Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1915 — AIR RAIDS FOILED BY GERMAN GUNS [ARTICLE]

AIR RAIDS FOILED BY GERMAN GUNS

Two Escape After Daring Attack on Zeppelin Balloon Works at Friedrichshafen. ONE AVIATOR 16 CAPTURED Flies Within 800 Feet of Main Bull'd Ings When Tank of Engine Is , Pierced by Shell. Geneva, Switzerland.—ln their daring raid on the Zeppelin airship works at Friedrichshafen, Germany, the three English aviators succeeded In damag ing one of the big sheds with bombs. The airship in the shed was uninjured, however. Great precautions have been taken by the Germans to protect the airship works at Friedrichshafen. Cannon and machine guns especially made for firing upon air craft are mounted everywhere. When the aviators swooped down upon the city the guns were immediately turned upon them. The Englishmen circled about the balloon sheds and dropped six bombs. Two came near the main building. One struck a shed. The others fell on houses, damaging them and killing a man. . One of the birdmen then made an attempt to fly over the airship works at a height of only a quarter of a mile. Bullets from the guns mounted on the tops of buildings, however, pierced the aeroplane’s gasoline tank, causing the fuel to escape and forcing the pilot to attempt to glide to the earth. During the descent of the machine the airman, a lieutenant of the British Royal Naval air service named Briggs, threw two or three more bombs at the hangar, but they missed their mark and did no damage. The lieutenant, ( on reaching the ground, tried to defend himself with a revolver, but was captured by the employes of the Zeppelin wharf after receiving a slight wound in the head. The point where the aeroplane landed was only 300 feet from the main Zeppelin hall. • TUe other aviators, after seeing the accident to their companion, did not throw any bombs, but arose to a great height and disappeared across Lake Constance toward France, from whence they had come.