Zeppelin Blitz

by Neil Storey

  The observers, eleven in number, were, however, very confident about the accuracy of their reports. Two aircraft went up from Yarmouth, one from Bacton and one from Holt in response to these reports and others were sent up from Covehithe, Felixstowe and Killingholme.

  One of the Covehithe aircraft, a Blackburn 100hp BE-26 (No. 8612) flown by Flight Sub Lieutenant J.C. Northrop, engaged a Zeppelin 30 miles east of Covehithe at 5.15 a.m. on 31 July. His seaplane was armed with four 16lb bombs, forty-eight Ranken darts and a Lewis gun. Northrop was firing the Lewis gun vertically upwards, and fired two trays of explosive and tracer bullets and four rounds from the third tray, when the magazine came away and hit him in the face, stunning him. By the time he had recovered control the airship had disappeared and Northrop returned to his base.

  31 July/1 August 1916

  On the afternoon of 31 July 1915, ten naval Zeppelins left their sheds on the north German coast, and flew over the North Sea with orders to attack London and southern England. Four of these raiders were sighted by the trawler Adelaide at 8.30 p.m., about 50 miles south-east by south of the Humber light vessel. The raiders were flying west-north-west. One of them came close to the trawler but did not molest her.

  A similar report was received from the trawler Lilac, which sighted four Zeppelins at 9 p.m. about 45 miles south-east of the Humber light vessel. L-13 came close to this trawler and manoeuvred over the vessel. The trawler Exeter also reported four Zeppelins in the same area. According to the report from this latter vessel, the Zeppelins remained almost motionless for about an hour and a half (until about 10 p.m.) and then headed west.

  L-16 came in over the Lincolnshire coast in the neighbourhood of Skegness (L-14 at 11.15 p.m. and L-16 about 20 minutes later). They both pursued the same course as far as Wainfleet. L-16 then went, first northward towards Spilsby, where she was heard, and then turned west across country. She passed north of Sleaford at 12.50 a.m., Caythorpe at 1.15 a.m., Claypole at 1.28 a.m. and Caythorpe again at 1.35 a.m. where two incendiary bombs were dropped.

  She continued northward to Skinnard, dropping one incendiary bomb there at 1.40 a.m., and then eastward again to the neighbourhood of Newark. The raider seems to have passed round to the west of the town, and to have hovered in its neighbourhood for some minutes without discovering it, and then, turning north-east, dropped an incendiary bomb at Langford Common at 1.55 a.m.

  Going on seawards in the same direction, she appeared south of Bracebridge Heath (near Lincoln) at 2.10 a.m., bore south-east towards Blankney, dropping a fifth incendiary bomb at Metheringham at 2.15 a.m. She proceeded east-north-east to West Ashby where, at about 2.25 a.m., the sixth and last incendiary bomb was dropped. Nothing further was heard of this Zeppelin, which then passed out to sea, presumably near Mablethorpe at about 2.45 a.m. No harm was caused by any of the bombs dropped by L-16.

  L-14, after coming in over the Lincolnshire coast to Wainfleet and on to Old Leake, passed out southward over the Wash and came overland again at Sutton Bridge at 12.10 a.m. She went on to Wisbech at 12.15 a.m. and, at 12.33 a.m., dropped her first bombs, two HE and two incendiaries, at March. The bombs struck close to the railway at Whitemoor Junction, but did no damage beyond cutting three telegraph wires.

  After circling north-east, the Zeppelin passed March again, going south-east shortly after 1 a.m. She flew north of Littleport, dropped an incendiary bomb at Hockwold, passed over Mundford and Lynford Hall and, at about 1.30 a.m., dropped seven HE and one incendiary bomb on Croxton Heath near Stanford. Five minutes earlier L-22, passing north from Thetford, had dropped a flare which set fire to the heath. The commander of L-14, seeing the fire, no doubt concluded that something important lay beneath him and promptly bombed the place.

  Continuing on the same course, the raider passed north of Thetford, and reached East Harling at 1.40 a.m. and Bunwell at 1.45a.m. Here, L-14 dropped two incendiary bombs.

  At 1.50 a.m. she was over Long Stratton, and at 2 a.m. she dropped an incendiary bomb ½ mile east of Buckenham Station, near Acle, and then changed course south-east. She passed Reedham, where four HE bombs were dropped at 2.05 a.m., and went to sea south of Yarmouth at 2.15 a.m., passing over the Cross Sand light vessel, going east-north-east, at 2.25 a.m. Her speed was, at times, very high – approaching 70mph.

