Zeppelin Blitz

by Neil Storey

Turning north, L-17 arrived at Hardwick at 1.30 a.m. where she harmlessly dropped five HE bombs. At Long Stratton she dropped two HE bombs at 1.37 a.m., then a single incendiary bomb on Fornsett St Mary (1.40 a.m.) which landed near a signal on the Great Eastern Railway, doing no damage to the permanent way. She then turned south-east again to the valley of the Waveney, dropping two HE bombs at Starston before 1.45 a.m., which killed three horses and injured one. From Starston she next went to Redenhall, where she harmlessly dropped one HE bomb at about 1.45 a.m., then on to Denton, at about 1.50 a.m., where she dropped six incendiary bombs.

  The Zeppelin turned north-east to Broome, where she dropped three incendiary bombs between 1.50 and 1.55 a.m. She was then thought to have headed direct for Southwold, no further bombs were dropped, and she was last seen over Southwold lighthouse going out to sea at 2.15 a.m.

  As the Zeppelin appeared to have followed the course of the River Waveney for the greater part of her journey, both coming in and going out, it was suggested in the Intelligence summary that the chief objective for L-17 was Pulham Air Station.

  L-11 was identified about 10 miles north-east of Aldeburgh at 12.16 a.m., and again at 12.40 a.m. about 10 miles out to sea off Orfordness. The Zeppelin had previously had an encounter with a RNAS seaplane over Burgh Castle, but does not seem to have sustained any damage, although two trays of Lewis gun ammunition were expended and the pilot claimed to have hit repeatedly.

  At 12.48 a.m., Hollesley heard her approaching the coast from the north-east. At 1.10 a.m. the Zeppelin was seen over Bawdsey Manor Camp. Here, she turned north-west and went up the River Deben in the direction of Woodbridge. Two bombs were dropped in the water at Bawdsey Ferry and another near Bawdsey. She then passed Ramsholt and, when close to Waldringfield, caught sight of the electric lights at Playford Heath, near Woodbridge, and turned south to Kirton. Passing over Kirton at 1.20 a.m. she dropped a flare on Kirton Marshes, and one large and one small HE bomb on Kirton village. Six cottages were seriously damaged and a great deal of glass was broken in twelve others. One boy was slightly injured.

  After bombing Kirton, she seems to have shut off her engines and drifted down the River Deben without being seen or heard, and to have left the coast at about 1.25 a.m. Between 1.25 a.m. and 1.30 a.m. she was fired at by the naval guns at Shingle Street, while flying at a height of about 6,000ft.

  At 1.30 a.m. she came inland again near Felixstowe, but went out to sea almost at once at 1.33 a.m. At 1.45 a.m. she was heard from Felixstowe, approaching Landguard from the north-east. At 1.54 a.m., she was seen from Landguard and was observed to throw out a starlight while slowly descending to a height estimated at 2,000–3,000ft. She was watched from the Naval Air Station and Fire Command Post, but was not found by the searchlight.

  One gun opened over the starlight she had dropped, and the Zeppelin went out to sea again without dropping bombs. Between 1.55 a.m. and 1.58 a.m. she was observed hovering off Landguard and, at 2 a.m., she came over the entrance to Harwich harbour. Being heavily fired at by both naval and military guns at an estimated height of 5,000–6,000ft, she turned to the north and was over Landguard at 2.05 a.m. Here, she dropped two HE bombs and four incendiaries in the sea, and one HE bomb on the parade ground at Landguard, damaging a few tents.

  Having apparently been hit by the guns of the Harwich defences, L-11 went out to sea over Landguard at 2.10 a.m. Returning towards Dovercourt and being engaged by guns, she made a nosedive as soon as fire was opened and again turned out to sea. At 2.17 a.m. she was seen going due east away from the land.

  At about 2.25 a.m. she once more came over Harwich, possibly assisted in steering her course by the play of the searchlights. She repeated the manoeuvre of going north to Landguard, but dropped no further bombs. At 2.35 a.m. she finally went out to sea over Landguard, having again been fired at by the naval guns at Shingle Street. No damage was done at Harwich or Landguard beyond a few broken windows in huts at the latter place, and a few tents perforated by splinters.

