THE WAR IN THE AIR

ZEPPELIN RAIDS ON BRITAIN AND ALLIED POWERS  1914 - 1917

Acknowledgements

Intro: history.com Specifications: daviddarling.info Control Room: warfarehistorynetwork.com Zeppelin: en.wikipedia.org Zeppelin over London: detail, ironmikemag.com Gotha Bomber: diamcogroup.com Shot Down: londonist.com Poster: commons.wikimedia.org

     The first Zeppelin attack on Britain occurred on the night of the 19-20th of January 1915, when two rigid, hydrogen airships set out to bomb targets along the Humber Estuary on the north-east coast. Bad weather drove them off their course, however, and they ended up dropping bombs on three seaside towns in Norfolk: Great Yarmouth, Sheringham and King’s Lynn. Four civilians were killed and sixteen injured on that occasion. It was the first of 52 attacks on Britain. By the end of 1917 some 5,000 bombs had been dropped across the country; the casualties had risen to 557 killed and 1,358 wounded; and of the 125 airships that had taken part, 77 were shot down, damaged beyond repair, or destroyed by an accident, together with 40% of their crews. Strategic bombing had found its place in the waging of war and, in the years ahead, was to play an ever-increasing and horrendous role. As one would expect, London took the brunt of these attacks, its financial centre, the city, and the dockyards in the Thames estuary being prime targets. The first attack on the capital took place on the 31st May, 1915, when 30 high-explosive bombs and 91 incendiary bombs were dropped on the East End, but bombing raids were made across the entire country, including the home counties, the midlands, the north-west coast, and the east coast of Scotland.

    ThexZeppelin airship was named after its inventor, the German aviator Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838-1917). The first one was launched in 1900, and by 1910 these huge, cigar-shaped airships were providing luxury tours to the United States – for those who could afford them! Come the war, extensively modified, they were to play a very different role. Their metal frame, around 150 metres in length and over 18.5 meters in diameter, contained over 28,000 cubic meters of hydrogen gas to keep them aloft, and were powered by three to six motors, depending on their class. They had a cruising power of about 45 mph (some with a top speed of over 60 mph) and most could reach heights above 1,500 ft. The crew numbered around twenty and were housed in the gondola (the compartment where once passengers wined and dined!). The airship was defended by seven or eight machine guns, well stablized, and could carry 2 tons of explosive and incendiary bombs.

     When war broke out these air ships, some 35 in number, were mainly used for reconnaissance purposes. In land battles, for example, they reported back on artillery positions and the movement of troops – later using photographs to support their findings – and at sea they proved particularly valuable at pin-pointing the location of submarines. They were also used tactically at times. In the opening stages of the war they dropped bombs on Liege, Antwerp and Paris, and played a part in the Battle of Tannenburg on the Eastern Front, but in this role, given their size and the need to fly low in order to identify their target, they were vulnerable to artillery and small arms fire, and suffered as a consequence.

    It was on January 7th, 1915, after stalemate had set in across the Western Front, that the Kaiser authorised a bombing campaign against Britain. Like a number of his military staff, he had come to appreciate the possible value of such an attack. Carried out across the country – not just against London – it could cause a wave of alarm, if not terror, throughout the nation and, together with the unrestricted U.boat blockade (now beginning to bite), could well persuade the British government to seek a peace settlement. And for this purpose, Germany had the ideal assault vessel, the Zeppelin airship. It had its restrictions – notably its vulnerability to severe weather conditions – but, this apart (and this drawback could largely be avoided), it had much in its favour. Given its long range, it could cross the English Channel and penetrate as far as Britain’s west coast. It was capable, too, of carrying a large bomb load, well over two tons. And, furthermore (and this made it quite unique), because of the height it could attain – well over 1,500ft – it was well beyond the reach of the fighter aircraft then in operation. This harbinger of total war, heralding a major, frightening addition to the nature of warfare per se, was immune from enemy attack! True, the height at which it operated meant its bombing was indiscriminate, but, in a way, this added to the terror factor and made a settlement the more likely! It was an undisguised policy of Schrecklichkeit, “frightfulness”. The British dubbed these attacks “The Baby Killers”.