  L-13, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Eduard Prölss, came in over the Wash and was first spotted near Sutton Bridge at 11.55 p.m. At midnight, she dropped her first bomb (an incendiary) at Walpole St Peter. At 12.05 a.m. she was seen north-east of Wisbech, where she seems to have turned abruptly north-east and, passing King’s Lynn, reached West Newton near Sandringham, where she dropped another incendiary bomb and changed course due east. On the way, she dropped a third incendiary at West Rudham at 12.25 a.m. and then on over Guist where L-13 dropped her first HE bomb of the raid.

  At 12.40 a.m. she was near Cawston, when she dropped one incendiary and two HE bombs. Moving northward, she passed over Blickling at 12.50 a.m., Roughton at 12.57 a.m. and then back over the coast at Cromer at 1 a.m., where she turned south-west approaching the coast again at Sheringham and finally out to sea in a north-easterly direction at 1.05 a.m.

  L-11, with Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze in command, was the last Zeppelin to emerge during this raid, and she cruised slowly off the Norfolk coast for some time before coming overland. At midnight the Zeppelin was heard in the neighbourhood of the Haisborough lightship on the one side, and from the Newarp light vessel on the other. From other indications she is known to have been immediately north of Cromer at 1.18 a.m.

  She came in west of Cley at 2.04 a.m., dropping an incendiary bomb on the sands at Warham Hole, and proceeded south to Binham, where she dropped an incendiary bomb. Changing course south-east, the Zeppelin steadily pursued this direction, showing a flare at Field Dalling. She dropped an incendiary bomb at Galthorpe, an HE bomb at Briningham, a fourth incendiary bomb at Briston, a fifth incendiary and another HE at Thurning (which did some damage and injured two bullocks), a sixth incendiary bomb at Wood Dalling and a seventh at Cawston. Here, at 2.30 a.m., her course was slightly altered to the eastward. She dropped an incendiary bomb at Wroxham at 2.45 a.m., another at Hoveton St John and another at Neatishead. The Zeppelin went out to sea between Horsey and Winterton at 3 a.m. No harm was done by any of the bombs, except at Thurning.

  L-17, under Kapitänleutnant Herbert Erlich, passed over the Cross Sand light vessel at 11.25 p.m., made landfall at Ormesby, north of Great Yarmouth at 11.45 p.m. and followed the river Yare to Loddon where, at 12.15 a.m., she turned north-west at moderate speed in the direction of Norwich, which may have been her objective.

  She dropped an incendiary bomb at Bixley, passed south of the city over Stoke Holy Cross, and headed towards Tuddenham at 12.30 a.m., apparently drawn to the aeroplane searchlight at Honingham and the flares at Tuddenham aerodrome. The searchlight may have induced the belief that a battery was close at hand, and the Zeppelin unloaded the majority of its HE bombs. Ten were dropped on Tuddenham, and the raider then turned east, dropping seven more HE and five incendiary bombs between Tuddenham and Honingham. No damage was done by any of them. The Zeppelin passed over Costessey at 1 a.m., then Wroxham (1.15 a.m.) and finally, out to sea between Mundesley and Bacton at 1.40 a.m.

  L-22, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Martin Dietrich, came in early and covered a large area of ground. She passed near the Cross Sand light vessel at 10.15 p.m., and crossed the coast near Lowestoft at 10.30 p.m. She pursued a direct south-west course for Lowestoft, passing Pakefield at 10.40 p.m., Wrentham at 10.45 p.m., Halesworth at 11 p.m., Earl Soham at 11.20 p.m. and north of Needham Market at 11.25 p.m.

  Reaching Stowmarket at 11.35 p.m., she hovered for about five minutes, apparently keeping out of the range of the guns and went to Postlingford (north of Clare) where, at 11.45 p.m., she dropped her first bomb, an incendiary, which did no damage. She then changed her course southward, and was in the neighbourhood of Yeldham and Castle Hedingham from 11.55 p.m. to
12.05 a.m. Turning north, she passed near Haverhill and was seen at Dullingham in Cambridgeshire at 12.15 a.m.

  Turning south-south-west at 12.20 a.m., she dropped four HE bombs on the aerodrome at West Wickham, having been attracted by a hurricane lamp which was burning on the ground in order to enable the ground guard to find their flare positions. One bomb fell in the aerodrome, the other within 300 yards of it.

  Going east, six incendiary bombs were dropped in the fields near the gasworks at Haverhill at 12.25 a.m. L-22 harmlessly dropped five HE bombs at Withersfield at 12.30 a.m. and one at Great Wratting. The raider then made off in a north-westerly direction, passing near Newmarket at 12.45 a.m. She altered course to the north-east, passing near Chippenham at 12.55 a.m., Mildenhall at 1.05 a.m. and, reaching Snarehill near Thetford, fruitlessly dropped three HE bombs aimed at the aerodrome.

