The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-05-28
emo TERROR BY
ZEPPELIN RAIDS
Explosive Bullets Fired by British
Airmen Conquer Hun
Airships.
HAD GYM WAY FOR WHILE
Until Invention Of New Weapon Ger
man Gas Bags Roamed About
Over England at viii,
Weather Permitting.

, London.-Britain conquered tn
Zeppelins with explosive bullets. Tn
til the invention of this weapon Yep
\ pelins roamed about over England a
VIII, weather permitting. The frs
J air raid upon London was by Zen
,pelins. This was May 81, 1915, ant
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
] zeppelins then for counterattack and
the airplanes they possessed were
helpless, because they could not fly
high enough quickly enough.
On one occasion when Zeppelins
were above the city British aviators,
as usual, went mp to engage Them
But the British flyers could only at.
tain 10000 feet altitude. There they
sat, looking up at the monsters far
above them, the machine guns of the
alrplaneS being us useless as toy pis.
tols. That IS the real reason why
Britain built fast, high-climbing air.
! planes. She had to outdo the ZepDs
She won, soon having airplanes that
could reach 10000 feet or more, above
which distance zeppellns could not
WORK effectively, These high-climhing
hghting planes, together with the ex-
piosive and incendiary bullets, made |
England too hot for the airing of a
lepp.
Lead Zeppelin Raids.
The leader of the Zeppelin raids on
London was Commander Peter
StraSser, who had unbOunded hatred
for England. He had an iron nerve
and in Germany was regarded as ar
authority on air raids against Eng.
land. He met his death on August 4.
last year, In the Huns largest Yep
pelin, off the English coast. An TX.
ploslye bullet ended his journey.
To keep out Of range of ordinary
anti-aircraft nre the Germans en-
larged their Zeppelins from 10000 to
about 100000 cubic feet, thus in
creastng ascent abilities. But this
was quickly countered by improved de
Tense methods in Britain. The Zepps
carried about $500 pounds of bombs
each.
The first time the Zeppellns visited
london the people took 1t as great
Joke, fiocking to the housetops to see
the incendiary bombs that were
dropped. Only six persons were killed
n the initial raid, although 80 Incen-
iiary bombs were heaved overheard.
The men In the later type of Yep
'elins were provided with parachutes.
Che captain end navigating personnel
we're supposed to jump from the for
ward gOmdOla and the crew, generally
bout twenty men, from the engine :
md mldship cabins. In the face of
disaster, however, there is no record a.,
# aay member Of a Zeppelin crew ,
laving saved himself by this means,
ither because the machine became too
uickly envelOped In flames or fell too
apidly for the parachute to open out.
The Zeppelins usually set out from v
In the morning and timed d
heir arrival off the English coast t
bout dusk. The fate of Strasser's /
hip was sealed because he arrived
DO early, being spotted above the
ORION by British lookout.
Penetrate Heart Of England. s
There evidently was no concerted {
ction among the Zeppelin raiders, q
ach acting more or less independ, {
ltly. They selected targets upon 3
hich they could unload their bombs 8
ninterruptedly, if possible, and then 3
&c. They often penetrated into the C
cart of England. u
Six Zeppelins were brought down in -
ngland, the FIST by Lieut.. Leefe "a
Gibson at C'.hey. To vas awarded {;
e VictOris Cross. The incendiary q
achine gun bullets which he used y
I'd been issued for the first time only (;
&c day before the raid September g
1910. The second Zeppelin was e
ought down in flames at Great Bur. ~
ed. Out of 10 Zeppelins which raid. ~
England October 10, 1917, the Ger e
ans lost four. One descended al N
Ost intact near Mersea island, at Is
e northeast corner of Essex. An ~
her was brought down in flames u,
ar Potter's Bar, and two other Yep *
lilS were forced to land, but the Mi
Pws destroyed their ships. sc
After Germany saw the futility of 81
nding Zeppelins against explosive SO,'
llets (and Zeppelins could not be ~
Otected against that device) she In az
tuted Gotha raids. 20
But Britain beat her at her own q
me. %