Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-02-20
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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
pelln attack in May. 1915. to the "Au-
rorn Borealis" demonstration last
March, which ended the effective Sc
rles.
In the beginning the attacks were
made by Zeppelins, usually on dark
nights. These machines proved un.
wIeldy as offensive weapons, and they
were soon succeeded by Taubes and
Gothas, which crossed the Channel
from enemy nirdromes in Belgium.
Then followed series OF daylight
raids, which were succeeded by moon.
light visits. that condition OF atmos-
phere reducing the detective power Of
searchlIghts.
Antl-aircraft defense In the begin
ming was feeble and ineffective. 1t
was speedily improved and finally
long.range barrnge encircled London,
making hostile approach highly eau
tlous 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 90
bombs, most Of them incendIary. Con-
sidering the cost In munitions. results
were small. for only three fires re-
quired the attention OF the FIRE brl.
gnde. Six civilians were killed and
three injured. In Balls Pond Road
Dalston, an aged couple were killed
while kneeling at their bedside. Some
damage was done In Shoredltch.
Twenty Killed, Sc Injured.
September Z, 1915, the Bermondsey
district was the target, with light cas-
ualtIes. The next night, bomb de
stroyed motor bus near the Liver
pool street station. and train was
hit. The chief damage was in Woo
and Fore streets, where city ware
houses were set afire and severa
firemen were injured. Twenty per
sons were killed and SO injured, an,
the money loss to buildings and con
tents was about s2,500,000, one firm
suffering to the extent of S500,00C
Crowds assembled in many parts o
the city to watch the raiding Zeppe
lin, which was visible for several min
utes.
Up to September, 1916, raiders Wis
tied Leytonstone, Walthamstow, Eas
London, Central London and South
east London. infllcting some damag
at each visit. In one of the raids
bomb hit girder In the Lyceum the
ater, bending It and exploding In tn
street. The audience escaped injur
but there we're casualties amongN pei
sons standing at the exits. Black
heath was raided August "a and q
1915.
The greatest of the Zeppelin raid
up to that time occurred the night Q
September 1-2. A feet of 10 zepp,
Inns crossed the North sea and droI
ped bombs on English territory. Onl
three of the craft got as far as tn
outskirts Of London. Two of the thre
were driven back by gunfirei and on
was brought down at Cuffley by Lie
tenant Leefe Robinson with ne
type Of incendiary machine gun bu
|. let. The airship caught fire and Il
people of London and Of wide on
side area enjoyed the spectacle Of b
aerial conilagration. Some OF the fie
that crossed the sea lost their bearin
In the dark and sped homeward vii
the first signs of dawn.
Raid by Twelve Alrships.
September 1924 twelve airshil
crossed the sea and undertook raj
One came to grief in Essex, anoth
near Billerlcay and third near Me
sea Island. Only three reached Lo
don. They bombed the Streatham al
Brixton districts and blew tramc
into pieces. There was damage :
dwelling and shop properties In Mort
east, London, notably In Bridgehe
rond. Chief Inspector Ward OF SC,
land Yard was killed that night and
sbuilding near Leyton, which had S,
fered the year previously, got anotf
bomb. n 3t
M oirships reached London intt I
next t,yu raids In thn cecond NJ vhI