  Her course was altered northward over Croxton Heath, where a flare was shown and this started a small fire on the heath, and also attracted L-14, who probably thought a target had been found; she also dropped an incendiary. She then made off at very high speed north-east, passed near Attleborough at 1.30 a.m. then over Honingham to Hevingham where, about 2 a.m., she dropped six HE and four incendiary bombs, with the result that one horse was slightly injured. Further on, at Burgh-next-Aylsham, an incendiary bomb was dropped. The Zeppelin then passed by North Walsham and out to sea between Mundesley and Haisborough at approximately 2.10 a.m.

  L-23 came in at Benacre around 11.15 p.m., went over Covehithe and Wrentham, reached Brampton at 11.27 p.m. and then turned seaward, passing over Wingford at 11.33 p.m. At Southwold, at 11.35 p.m., a single incendiary bomb was dropped on the common, 20 yards from the military ammunition store, doing no damage. The raider went out to sea, then came back again to Walberswick at 11.45 p.m. and then out to sea in a south-south-east direction, being observed from Aldeburgh at about 12.10 a.m.

  L-31, under Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Mathy, approached the North Foreland from a north-east direction at 11.10 p.m. and at 11.20 p.m. began to drop bombs as she neared the coast. At least a dozen were dropped in the sea, in groups of three, in the vicinity of Kingsgate. The Zeppelin came in over the North Foreland lighthouse, going in a westerly direction along the coast.

  At 11.25 p.m. she came overland between Westgate and Margate, passed over the western extremity of the latter borough and proceeded south-east towards Ramsgate. She was seen at 11.30 p.m. from Broadstairs, and was fired at by the AA guns at Manstone without result. At 11.35 p.m. she dropped three HE bombs in a field near Ramsgate, which did no damage beyond breaking windows in ten houses and a greenhouse. The concussion of the bombs broke glass in a house at Westwood 1½ miles away. The Zeppelin was fired at by the AA guns at Ramsgate, also without result.

  The raider then moved off out to sea. Several bombs were dropped in the sea on the way. She was heading in a south-easterly direction, which she soon changed to south-west, coming in close to land at Sandwich, off which several more bombs were dropped. The Zeppelin then approached Dover, but when fire was opened upon her, she at once turned tail and retired north-north-east. She made no further attempt to come inland, but returned to Germany forthwith.

  L-30 never came overland in Britain, but may have come across the North Sea in conjunction with L-31. She was located at about 10.50 p.m. midway between Zeebrugge and the North Foreland, and went back by the sea route.

  2/3 August 1916

  On the afternoon of 2 August, six Zeppelins left their shed and flew westwards over the North Sea, and by 7.30 p.m. British Intelligence had located all of them.

  L-11 and L-16 raided Suffolk and Essex, L- 31 south-east Kent, while L-21, L-13, and L-17 raided Norfolk and Suffolk.

  Before coming inland L-21, under the command of Hauptmann August Stelling, cruised out to sea north of the coast of Norfolk, between Cromer and Wells-next-the-Sea. She was heard at 9.30 p.m. from Wells, and between 10.40 and 10.55 p.m. from the Cromer Lighthouse, flying from east to west. She reappeared and made landfall at Wells-next-the-Sea at 11.55 p.m., flying south-west. She momentarily changed her course at 11.59 p.m. to the north-west, but very soon turned south again.

  At 12.05 a.m. she passed over Little Walsingham, flying fast in a southerly direction. Passing Fakenham at 12.09 a.m., she seemed to reduce speed but carried on in the same direction. She was next seen from Wendling going south-west at 12.20 a.m. and arrived over Swaffham by about 12.27 a.m. She hung over this place for about three minutes, and then went due south, making for Thetford.

  She was heard at Ickburgh and Mundford at 12.37 a.m. L-21 was attracted by the flares of Thetford Aerodrome and dropped five HE bombs, then altering course eastward, flew between Attleborough and East Harling and passed New Buckenham at 1 a.m. Twenty-five minutes later she was over Suffolk, passing across the county and out to sea over Covehithe and dropping two incendiary bombs as she did so. Eight more HE bombs fell into the sea close by, but no damage was caused and there were no casualties.

  L-13, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Eduard Prölss, was heard over the Haisborough lightship going south-west at 11.37 p.m. She made landfall over Bacton at 11.45 p.m., where fire was at once opened by the mobile anti-aircraft guns at Bacton coastguard station and, at 11.47 p.m., the airship was driven off along the coast in the direction of Haisborough. Here, L-13 changed course at 11.52 p.m. to the south-west, and passed over Stalham at about 11.44 p.m.