    But these bombing raids did not have quite the impact that the Kaiser had anticipated. They certainly caused deep concern and, in some cases, real fear, but the major response was one of anger. Following on from the naval bombardment of the northern ports of Scarborouh, Hartlepool and Whitby (noted earlier), there was outrage and a certain amount of disbelief that Zeppelins could raid Britain with such impunity. There was a clear need for an update of the country’s defences. The impetus for this came on September 8th, 1915, when a zeppelin passed over the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral and unloaded a three-ton bomb on the heart of the capital, the largest dropped at that time. This caused widespread fires, killed 22 civilians, including six children, and did £500,000 worth of damage. Plans were put in place for a fundamental review of Britain’s defence system. The Royal Flying Corps officially took over the role of Home Defence in December and, over the coming months, a more stringent blackout regime was introduced; a more reliable warning system put in place, based on sound detection and ranging; a ring of searchlights, observers and anti-aircraft guns were installed around the capital; and operation centres were set up across the country. In addition, twelve night-fighting squadrons were established, capable of reaching greater height and equipped with upward-canted machine guns and luminous instruments. These aircraft were scattered over thirty aerodromes across Britain. But the biggest advance came with the introduction of incendiary and explosive bullets. They were capable of igniting the hydrogen gas and bringing the airship down in flames. ByxJune 1916 the days of the Zeppelin were numbered. Indeed, a year later the Germans withdrew this cumbersome airship and replaced it with the giant Gotha bomber (illustrated), a proven aircraft which was agile in flight and more accurate in its targeting. But the demise of the Zeppelin must not negate its importance. It was the harbinger of strategic bombing, and this was to become the foundation of air power. And for the island state of the United Kingdom, it meant the loss of its much-valued immunity. It was now open to attack and, given time, on a much greater and frightening scale. The Zeppelin raids were the first step towards total warfare.

     While Geman airships roamed at will over Britain, the British had no comparable capability as far as Germany (and certainly not Berlin!) was concerned. In September 1914 they did carry out their first-ever raid against the Zeppelin bases at Cologne and Dusseldorf (followed by an attack on the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafren), and in October 1916, working from bases in eastern France, they did begin to bomb tactical targets in south-west Germany, but these were minor events compared with the death and destruction caused by the Zeppelin raids.

     ButxBritain was certainly not the only Allied power to be attacked. During the first six months of 1915 there were raids on France (Versailles and Paris); Poland (Warsaw) and Italy (a number of historic cities). Casualties were not particularly high, but they caused civilian unrest and called for action. The French, for example, installed anti-aircraft guns around Paris and organised fighter patrols. And at one stage, they set up a mock model of the city in the hope of fooling the enemy! However, by late 1916. and progressively throughout 1917, the Zeppelin became less effective. Weather and night flying made navigation difficult; bombs were often dropped way off target; and, given improved defence measures, many more of these airships were being shot down. Germany employed 125 during the war. More than half were lost, together with 40% of their crews. However, bomber aircraft, notably the German Gotha G.IV, were to prove worthy successors.

     Incidentally, thexEnglish writer and poet D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) saw a Zeppelin while working in London. He put down his thoughts in a letter to a friend: Then we saw the Zeppelin above us, just ahead, amid a gleaming of clouds: high up, like a bright golden finger…. Then there were flashes near the ground – a shaking noise. It was like Milton – Then there was war in heaven… I cannot get over it, that the moon is not Queen of the sky by night, and the stars the lesser lights. It seems the Zeppelin is in the zenith of the night, golden like a moon, having taken over control of the sky; and the bursting shells are the lesser lights. ……

    …… Onxthe night of the 2nd September, 1916, a British fighter shot down a Zeppelin as it approached London. This was the first time that this had been achieved, and there was much rejoicing. The pilot, Lt. William Leefe Robinson, was awarded the Victoria Cross, and pieces of the airship were salvaged and sold to raise money for wounded soldiers! As time passed, however, pilots and anti-aircraft gunners became increasingly successful at shooting down Zeppelins. Their withdrawal came as no surprise. …..

     …… The Zeppelin Raids were put to good use by the British government. Young men were encouraged to avoid being killed by a bomb by joining the army and going to fight in France! ……

     …… At one time an attempt was made to use a Zeppelin airship to assist in the defence of the German colony of East Africa. As we shall see, it got off the ground (literally), full of supplies, but proved too ambitious a project.

     But it was the aeroplane, of course, that was to play the major part in the skies above. First used for reconnaissance and tactical support – and playing an increasingly useful part in both roles – it was not long before it became involved in aerial combat. Here, as we shall see, the Germans were to take an early lead in mid-1915, due almost entirely to the superiority of their fighter, the Focker D.VII. For close on eight months, the Allies were to suffer heavy losses.

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