Five airships crossed the channel, four of them arrived together at Bacton, Norfolk. The 5th, L11 came over further south but went round the coast to come ashore at Bacton a couple of hours after the others.  

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The L13 spent an hour over Norfolk before following a train which was going to Norwich, the driver noticed he was being followed and so waited at Drayton. The airship hovered overhead for a while before leaving and going cross country. Near Hatfield a AA gun opened fire and 4 HE bombs were dropped in response.  The journey continued and the L13 was seen over Windsor then Guildford where bombs were dropped causing damage and killing a swan.

Over Hayes the L13 waiting for L14 where it looks like the airships came close to colliding. They stayed together for 5 – 10 minutes before setting of in their different directions.

 

The next sighting was at Blackheath and bombs were dropped on the Woolwich barracks, damage was done to the Royal Artillery mess, a barrack dining room and the clothing store at the Grand Depot Barracks.  Apparently the commander thought he had attacked the Docks and not the barracks.

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L13 was seen flying low over Essex and it looks like the propeller was damaged and wandered round Essex and Suffolk believed to have been making repairs before going out over Dunwich.

 

L14 followed a fairly direct route down and crossed the Thames near Shoeburyness. Bombs were dropped on 8th Howitzer Brigade and 5th Brigade Canadian Field Artillery camp which was showing lights and fires. 15 men were killed and more wounded. Horses were also killed and wounded. The airship carried onto the south coast then turned back over Hastings to go up to London. Bombs were dropped on Tunbridge Wells then Croydon and South Norwood having followed the railway. The lights were on at Croydon station and 9 people were killed in the area.

 

Having dropped all its bombs the airship went north over Essex and Suffolk, heading out over Aldeburgh.  

 

The third airship was the L15 who followed the L14 from Bacton until Thetford when it went direct to London.

 

Bombs were dropped near Broxbourne after an AA gun was fired at it. A lorry belonging to the No 50 Company Royal Engineers and a car attached to the gun section were destroyed.

 

The rest of the bombs were saved for London, being dropped along the Strand, Aldwych and the Inns of Court. The L15 then went over the docks, at great height & out of range of the AA guns.

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Having finished over London the L15 went up to Ipswich where 4 bombs were dropped in response to an AA gun at Rushmere. Again the airship went out over Aldeburgh.

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L16 headed in towards Norwich then back to Thetford and down to Chelmsford, The Official Report thinks the Commander was uncertain of their position. Hereford was showing light and so the airship headed in that direction.

 

Bombs were dropped in the town centre, in Bull Plain a lot of damage was done and 6 people killed.

 

The airship then went out over Suffolk.

 

The last airship was the L11 which came over separated from the others. Bombs were dropped in Horstead, but landed in fields breaking some local windows. The airship stayed over Norfolk but reported he had been to London.