Zeppelin Blitz

by Neil Storey

  One HE bomb of 50kg weight then fell at Yokes Court, St Martin’s, and one 100kg and one of 50kg in a field at St Martin’s, followed by one 300kg, two 100kg and one 50kg in field ½ mile north-east of Old Romney. The raider then turned due east, and at about 2.15 a.m. went out to sea again near New Romney.

  L-41, commanded by Hauptmann Kuno Manger, came overland at 1.20 a.m. at Pett Level, south of Winchelsea. As she came in she dropped eight HE and two incendiary bombs. Two of the HE bombs appear to have dropped in the sea. The others did some damage by concussion to two empty bungalows and two farmhouses in the neighbourhood. The Zeppelin then went slowly north-east and when near Rye, turned south-east along the course of the River Rother, dropping seven HE and six incendiary bombs on Camber Marsh between 1.40 and 1.45 a.m. Of these, two HE bombs and one incendiary fell on the right bank of the river between Rye and the Chemical Works, and the rest on the left bank near Rye harbour. One of the HE bombs broke the windows of a couple of bungalows, otherwise no damage was done.

  Kapitänleutnant Herbert Ehrlich and his air crew and ground crew for L-35, 1917.

  The raider passed sharply north-east past Guldeford and seems to have followed the Royal Military Canal for some distance, afterward turning east across Romney Marsh to the coast and going out to sea near Dungeness at 2.05 a.m.

  Numerous aircraft from the RNAS and RFC took to the air that night, none of them managed to spot the raiders. Second Lieutenant David Dennys Fowler took off in his BE-2e 7180 from Telscombe Cliffs at 12.01 a.m. About ten minutes later Fowler’s plane crashed 1½ miles from the aerodrome, killing him. He was buried with full RFC honours at Rottingdean (St Margaret) churchyard. He was just 20 years old.

  1 March 1917

  At 9.40 a.m. on 1 March 1917, a hostile aeroplane appeared over Broadstairs. It dropped three bombs on the sea, about 50 yards from Clockhouse Point, followed by six others on land. A cottage in Gladstone Road was wrecked, and four houses and the county school in the same street were slightly damaged. Several other houses, chiefly in Grosvenor Road and King Edward Avenue, had their windows broken. One woman and five children were slightly injured next to the County School. The aeroplane went west for about 1 mile and returned out to sea.

  The raider was not fired at from Thanet. However, owing to information not having been communicated to the London AA defences about British aircraft being on patrol in the area, one was fired at by the Crayford Gun, which was twice in action between 11 a.m. and 1. 30 a.m.

  16 March 1917

  At 5.20 a.m. on 16 March a hostile aeroplane, which must have crossed the coast unobserved near Ramsgate, suddenly appeared out of low clouds at Garlinge, near Margate, coming from the direction of Hengrove. It came down comparatively low as the clouds were not too much above 1,000ft, and dropped twenty-one bombs, one of which failed to explode. They did no damage beyond breaking glass at various farms and cottages, and caused no casualties. The aeroplane, which was clearly seen, was a captured British machine of Handley Page type and was described as still bearing its British markings.

  The first two bombs fell close to Dent-du-Lion Farm; the third close to Mutrix Farm; the fourth 150 yards east of Westgate Aerodrome; the fifth between the roadway and the railway west of Mutrix Farm; the sixth close to the railway embankment and then ten landed within 100 yards of one another in a field, 700 yards south-east of Westgate Station.

  The aircraft then turned north-west, and dropped its seventeenth bomb on a lawn in front of Street Court School; the eighteenth on a greenhouse, 250 yards north of Westgate Church; the nineteenth 20 yards south of the bandstand on the front at Westgate and the twentieth and twenty-first in the sea within 300 yards of the shore. Glass was broken in nineteen houses, the greenhouse and the bandstand. The damage was estimated at £35–£45. All the bombs were small, of 5kg weight.

  5 April 1917

  On 5 April at 10.03 p.m. a hostile seaplane was heard north-north-east of Deal, going north-west. At 10.12 p.m. it was heard south-west of Ramsgate going north-east and about 10.30 p.m. it came over the coast between Broadstairs and Ramsgate, dropping four HE bombs, which merely broke some panes of glass in a house, doing some damage to the value of £4.

  The seaplane then went over the eastern end of the town of Ramsgate, dropping one HE bomb, which fell in a garden, doing no damage. It then appeared near Sandwich and dropped three HE bombs between Stonar Camp (Inland Water Transport) and Shingle End coastguard station, which also did no damage. The raider then made off seawards. No casualties were caused, and no action was taken owing to the suddenness of the attack and low-lying clouds.