  She now changed course, and passed over Horning at midnight, Wroxham at 12.05 a.m., and turned due south. She dropped an incendiary bomb at Panxworth and went over Blofield at 12.10 p.m. She passed Mundham at about 12.25 a.m., where the Zeppelin dropped three incendiary bombs that damaged five panes of glass at Grange Farm.

  Progressing towards the Norfolk/Suffolk border, L-13 dropped five HE and three incendiary bombs on Ditchingham, breaking some seventy panes of glass at Ditchingham Hall, although fortunately there were no casualties.

  Flying over Suffolk, the Zeppelin dropped four incendiary bombs on Earsham soon after. Manoeuvring west and slightly north, she dropped three HE bombs over Shelton, which broke a few windows, then turned north-west, arriving over Tacolneston at 12.55 a.m., where she dropped one incendiary and six HE bombs. Still bearing north-west, she passed Silfield at 1.10 a.m. and dropped three HE bombs, damaging two farmhouses and two cottages and smashing twenty windows.

  L-13 then passed to Wymondham, where she dropped one incendiary bomb. North of Wymondham, she turned north and then sharply to the east at 1.12 a.m. Between 1.15 a.m. and 1.25 a.m. she circled round Stoke Holy Cross, Shotesham All Saints, Saxlingham, Thorpe, Shotesham St Mary and back to Stoke Holy Cross. It was thought by military observers that L-13 was looking for Norwich.

  At about 1.25 a.m., when the Zeppelin arrived over Stoke Holy Cross for a second time, she seems to have abandoned the attempt, as she turned north-west and arrived at Costessey at 1.35 a.m. She then steered off in the direction of the coast, passing over Horsford at 1.45 a.m., hovered over North Walsham at 1.55 a.m., before flying in the direction of Mundesley, turning south-east towards Bacton as she approached and was then observed flying out to sea between these villages by the Mundesley coastguard at 2.15 a.m.

  The RNAS Mobile Anti-Aircraft Brigade under Lieutenant Mackenzie Ashton (far right) photographed on Yarmouth Road, around the corner from their headquarters on Grammar School Road, North Walsham, 1915.

  L-16, under Kapitänleutnant Erich Sommerfeldt, was cruising between the Haisborough lightship and Mundesley off the Norfolk coast 9.35 p.m.–10.15 p.m. She was sighted over the Cockle lightship at 12.15 a.m., flying south-west, and made landfall over Hemsby at 12.25 a.m.

  She was seen out to sea at 12.21 a.m., and after passing Hemsby at 12.24 a.m. she flew south-west. After Ormesby St Margaret she turned towards Acle, which she reached at 12.40 a.m. Going due south, she passed over Cantley at 12.45 a.m., then headed west to Rockland St Mary, before turning south again, passing over Brooke at about 12.55 a.m., then south-west to Hempnall at about 1 a
.m.

  Setting a westerly course, L-16 was over Long Stratton at 1.10 a.m. where she dropped three incendiary bombs. The Zeppelin was next spotted at Bunwell at 1.20 a.m., but her course after that was lost until she reached Ashby St Mary, where she dropped four HE and three incendiary bombs, breaking all the windows in Ashby Lodge and two nearby cottages. On leaving Ashby the Zeppelin seems to have reduced her speed and was next seen over Limpenhoe before 1.55 a.m. and over Acle again at 2 a.m. L-16 was last seen flying out to sea over Yarmouth.

  L-17, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert Ehrlich, passed over the Cockle lightship at midnight, and made landfall between Caister and Great Yarmouth at 12.20 a.m. At 12.30 a.m. she was seen in the neighbourhood of Ormesby St Margaret, in company with L-16.

  She was next spotted over Halvergate at 12.30 a.m., turning south and passing over Reedham at 12.35 a.m., Loddon at 12.45 a.m., before manoeuvring south-west to Pulham, where the Zeppelin dropped three HE bombs.

  She followed the valley of the River Waveney to Eye, in Suffolk. Turning due west, she dropped an incendiary bomb on the Great Eastern Railway line at Mellis at 1.03 a.m. Returning to Eye at 1.10 a.m., she went down the Waveney, passed over Thorpe Abbots at 1.15 a.m. and, while over Billingford, she dropped three HE bombs, killing six horses. Between 1.15 a.m. and 1.20 a.m. she dropped a further three HE and three incendiary bombs at Brockdish, and these damaged a farmhouse.