Zeppelin Raid - night of Jan 31 - Feb 1, 1 1916

[Tom Morgan]

I have done some specific research into this raid as two of the airships involved (there were 9 in all) bombed the town where I live. These were the L21 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Dietrich, and L19 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Loewe.

Using local sources I've been able to gather a great deal of information about the purely local aspects of the raid, but I would like to ask if anyone has more broad information about the event.

I know a lot about the L19's encounter with the trawler "King Stephen" on its way home.

What I would be interested to hear opinions on is the suggestion that Dietrich's report contained references to dock installations burning. If true, this might help confirm the idea that Dietrich thought he was bombing Liverpool, when he was in fact over Wednesbury, a small town to the North of Birmingham, and some 75 miles from Liverpool.

If anyone has any general information aboutt his raid to share, I'd be very grateful.

Tom

[Guest Pete Wood]

The Zeppelin armada set out to bomb Liverpool that night.

The weather was not good, with low fog and snow which caused icing. All the Zeppelins were taking their bearings from radio signals, as they could not see the ground for long - and only with breaks in the foggy clouds. These radio signals were not as accurate as many think, today, and there are countless examples to show that a 'fix' might be anywhere up to 50 miles out. The bearings were from two stations (not three or more as used in WW2).

Each time the airships took a radio bearing, this also alerted the British defences who were listening in. This helped the RFC/RAF/RNAS plot an airship's course, so that fighter planes could be sent up to intercept.

In other words, a Zeppelin commander would only take a radio bearing as a last resort.

After a bearing was taken, the airship commander would then estimate the wind speed. This usually involved dropping a parachute flare and timing the drop against the height of the airship and the 'estimated' distance travelled.

Dietrich overestimated the tailwind and when he caught a glimpse of buildings and water he assumed (taking into account his last radio fix) that he must be over Liverpool. The (translated) reports I have seen published don't appear to say that he saw 'Liverpool' burning. His report does, however, say that WHEN he dropped his 35 bombs (each weighing 50 kilos) and 25 incendiaries - a total of 4,900 lbs of bombs - he clearly saw "good results." Dietrich did THEN say that he had hit the docks and other buildings - but that was obviously wishful thinking. What I am trying to say is that he did NOT see that the docks were burning already (from an attack by another airship) and so dropped his bombs.

All of the airships were approximately 50 miles off course, when comparing their combat reports to those of the British. The winds were gusting that night, so it was obviously very difficult conditions.

L19 was clearly having engine troubles as her progress home was far slower than any other airship - and she took more radio bearings than any other craft. This airship was also damaged by anti-aircraft fire (not British). The German navy knew that L19 was struggling and sent ships to locate her. As you know L19 ditched in the sea and the skipper of a British trawler (King Stephen), after talking to the survivors, made the decision not to rescue the German crew as he feared that they might overpower the fishermen.

Loewe wrote a final report of his mission, and the failure of the King Stephen to rescue the crew, and put it in a bottle which was later found when it was washed ashore.

I have pictures of both airships if you need them.

[Tom Morgan]

Thanks Pete. Your details contain all I was hoping for - and then some!

I was specially grateful for the reference to Dietrich's report mentioning his belief that he had hit docks and other buildings.

Given the known path of his flight over this area, Dietrich would have seen below him the lights of two towns, separated by a dark, unlit area. These were the towns of Tipton and Wednesbury, separated by a large area of unlit industrial wasteland - old mine-workings and so on. As he was looking for Liverpool and believing that he was near that place, he must have mistaken these features for Birkenhead and Liverpool, with the River Mersey between them.

I didn't mean to suggest that Dietrich reorted having seen dock installations burning from an earlier attack. That was sloppiness on my part. I just wanted to confirm that he mentioned "docks" in some way, as evidence that he thought he was over Liverpool.

(Incidentally, although he didn't report it, Dietrich may have thought he had seen fires already burning. As he approached Wednesbury he would have seen an industrial factory landcape with lots of flames and smoke - these were from the furnaces and chimneys of the many factories in the area, on war production. He may have mistaken this for fires caused by earlier attacks. He didn't know, of course, that he was way off target and actually the first to arrive.