  19 April 1917

  Six hostile aeroplanes or seaplanes approached the North Goodwins at 6.38 a.m. Three of them carried a torpedo each, the other three were apparently intended as escorts. The first torpedo was dropped on the North Goodwin Drifter Division. The six machines then headed off, although one almost immediately returned to renew the attack but was driven off. The seaplane that had dropped its torpedo then went home, accompanied by its escort.

  The remaining four aircraft were seen by the armed trawler Verinie off the North Brake Buoy at 6.40 a.m., flying very low. One attacked the SS Nyanza at 6.45 a.m., dropping one torpedo. Two then appeared off Ramsgate, circled round HMS Marshal Ney and discharged one torpedo, which entered Ramsgate harbour and became embedded in mud. No damage was done by the three torpedoes, and no bombs were dropped by the hostile machines. Owing to thick fog, low clouds and bad visibility at all stations, it was impossible to send up machines in pursuit.

  7 May 1917

  A single aeroplane appeared over the metropolis after midnight on the morning of 7 May, and dropped five 12½kg bombs, which fell between 12.40 and 12.50 a.m. in a straight line between Hackney and Holloway.

  The first bomb fell at 12.40 a.m. on Hackney Marshes, to no effect. The second landed at 12.45 a.m. on Newington Green Mansions, exploding in a top flat, and killing a man and seriously injuring a woman. Two rooms were badly damaged. The nose-cap of the bomb passed through three floors and was picked up in the ground floor flat.

  The third fell at 12.47 a.m. in the gravel path adjoining 19 Aberdeen Park, Stoke Newington. No damage was done, except to a fowl house and one or two windows. At 12.48 a.m. the fourth bomb dropped in Highbury Fields, halfway between Highbury Terrace and Highbury Place. The bomb burst a water main. The last bomb fell at 12.50 a.m. in Eden Grove, Lower Holloway, but failed to explode after damaging the roof of a bathroom.

  The aeroplane was not seen over London, but was heard, and it is thought to have made off in a north-westerly direction, afterwards doubling back to the coast. It was claimed to have been heard in various places in Essex along the probable line of its inward and outward route, but none of the evidence was very definite or satisfactory, except from Romford and Hornchurch, where it seems to have been heard going south-east towards the river. It was supposed that the pilot followed the north shore of the Thames. The bombs were small, 12½kg types.

  23/24 May 1917

  Six Zeppelins were sent to ‘attack south London’ on 23 May:

  L-44, under Kapitänleutnant Stabbert and carrying Zeppelin chief Strasser, came in at Lowestoft at 2.23 a.m. but rapidly developed engine failure, had to abort the mission and was fortunate to get back safely.

  L-42, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Max Dietrich, hovered about between Harwich and the Sunk lightship for some time, and finally came overland near Walton-on-the-Naze about 12.20 a.m. She went westwards at slow speed and at 12.45 a.m. was near Colchester, then reported towards Sudbury and then Halstead where, at 1.30 a.m. she harmlessly dropped an incendiary bomb in a field about 1 mile north-west of the town.

  She now turned south-west, and was near Braintree at 1.45 a.m., afterwards going off north-west. At 2.05 a.m. the raider dropped another incendiary and one HE bomb at Radwinter, 500 yards from the church, between it and the vicarage, also doing no damage.

  L-42 went off northwards, passing near Haverhill at about 2.15 a.m.
, near Stetchworth ten minutes later and Newmarket shortly afterwards and dropped one HE bomb at West Row Fen, 1 mile east of Mildenhall at about 2.35 a.m.. It fell ¼ mile away from any inhabitation and did no damage.

  At 2.38 a.m. another HE bomb was dropped at Pitts Drover, near Lakenheath, on a grass track about 1½ miles from the latter place, doing no damage.

  Crossing into Norfolk at 2.40 a.m. she dropped five HE bombs at Hockwold, causing slight damage to two farm buildings and two fields. At 2.42 a.m. two HE bombs were dropped on Weeting Heath, doing no damage, followed by two more (one of which did not explode) at Cranwich. Soon after, another incendiary fell at Ickburgh, with two more that landed in field at Hilborough. No further damage was done. The Zeppelin then bore off north-east, passing Swaffham at 2.50 a.m., East Dereham at 2.55 a.m., Reepham at 3 a.m. and was seen heading south-east near Hindolveston at 3.13 a.m.

