Raid 43 - 1 - 2 April 1916
The Raid
The two airships, L11 and L17 were seen off the coast of Yorkshire.
L11 dropped the first bombs on the Eppleton Colliery but they hit refuse heaps and no damage was done. More bombs were dropped in Hetton Downs where damage was done to some houses. Over Houghton-le-Spring glass was broken in 35 houses.
The airship carried on to Sunderland by following the rover Wear. A lot of damage was done and 22 people were killed.
After this the L11 followed the coast down to the mouth of the river Tees and dropped more bombs on Port Clarence hitting the Messrs Sells works.
In Middlesborough bombs were aimed for the Cargo Fleet Steel Works but landed on waste land near by.
The railway line was followed towards Skinningrove and bombs were dropped without doing any damage.
The L17 was seen off the coast but it was believed it had engine problems as it dropped the bombs in the sea and headed off.
Victims & Damage
In Sunderland 4 shops and 15 houses were destroyed and a lot of other damage was done. A Workman’s hall was also damaged and 3 stables destroyed. A railway goods yard was damaged and a tramcar wrecked in a shed.
Everywhere the L11 dropped bombs windows were smashed.
One of the injured was Sally Ann Holmes who was a Conductress on the tram. She was injured in the leg and spent a couple of weeks in hospital before returning to work in the Tramway Office. Sally Ann carried on working there until she retired in 1950. She died in 1986 age 91.
Summary
The raid over Sunderland did very little damage of any significance, other than causing the number of deaths and injuries. The official report says that Sunderland had not completely blacked out and was showing too much light so made its self a target and maybe not the intended one which was believed to be Newcastle.
To quote the official report ‘L17 was ineffective, as usual’
This was the only air raid to drop bombs on Sunderland.
Weather – Calm and fine
Response – Only one AA round was reported as being fired over Sunderland. Four RNAS planes took off but didn’t find the enemy.
Bombs – 58
Killed – 23
Injured – 130
Raid details taken from Air Raids 1916 31 March to 6th April 1916, Compiled by the Intelligence Section, General Headquarters Home Forces, March 1917
Header Photo - Sunderland Tram from the chroniclelive.co.uk