  L-31, under Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Mathy, was reported by Dover seaplanes 35 miles north-west of Dunkirk at 10.15 p.m. Between 10.45 p.m. and 12.50 p.m. she was cruising the Straits of Dover, before turning westward for the east coast of Kent. The coastguard at Kingsdown reported having seen a Zeppelin to the east, going north at 12.50 a.m., making for Deal. L-31, having previously dropped twenty HE bombs in the sea as a result of three rounds fired at her by the steamer Duchess of Devonshire, turned south from Deal and she left the land between Kingsdown and St Margaret’s at 1.08 a.m., following the outline of the coast until she was just out at sea due east of Dover at about 1.10 a.m.

  Having been picked up by the searchlight at St Margaret’s at 1.08 a.m., and on approaching Dover, she was heavily fired upon at 1.10 a.m. She turned eastwards, going out to sea over Cornhill coastguard station. She flew steadily eastwards, illuminated by the lights until out of range.

  Aftermath

  Scaremongering during the Zeppelin offensive was taken very seriously, and some of those who repeated rumours even ended up being brought before the magistrates. This case was reported in the Norfolk Chronicle:

  At Wymondham Petty Sessions, John Quantrill of Silfield, Wymondham, was charged with unlawfully spreading a false report, viz. that twenty-two Zeppelins were crossing the channel. Florence Ellen Chilvers, a single woman, said that on 3 August she saw Quantrill at work in his garden. He said there were twenty-two Zeppelins crossing the channel. This was at 8 p.m., she was with two other women at the time. She then went to Bunwell and told some people there and the consequence was the report soon spread all over the parish. Quantrill claimed his boy had been to Wymondham and when he came back he said he had been told of the report and that the news had come from Norwich and had been sent on to Wymondham to let the people in the town and surrounding villages know. The Chairman (Mr W.B. Fryer) said it was the first case of this kind to come before the Bench at Wymondham and they would deal leniently with the defendant but added it was, however, quite time that the public should know reports of this nature must not be spread around without taking steps to ascertain if they were true. The defendant had rendered himself liable to a fine of £100 and they would deal severely with any future case of this kind. Quantrill was fined five shillings.

  8/9 August 1916

  Eleven Zeppelins departed Germany on 8 August, but only nine of them reached the British coastline and raided parts of the Midlands, the north and Scotland.

  L-14, under Hauptmann Manger, passed northward along the coast past Goswick, came overland at Berwick at 12.25 a.m. and went west over Chirnside and Duns. At 12.37 a.m. the Zeppelin was over Fallside Hill, near Gordon, where one incendiary bomb was dropped on a farm without doing any damage.

  Her course was then changed south-east and, at 1.08 a.m., three HE bombs were dropped at Grahamslaw, in the parish of Eckford, south of Kelso. A minute later, an incendiary bomb fell on Kersknowe, and three minutes afterwards, two more incendiary bombs fell at Clifton, in the parish of Morebattle. No harm was done, the bombs having dropped in fields and merely set fire to some thistles.

  When close to Kelso the Zeppelin threw a flare. The raider then made off over the Cheviots, dropping an incendiary bomb on the hills ½ mile south of Southern Knowe, in Northumberland, as she went. She passed Alnwick at about 1.43 a.m., Alnmouth at 2 a.m. and headed out to sea, passing Amble, going south-east

  L-11 came in at Whitley Bay, near Cullercoats, north of the Tyne, and bombed this small watering place. After a flare had been dropped, which fell in a field south of the cemetery, eight HE and five incendiary bombs were dropped. The first seven HE bombs fell in a line from Whitely Road, across Albany Gardens and Clarence Crescent to the railway. The last HE bomb, and the five incendiary bombs landed further on, between the corner of Alma Place and Burnfoot Terrace, across Lish Avenue, and the corner of Carlton Terrace and Marden Crescent. One man, one woman and three children were injured. One dwelling house was totally wrecked, another and three shops e
xtensively damaged, many others slightly damaged and a considerable quantity of glass broken. Slight damage was done to signals, telephone and telegraph wires at the station.

  It was suggested that the ‘arcing’ of electric trains on the railway may have attracted the Zeppelin, but in fact, no trains were running on the line after 11.12 p.m. The bombs fell practically simultaneously with the opening fire from the Whitley Bay guns. As the searchlights were greatly hampered by the mist, the gun opened fire without waiting for the light. The second shell burst just under the tail of the Zeppelin, which immediately threw out a ‘bouquet’ of bombs which fell at sea. The Zeppelin then rose 3,000ft, afterward descending again. As she went out to sea she threw out what was described as a burning petrol tank, which fell into the sea and continued to burn for some time. It was believed to have been an acetylene flare.

