page_title: Zeppelin LZ85
section_title: The attack on London
hierarchical_section_title: Zeppelin LZ85 / Silent raid of October 1917 and crash / The attack on London
caption_attribution_description: English: Bomb damage to property in Hither Green, London, following the German air raid on the night of 19 - 20 October 1917.
context_page_description: The LZ 85, tactical number L 45, also known as Zeppelin of Laragne by the French public, was a World War I R-Class zeppelin of the German Navy that carried out a total of 27 flights, including 3 raids on England and 12 reconnaissance missions.
context_section_description: LZ 85 continued southward, when at 11.30pm the ship bathed in light from searchlight batteries over northwest London. The commander took the opportunity and started bombing the city. The first bomb came down near Hendon Aerodrome, damaging the Grahame-White aircraft manufacturer. Another bomb just missed Cricklewood railway station.  When LZ 85 reached the City of London, she dropped a 300 kg (660 lb) high explosive bomb on Piccadilly Circus, which smashed the entire facade of the Swan & Edgar department store, killing five men and two women, and also wounding 18 others, that were mostly waiting for a bus. The  bomb blew a hole 3 metres (9 ft 10 in) in diameter and 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) in depth down to a cellar under the street between the department store and a tea shop Cabin.
  While continuing its flight over London, LZ 85 encountered a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c fighter, but escaped by turning southward and climbing to an extreme height. When the airship was in safety, it dropped another bomb in Southwark, south of the River Thames, where it destroyed three houses in Albany Road near Burgess Park, killing 10 to 12 people and wounding many others. The airship dropped another bomb on Hither Green in the southeastern district of Lewisham and destroyed 26 small houses. In this attack, 15 people were killed including 12 children or teenagers and eight others were wounded. Of the 12 children whom were killed, 8 were from the Kingston family and 4 from the Milgate family. Meanwhile, on the ground, British searchlight batteries tried to locate LZ 85 but, in the hazy weather high above London, the airship could not be found. LZ 85 tried to descend to a lower altitude, but was pursued by a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c flown by Lieutenant Pritchard. On gaining altitude LZ 85 encountered strong turbulence and frost, which caused a number of mechanical problems including steering problems, an engine failure and fuel leaks. On top of that, the crew began suffering from altitude sickness.
caption: Hither Green bomb damage after the raid
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