  L-42 then turned north, and was spotted at Briningham, Stody and Brinton. It passed between Holt and Bodham at 3.20 a.m. and went out to sea between Weybourne and Sheringham five minutes later.

  L-45, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Waldemar Kolle, made landfall at Hollesley Bay, Suffolk, at about 1 a.m. and traversed the county, passing over Wickham Market and Stradbroke. She then came over the Norfolk border, dropping an incendiary bomb at Banham on the way.

  L-45 was next reported over Swaffham and Litcham. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and there was heavy rain and thunder as the Zeppelin passed over Docking at 2.20 a.m. where she dropped one HE and one incendiary bomb on the village, to no effect. The Zeppelin was last heard passing out to sea at Thornham.

  On her way back across the sea, L-45 was pursued and attacked by a seaplane (Large America No 8666) from RNAS Great Yarmouth, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Galpin and Flight Sub Lieutenant Leckie. This was at about 6.38 a.m., when she was 10 miles north-east of Terschelling (where they had destroyed L-22 on 14 May). They fired one magazine of ammunition at a range of 300 yards, before the Zeppelin disappeared into the clouds and could not be found again. Galpin and Leckie were also unfortunate enough for their seaplane to run out of petrol on its homeward flight. Safely landed on the sea at Cromer Knoll, both men and machine were returned in tow.

  L-40, under Kapitänleutnant Erich Sommerfeld, was first heard off Lowestoft and Southwold at 12.10 a.m. and came inland over Kessingland at 12.18 a.m. Dense, low lying cloud prevented her being spotted or fired upon as she flew overhead. Pursuing a course in the direction of Norwich, the Zeppelin passed Loddon at 12.35 a.m. and Rockland St Mary at 12.40 a.m. Travelling eastward of Norwich at 12.45 a.m., and probably believing he should be over the city, he dropped a 300kg bomb on Little Plumstead. The only damage consisted of glass broken in two cottages and a greenhouse, value estimated at £3 2s 6d.

  Heading northwards, the Zeppelin dropped two petrol tanks, one at Horstead at 12.50 a.m. and the other at Worstead at 12.55 a.m. Passing North Walsham at about 1 a.m., L-40 dropped an HE bomb at Knapton, which demolished some telegraph wires for a distance of 50 yards but did no other damage.

  Passing out to sea at Mundesley at 1.05 a.m. she dropped the remainder of her bombs in the sea as she went. Fourteen explosions were heard from the Cockle and Newarp light vessels, growing gradually fainter as the airship proceeded north-east.

  L-41, commanded by Hauptmann Kuno Manger, came overland at 2.23 a.m. at Lowestoft. Travelling north inland, at 2.37 a.m. she was heard at Lound and Blundeston, and at about 2.45 a.m. went out to sea again south of Yarmouth, being last heard going east at 2.50 a.m.. She had dropped no bombs on land. Owing to the thick low clouds, it was probably as impossible for the commander to know where he was, as it was for British AA guns to see and open fire on him.

  L-43, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hermann Kraushaar, made landfall at Hollesley Bay, turned north when off Bawdsey and at about 2.20 a.m. came overland near Hollesley. She went inland north-west, past Woodbridge and, at 2.32 a.m. was at Grundisburgh. Pursuing the same course, at 2.40 a.m. she was at Mickfield and Little Stonham, east of Stowmarket, and ten minutes later, between Eye and Mellis. She crossed into Norfolk via Redgrave at 2.55 a.m., dropping a couple of petrol tanks at South and North Lopham soon after. Shortly after 3 a.m. L-43 passed East Harling, going north, and dropped five incendiary bombs at Wrentham five minutes later. No damage was caused.

  At 3.10 a.m. another incendiary bomb fell at Tottington, followed by a flare thrown out at Saham Toney. The Zeppelin now circled to the east and south, dropping another petrol tank at Carbrooke at about 3.20 a.m. Steering west towards Little Cressingham, two incendiary bombs were dropped there at 3.25 a.m.

  The Zeppelin then resumed her northerly route, dropping an HE bomb at Houghton-on-the-Hill at 3.30 a.m. and two more at North Pickenham, causing damage to crops and to the windows and tiles of a farm house. At 3.35 a.m. six HE bombs fell at Little Dunham, breaking seven panes of glass in a cottage window. At 3.40 a.m. two incendiary bombs were dropped at West Lexham, both of which failed to ignite, and another incendiary was dropped at Weasenham St Peter at 3.45 a.m. to no effect.