  L-31, after dropping a number of bombs in the sea off Seaham and Sunderland between 12.15 a.m. and 1.15 a.m., came inland near Whitburn, passed over Boldon and Cleadon and, at about 1.45 a.m., went north-east to Marsden. Here, at Salmons Hall, six HE bombs were dropped on miners’ dwellings at 2 a.m. Very little damage was done, with only a few windows and roofs suffering. A horse was killed.

  The raider then went on northwards, and circled over the mouth of the Tyne two or three times. As the whole district was in absolute blackness and the valley was hidden by mist, the Zeppelin commander probably failed to realise that he was over the river. He passed over South Shields and Tynemouth and at least one military camp. The Zeppelin was sighted without the aid of a searchlight by the 1-pdr mobile guns at Monkwearmouth, but was not within range and was not fired at. When the searchlights lit she appeared to vanish in a cloud. Unable to find any definite objective, the Zeppelin seems to have gone off to sea, probably at approximately 2 a.m.

  L-13 crossed the coast at Denemouth, north of Hartlepool, at about 1.30 a.m. She passed over Castle Eden at 1.40 a.m., thence following the Hartlepool–Ferryhill Railway to Wingate where, at 1.45 a.m., an HE bomb was dropped in a field, doing no damage beyond breaking a little glass. Then, probably attracted to the Coxhoe district by a burning waste heap at Kelloe Colliery or, according to another account, by a limekiln at Quarrington which is said to have shown a ‘strong flame’, she made in the direction of Kelloe. Here she dropped twelve HE and fourteen incendiary bombs on the colliery at Quarrington Hill and Bowburn. At Kelloe, 30ft of colliery railway was demolished and a dozen panes of glass broken in a weigh cabin. At Quarrington, glass was broken in about forty houses and a shop.

  The Zeppelin went off north-east, passing Thornley at 1.50 a.m., Haswell at 1.55 a.m. and out to sea over Easington at 2.05 a.m.

  L-30 was heard approaching Skinningrove from the north-east between 12.20 a.m. and 12.28 a.m. The Zeppelin was picked out by the No. 2 light at Skinningrove and, after being in a beam for a minute and a half, turned seawards, dropping bombs in the sea as she went.

  She was next heard over Hartlepool at 12.50 a.m. going north, and at 12.55 a.m. having turned half a circle west she was over the Central Marine Engine Works and the docks, without dropping bombs. The town, being completely in darkness, was probably invisible to the Zeppelin.

  At 12.58 a.m. L-30 turned south and dropped six HE bombs in a field west of Seaton Carew Ironworks and three HE bombs on a slag tip at the ironworks. According to local opinion, the bombs were attracted by the slight glow from the chimneys and furnaces. The same would apply to the zinc works at Seaton Snook, where one incendiary bomb was dropped a minute or so later. No damage was done at the zinc works, but many windows were smashed by concussion at Bellevue and Long Hill, near Seaton Carew.

  The No. 9 searchlight at Port Clarence now found the Zeppelin, at 1.05 a.m., and she immediately turned east, crossing the River Tees and thence out to sea, where she was next located 60 miles out on her way homeward at 2.02 a.m.

  L-22 approached Redcar from the direction of Hartlepool at 12.55 a.m. and (possibly attracted by three flares that had been used to guide a seaplane taking off 12.30 a.m.) dropped five HE bombs on grass fields forming part of the Redcar aerodrome landing ground at about 1.05 a.m. No damage was done.

  L-22 then proceeded south-east and dropped four HE bombs on a camp east of Wheatlands Farm, again doing no damage. She proceeded to Saltburn, where she was spotted by an AA gun at Huntley Hall, which opened fire without the aid of searchlight at 1.12 a.m. Considerable difficulty appears to have been experienced by the gun commander at Huntley Hall in dealing with the Zeppelins, owing to his having received very little help from the searchlight, which was not connected to him by telephone. One round was fired, which fell short, and the Zeppelin continued her course to Huntcliff at 1.15 a.m., going towards Skinningrove.

  At 1.17 a.m., hearing the bombs dropped by L-21 on the cliffs immediately east of Skinningrove, L-22 turned at Carlin How, apparently with the object of spotting the light and gun at Huntley Hall, which had again fired upon the Zeppelin at 1.19 a.m. she swept round to the north of Warsett Hill, passed over the gun and turned southward inland, pursued by a parting shot from Huntley Hall.

  Her southerly course was continued to Houlsyke, near Lealholm, where at 1.35 a.m. she dropped a single incendiary bomb, which fell on the moor and did no damage. She now turned east following the River Esk and the railway to Whitby, passing south of it at 1.45 a.m. The Zeppelin was last seen from Robin Hood’s Bay going out to sea at 1.50 a.m.

