FULL STORY OF THE LONDON AIR RAID

FIGHTING IN THE AIR

The night was ideal for flying, bright and clear, with moon and countless stars, and nothing more than a gentle breeze. The sky was a wonderful picture before the arrival of the enemy was heralded; and while his attempt was at its height the pencils of the searchlights moving hither and thither to pick up the raiding craft, often crossing or hunting in couples, and the gun-bursts of shrapnel with which the raiders’ progress was barred gave a new beauty to the scene. The violence of the gunfire was several times punctuated by the “pop pop” of machine-guns, telling the watcher that the Royal Air Force was on guard over the metropolis. One of the four Gothas was brought to earth within full view of a certain district, and the cheers which burst forth after the victory of our airmen recalled the enthusiasm which greeted the end of the Zeppelins in the series of triumphs that marked the autumn of 1916.

SEEN FOR MILES ROUND

The circumstances of the destruction of the German machine were most dramatic, and provided a fitting culmination to some effective gunnery from below and wonderful manoeuvring by our flying men above. On one side of London a perfect crescendo of guns firing left no doubt in the minds of the watchers that the enemy had been driven into a corner. Suddenly the searchlights flashed out to play their part in the affair, and then it could be seen that there was a formation of Gothas flying at a comparatively low altitude, with a number of British machines above. Our own men appeared, as one onlooker described it, to be “sitting on” their opponents, awaiting the opportunity to administer the deathblow. They had not long to wait. The whirr of the machinery descended lower and lower. There was no escape from the gun barrage. Then came the great moment. On three distinct occasions machine-guns tapped out, and a few minutes later a mighty cheer went up. The Gotha burst into flames, and by its own light could be seen slowly descending in spirals.

When it had nearly reached the ground a portion fell away, and the bulk of the fabric collapsed, a mass of flames. The light given out by the destroyed raider as it whirled through the air could be seen for miles around. The gunfire decreased slightly in volume while the British pilots challenged the remaining enemy, who speedily made off coast wards.

‘GO IT, YOU FELLOWS!’

An eyewitness, describing the scene to a representative of The Daily Telegraph, said: “I was entertaining a little party of friends when the raid started. We at once made preparations for our protection. A little after midnight we heard neighbours shouting and ran to the front gate. We saw a Gotha flying, it seemed to me, quite low. It had been first brought up by the anti-aircraft guns, and then ringed about by a wall of shells. The pilot twisted and turned, performing all sorts of manoeuvres to get out of the circle. All this we could plainly see, as the searchlights were bearing full upon it. The flying steel gradually narrowed the space; the din of the guns, big and small, being terrific. I have never heard anything like it.

“Suddenly the guns stopped, and for a few seconds there was dead silence. Then, right into the blaze of the searchlights there darted four British machines. I tell you we cheered; we just couldn’t help it. Some of us shouted out, ‘Give it to him!’ ‘Let him have it!’ ‘Go it, you fellows!’ You would have thought you were at a school boxing match, with each side yelling itself hoarse for its particular champion. We next heard the sharp notes of machine-guns firing above, all very plainly, as the fight was not very high. Our men seemed to round up the enemy like a Texas cowboy does a refractory steer. They chased round him and over and under him in all sorts of wonderful ways.

“After a few minutes’ fighting the German machine broke into flames, and glided down to the earth at a sharp angle. The blazing petrol made a little trail of light across the sky, and the machine disappeared from view behind some houses. We cheered again – just could not help it.”