Out Of IL Zeppelins which raid
ed England October 10. 1917, the Ger
mans lost four. One descended AL
most intact near Mersea island st
the northeast corner OF Essex. An
other was brought down In Games
near Potter's Bar, and two other gersp
pelins were forced to land. hut lie
crews destroyed their ships.
After Germany saw. the futility OF
sending zeppellns against explosive
bullets land Neppelins could not be
protected against that slevice) siae in
stltuted Gotha raids,
But Britain beat her at her own
game,
s--S-~~ys~f--r-