  L-21 was in company with L-23 (which never came overland) 12 miles north-east of Scarborough at 11 p.m., when both were attacked by the armed trawler Itonian, who reported that one of the Zeppelins appeared to drop by 25°. This was probably L-23, which no doubt received some slight injury, necessitating repairs and this prevented her coming overland. She went slowly northwards, and at 1.18 a.m. was returning back to base.

  L-21 continued on her course and, at 12.45 a.m., she was heard by HMY Miranda, stationed 2 miles north-east of Skinningrove. At 12.58 a.m. the Zeppelin attacked the Miranda, dropping three HE bombs, one of which exploded 400 yards from the ship. At 1 a.m. the Zeppelin was visible from the ship, 6,000ft overhead, and five 3-pdr shells were fired at her. The third was claimed to have struck the Zeppelin, bursting on her side but, in view of her subsequent action this seems improbable.

  On fire being opened, L-21 immediately went south-west over the cliffs and scars east of Skinningrove. At 1.17 a.m. three HE bombs dropped in a quarry, and the raider went over Skinningrove itself at 1.20 a.m., dropping seven HE bombs which destroyed a small wooden office and damaged some pipes and tanks, in total worth about £25. She then went out to sea, where more bombs were dropped and was 15 miles out on her way home at 1.35 a.m.

  A RNAS BE-2c, flown by Fight Lieutenant de Roeper, went up from Redcar Aerodrome and followed an airship (either L-21 or L-22, or possibly both), for over an hour but he could not get sufficiently near or high enough to bomb it.

  L-24, under Kapitänleutnant Robert Koch, came in south of Flamborough Head at 12.15 a.m. and passed Bridlington, going inland at 12.20 a.m. At 12.25 a.m. she was heard from Burton Agnes, and at 12.30 a.m. reported between Hulton-Crenswick and North Frodingham, going south, and following the line of the railway from Driffield to Beverley. Shortly afterwards, she passed between Lockington and Leven, and by 12.37 a.m. was at Beverley, where she turned west. At 12.45 a.m. she passed over Market Weighton and went on 1 mile westward of the town, turned south-east over Holme-on-Spalding Moor and then north to Kiplingcotes, which she reached at 12.56 a.m.

  She then turned south again, possibly attracted by the flares of Bellasize Landing Ground, which had been lit up. She reached the Hull–Selby Railway at 1.10 a.m., passed Elloughton and thence followed the river eastward, passing North Ferriby a few minutes later. At 1.18 a.m. she went over Hessle, dropping her first bombs: eight HE and two incendiary, in open fields near the town. No damage and no casualties were caused.

  Hull lay immediately on her track and could scarcely be missed, and at 1.20 a.m. the Zeppelin reached the
north-western portion of the city. She steered over the golf course, where three HE bombs were dropped, and arrived at the Hull & Barnsley Railway, by Spring Bank Junction. Here, one HE and four incendiary bombs were dropped; one of the latter buried itself in the permanent way without exploding, while the others fell in fields.

  L-24 went on by Anlaby Road, near Sandringham Street and the North Eastern Railway line at the bottom of Walliker Street, and then turned north-east circling round West Park, over Hymers Collage, to the neighbourhood of Newland.

  The Zeppelin was at a great height, much higher than those on previous raids. She dropped eight HE and twenty-eight incendiary bombs on the city itself, doing considerable damage on: Walliker Street, where a shop was demolished, a house wrecked and two houses damaged; Selby Street, where two houses were badly damaged and another slightly; Granville Street and Sandringham Street both had two houses wrecked and others damaged. Lesser damage was done in Park Avenue, with four fires started in houses, and in other streets nearby there were a number of windows shattered. A haystack was partially burnt on Arnold Street.

  The neighbourhood was close to a number of railway lines, and the course of the bombs seems to show that the Zeppelin followed them for some distance. It was stated, on authority of the police, that a train was said to have been passing on the line shortly before the raid. This, however, was denied by the North Eastern Railway. Accusations regarding the railways being responsible for attracting bombs were rather freely made in respect of this raid.

  The railway lines close to Walliker Street were brought down.

  There were several casualties, with those killed being hit in the street. Others died later from injuries or shock:

  Emmie Bearpark (14), 35 Selby Street (Died 10 August 1916)

  Mary Louise Bearpark (44), 35 Selby Street (Died from shock)