Whether or not he took these signs to be evidence of earlier bombing, he certainly dropped several bombs on the factory concerned, causing some loss of life to people living in the surrounding streets.)

Very many thanks for such a helpful reply.

Tom

[Guest Pete Wood]

These were the towns of Tipton and Wednesbury, separated by a large area of unlit industrial wasteland - old mine-workings and so on.  As he was looking for Liverpool and believing that he was near that place, he must have mistaken these features for Birkenhead and Liverpool, with the River Mersey between them.

You're correct, Tom.

The report states:

..."saw the lights of two cities which from dead reckoning and from their postion were taken to be Liverpool and Birkenhead. Steered out to sea north of Liverpool, then attacked both cities on a southerly course. Docks, harbour works and factories of both cities were attacked with thirty five 50Kg and twenty incendiary bomsb. Explosion of all bombs and good results were clearly seen from on board."

Mathy in L13, and who is now acknowledged as one of (if not THE) most skilled captains, was also caught out by the conditions that night. He thought he was over Manchester and had spotted a blast furnace. In fact he dropped his bombs on the bottle bank pottery district of Stoke-on-Trent.....

L21 got its come-uppance, as I'm sure you know, when it was downed by Fl Lt Cadbury on November 28th 1916.

Kptlt Max Dietrich was killed on the same raid on November 27th, on his birthday, when commanding L34. The victor was 2Lt Ian V Pyott, a South African born pilot (educated at George watson's college in Edinburgh, home of his father), of 36 Sqn RFC flying BE2c 2738. Pyott was 20 years of age and fired just 71 rounds to bring the airship down. Pyott was so close, when the airship caught fire, that his face was scorched.

[Tom Morgan]

..."saw the lights of two cities which from dead reckoning and from their postion were taken to be Liverpool and Birkenhead. Steered out to sea north of Liverpool, then attacked both cities on a southerly course. Docks, harbour works and factories of both cities were attacked with thirty five 50Kg and twenty incendiary bomsb. Explosion of all bombs and good results were clearly seen from on board."

Amazing - that's just what I was hoping for but never thought anyone would be able to quote the report!

An excellent result - Thanks

Tom

[CROONAERT]

I've got the casualty rolls for the L19, L21 and L34 (amongst others),naming the crew members who died, if they're of interest to anyone.

Dave.

[rmtruby]

Hi Dave

Just been browsing the forum and noticed that you had got the casualty rolls for the zeppelins that attacked Britain.

I'm teaching some Year 9 kids about the Home Front very soon. Any lists of casualties from Zeppelins involved in the raid of 31st January / 1st February 1916 would be great. This would add a totally new dimension to the lesson.

Thanks

Ray

[brindlerp]

From http://www.hinckley-times.co.uk/htm/history/1910.htm

"

1916

5th February Zeppelins fly over the Midlands. The censor did not allow the actual towns to be mentioned. Over 220 bombs were dropped in six counties, including Leicestershire where 10 deaths from the bombs were reported.

"

Regards

Richard

[Guest Simon Bull]

My Granddad (still alive in his 90s) recollects that on the night of this raid (which would perhaps stick in his mind because it is his birthday) his mum took him out in the garden of their house (in Erdington) and they saw a zeppelin in the sky.

[Adrian Roberts]

As you know L19 ditched in the sea and the skipper of a British trawler (King Stephen), after talking to the survivors, made the decision not to rescue the German crew as he feared that they might overpower the fishermen.

Loewe wrote a final report of his mission, and the failure of the King Stephen to rescue the crew, and put it in a bottle which was later found when it was washed ashore.

Is this story definitely true? I've always thought it sounded rather surprising that the L19 crew should happen to have a bottle, and pen and paper with them when they were sitting on top of the sinking airship, that they were able to identify the the trawler, and that the bottle was then conveniently found very shortly afterwards. German propaganda?

Also...

L21 got its come-uppance, as I'm sure you know, when it was downed by Fl Lt Cadbury on November 28th 1916.

...Was this the same Cadbury that shot down Strasser in L70 at the end of the war? Anyone know what happened to him?

Adrian

[jnorthall]

A picture of Walsall's Cenotaph (Bradford Place) which is in the spot where zeppelin L21 dropped a bomb on the night of 31st January / 1st February 1916 which killed the Lady Mayoress.