Five Airships came over, L13, L14, L15, L16 and L22. L7 and L11 started but turned back.

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L15 – came in over Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. Went down to Ipswich when at 8.20pm 2 high explosive bombs were dropped, killing 3 people, 1 soldier and 2 women. Another Solder and woman was injured. An incendiary went into the docks, 2 cottages were badly damaged.

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The airship carried on to Colchester where another bomb was dropped damaging the roof of a printing works in Hawkins Road.

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The route continued down to the Thames where the airship was picked up by searchlights and the Dartford anti-aircraft guns opened fire on it. Around the same time pilot Lieutenant C.G. Ridley spotted her and gave chase, firing before losing the airship in the darkness.

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Carrying on to Rainham, the airship dropping 20 high explosives and 24 incendiary bombs in a field. At 9.45 a shrapnel shell sent up by the gun at Purfleet hit L15 and damaged 3 of the balloons. 2nd Lt A De B Brandon took advantage of this and tried to bring the airship down but the crew fought him off with machine guns.

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The pilot realised how damaged the ship was and tried to make is back across the Channel, but the steering was damaged and the frame work was so damaged the airship broke up and fell into the sea. Two trawlers went out to rescue the crew, one downed. The airship sank off Westgate.

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L13 – Came over at Sizewell, Suffolk and went round before going to Stowmarket, it was believed the captain had followed a train from Ipswich. AA guns at the New Explosive Works opened fire and bombs were dropped. The airship circled round, coming back over Stowmarket half an hour later and the AA fire started up again. It seems the airship was hit but managed to make is home, after dropping bombs on the way back to the Suffolk coast.

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L14 – Seen off the Norfolk coast for sometime before coming ashore. Arrived over Sudbury, Suffolk at about 10.30pm, the first bomb was dropped as the church clock struck the half hour. 8 high explosive and 19 incendiary bombs were dropped. 2 men and 2 women were killed, one man died a couple of days later as a result of his wounds. A couple of houses and a pub were serious damaged, a lot of other damage was also done.

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The Official Intelligence Report states:

It is noticeable that Sudbury was bombed almost immediately after Kapt Leutnant Bocker [Captain of the airship] had received the first wireless calls for help sent out by L15 at 12.25pm and it is by no means improbable that Sudbury suffered in consequence, being the first place over which L14 passed after the message was received. The only other reason for bombing Sudbury is a possible mistake for Stowmarket.

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L14 then carried onto Braintree where 3 more bombs were dropped, killing 4 more and injuring another 3. They carried on towards London but turned back after being fired on by anti aircraft guns heading back over Essex, dropping a bomb near Chelmsford. There was more circling round, the intelligence report thinks it was while the captain decided what to do before finally deciding to go home and leaving the coast at Dunwich at 3am.

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It is hard to link reports of the funerals to the raids as the places and victims are not named, however the papers do mention a couple and their niece. This is the Newsman Paper from 8 April 1916:

The funerals of the three victims who perished in one bed – a mechanic, aged 31, his wife, aged 32 and their three year old niece, who was staying with them during the absence of her father in France – took place on Wednesday afternoon in a little country churchyard in the Eastern Counties. The remains of the baby were enclosed in a white coffin and those of the uncle and aunt in coffins of elm They were conveyed in glass cars, followed by a large and sympathetic crowd of neighbours and friends [the order of service is then covered] A pathetic figure in the procession was the soldier father of the dead baby, home for the funeral from the Front. [other attendees are mentioned] Before the crowd had melted away a beautiful rainbow broke over the sky and tinged the air with its colours – a prophetic vision of hope in the time of trouble. 

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L16 – Came in over the Norfolk coast and went down to Bury St Edmunds. 21 high explosives and 5 incendiaries were dropped, killing 6 and injuring a further 6. Quite a bit of damage was done to the houses in the town. The airship went back north and wandered around Suffolk before dropping 1 bomb in Lowestoft damaging a tramcar shed and heading back over the sea.

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The week after the raid the Bury Free Press reported:

The residents of East Anglia were subjected to a trial of nerve on Friday night, but they came through the ordeal well, and are to be commended upon the calm and spirited way in which they behaved both during and after the attach, They clearly showed that their patriotism, courage and resolution are not to be undermined in this way.

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Unknown airship = Came inland at Alderton and was seen over Woodbridge and Ipswich. The airship was picked up by anti-aircraft guns and left without dropping anything.

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L22 – Seen off the Lincolnshire coast at 12.15am, it is believed either Grimsby or the wireless station at Cleethorpes was the target. 6 high explosive bombs were dropped on Cleethorpes at 1.48am. A chapel hall was being used as a billet for the 3rd Manchester was hit, killing 29 and wounding 53 more.  The Town Hall was also damaged and windows broken all over the town.

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It is not surprising that while the press report the damage to the Town Hall and that a Baptist Chapel was serious damaged, the soldiers are not mentioned.

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The Newsman paper from 8 April also includes a small paragraph called ‘German Fables’

The ‘German official statements’ concerning the air raids which have been published for the consumption of the German people are full of fantastic fables about the alleged destruction of points of military value.