Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1916 — INTERN CREW OF L-20 [ARTICLE]

INTERN CREW OF L-20

GERMANS RESCUED FROM ZEPPELIN BY NORWEGIANS. Officer Says Airship Was Blown Against Mountain Following Raid Upon England. Stavanger, Norway, May 5. —Three men of the crew of the Zeppelin 1-21), wrecked on the Norwegian coast Wednesday after a raid on Scotland, went to death to prevent Count Zeppelin’s secrets from becoming known to foreign governments. ' Sixteen of the Zeppelin's crew, rescued and interned for the remainder of the war, told the story of their comrades’ heroism on their arrival at Molde, southwest of Stavanger. They admitted that their craft was one of the squadron tha.t visited the English east coast and southeastern Scotland Tuesday night. "First of ail, we were not damage** by English anti-aircraft guns," said an underofficer, "They only began shelling us after we had discharged most of our bombs and not a single shell burst within 100 yards of our dirigible. "For some reason or other our petrol supply became exhausted. As we passed out over the coast On the return to our base we were caught by a gale that drove us eastward at a terrific rate of speed. When we fought the wind and tried to point southward we only succeeded in damaging the dirigible beyond repair, and from that time on we simply drifted at the mercy of the gale until we sighted the coast of Norway. “Six men volunteered to remain aboard and destroy her machinery, so that no one could learn German construction secrets, though they knew they were facing death. The rest of us jumped. By some miracle, three of the six escaped with only slight injuries, and were rescued from the cabin. The others were crushed to death as she settled." A fishing craft brought in several of the men after boats from a steamer had brought in six. including the commander.