The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-02-07

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Relaxation of the censorship now
permits for the first time publication
of some of the effects of enemy air
raids on London, from the first Yep
pelin attack in May, 1915, to the "Au-
rora Borealis" demonstration last
March, which ended the effective Sc
ries
In the beginning the attacks were
made by Zeppelins, usually on dark
nights. These machines proved I'M
wieldy as offensive weapons, and they
were soon succeeded by Taubes and
Gothas. which crossed the Channel
from enemy airdromes in Belgium.
Then followed a series of daylight
raids, which We're succeeded by NOON
light visits, that condition of atmos-
phere reducing the detective power Of
searchlights.
Anti-aircraft defense in the begin
ming was feeble and ineffective. 1t
was speedily improved and finally a
long-range barrage encircled London.
making hostile approach highly eau
tious and really possible only when
atmospheric conditions were favora-
BILE. Coincident with the improvement,
the Royal air force was greatly aug
mented for home defense, and gave ex-
cellent account of itself.
The first Zeppelin flew over Lon
don May 81, 1915, and dropped 80
bombs. most of them incendiary. Con-
sidering the cost in munitions. results
were small, for only three fires re-
CURED the attention of the fire bri
gade. Six civilians were killed and
three injured. In Balls Pond Road,
Da1stOn, an aged couple were killed
while kneeling at their bedside. Some
damage was done in Shoreditch.
Twenty Killed, So Injured.
September Z, 1915, the Bermondsey
district was the target. with light cas-
Ualt'es. The next night. bomb de-
srroyed motor bus near the Liver
pool street station. and train was
hit. The chief damage was in Wood
and Fore streets, where city ware
houses were set afire and several
firemen We're injured. Twenty per-
the money loss to buildings and con-
tents was about S2,5OOOOO, one firm
suffering to the extent of 100000.
Crowds assembled in many parts Of
the city to watch the raiding Zeppe-
lin. which was visible for several min
utes.
Up to September, 1916, raiders Wis
tied Leytonstone, Walthamstow, East
London, Central London and South
east London, infiicting some damage
at each visit. In one of the raids
bomb hit girder in the Lyceum the
alter, bending it and exploding in the
street. The audience escaped injury
but there were casualties among per-
sons standing at the exits. Black
heath was raided August "a and %,
1916.
The greatest of the Zeppelin raids
up to that time occurred the night Of
September IL. A fleet of 10 Zeppe-
Inns crossed the North sea and drop
ped bombs on English territory. Only
three of the craft got as far as the
outskirts of London. Two of the three
were driven back by gunfire and one
was brought down at Cuffley by Lieu
tenant Leefe Robinson with new
type of incendiary machine gun bull
let. The airship caught fire and the
people of London and of wide out
side area enjoyed the spectacle of an
aerial conflagration. Some of the fleet
that crossed the sea lost their bearings
in the dark and sped homeward with
the first signs Of dawn.
Raid by Twelve Airships.
September 1924 twelve airships
crossed the sea and undertook a raid.
One came to grief in Essex, another
near Billericay and third near Mer-
sea Island. Only three reached Lon
don. They bombed the Streatham and
Brixton districts and blew tramcar
into pieces. There was damage to
dwelling and shop properties in North
east London, notably in Bridgehead
road. Chief Inspector Ward of Scot
land Yard was killed that night and a
building near Legion, which had suf-
fered the year previously, got another
bomb.
No airships reached London in the
next two raids, In the second Of which
craft was brought down near Pot.
ter's Bar, while trying to approach
the city from the north.
The first airplane attack occurred
November %, 1916 when a single ma.
chine In daylight dropped bombs which