  Three HE bombs were then dropped at Wellingham, damaging a farmhouse, five cottages and a chapel. Unfortunately, farm labourer Frederick Pile (45) had just called his employer to warn him of the approach of aircraft, but a moment after he left the house a bomb fell on the public road demolishing a stone wall. Mr Pile’s body was discovered on the road a few yards from the crater.

  About two minutes later, three HE and two incendiary bombs were dropped while the Zeppelin was over East Raynham, breaking the glass in the windows of three houses and seven cottages; blowing tiles off roofs and smashing 250 panes of glass in greenhouses at Raynham Hall; damaging trees in the park and uprooting a large white hawthorn and depositing the main portion of the tree 50 yards away. One bomb, which landed in a small wood, felled a tall oak tree at a considerable distance from the spot where it exploded, while another bomb killed two fine carthorses in a meadow.

  A further five HE bombs and two incendiaries were dropped at South Raynham, where one cottage was wrecked, several windows and doors of others were blown out and the windows of the church, the vicarage, a private house and fourteen cottages were broken.

  In all these villages, the cottages affected by the blast from the bombs not only lost windows, but it was also ‘no uncommon thing’ for their ceilings to fall in too. It was reported that one unfortunate girl of 15 was in bed when the ceiling fell and buried her under the debris. She was lucky to escape unhurt. A man in another cottage was blown out of bed, and fell heavily on the floorboards. He was injured too, with a slight cut to his upper lip from a small piece of shell.

  It was now daylight, and having thus deliberately bombed two unprotected villages and caused around £500 worth of damage, L-43 made for the sea. Despite being warned of the danger, many people came out onto the street upon hearing its approach or in the hope of spotting it. The Zeppelin passed between East Rudham and Fakenham, South Creake and Walsingham and finally, out to sea between Wells and Burrow Gap at about 4.05 a.m., under a heavy stream of fire from the Mobile Anti-Aircraft 3-pdr Vickers QF gun at Holkham, where it eventually disappeared into the clouds out at sea.

  Aftermath

  Frederick Pile was laid to rest at Wellingham on 26 May 1917, in a service conducted by the local rector, the Reverend L.K. Digby, who annotated the entry he made in the Dersingham burial register ‘Killed by a bomb dropped from German Zeppelin.’

  L-43 returned to its base safely, but a few days later on 14 June 1917 fell victim to a RNAS seaplane in the North Sea. There were no survivors.

  16/17 June 1917

  On the afternoon of 16 June 1917, four Zeppelins (L-41, L-42, L-44 and L-48) left the north German sheds to raid England. The shortness of the night, there being only four hours of darkness, rendered it improbable that the raiders would attempt to penetrate far inland. Indeed, it was curious that the enemy should have considered a raid worthwhile at this season of the year, taking into
consideration the defenceless condition of Zeppelins in face of attack by aeroplanes in the beam of a searchlight or in daylight.

  L-42, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Dietrich, was 35 miles north-east of Margate at 11.30 p.m. At 1.20 a.m., she was sighted by the Tongue light vessel coming from the north-east and steering south-west The Zeppelin cruised in the neighbourhood of the light vessel for about three quarters of an hour. Her height was reported as 5,000–7,000ft and she was said to be cruising very slowly. It was suggested that L-42 could have been waiting for the night to get darker. For some time she was over the Elbow buoy. She remained off Margate, being repeatedly reported from both the North Foreland lighthouse and the Tongue light vessel, until 2.05 a.m., when she came in over the North Foreland. At 2.08 a.m., the NCO (non-commissioned officer) in charge of the Ramsgate searchlight reported that the sound of a Zeppelin could be heard to the north-east. Two minutes later, the raider was sighted and the searchlight exposed, being quickly followed by the Hengrove, St Peter’s and Cliffsend lights. The Zeppelin was picked up for a few seconds and then lost again.

  L-42 appears to have steered south-west towards Ramsgate, parallel to the coast, passing the Marina Pier and then circling inland over the harbour. The first bomb was dropped at about 2.15 a.m. in the sea about 400 yards south-west of Marina Pier, and the second about 150 yards further on off the Pavilion. The third bomb dropped on the Naval Ammunition Store, 20 yards south of the clock tower in Ramsgate harbour. A fourth and a fifth fell in Albert Street, and a sixth on the north-east side of Crescent Road. In addition, one bomb was dropped in the grounds of Southwood House, one on the Manstone Road just beyond the railway crossing and two in a field north-west of Nethercourt Lodge, about 500 yards from the railway bridge.