Raid 23 - 17- 18 August 1915
The Raid
Three airships came over, L14 was on a maiden voyage and dropped all their bombs in the sea off Norfolk.
L10 came in over Hollesley Bay on the Suffolk Coast, the official report believes this was due to the defences now in place around Harwich were they had come ashore before. Went inland and picked up the railway at Manningtree which it followed to Chelmsford and on into London. It seems the airship was following the railway through north London. High Explosives were dropped on Leyton causing a lot of damage and injuries.
The L10 then went back to Chelmsford were the Marconi factory was bombed. Went out to see on the Suffolk Coast avoiding Harwich again.
The L11 came in over Herne Bay and seems to have travelled round Kent, being seen over Canterbury and heading to Ashford were a bomb was dropped killing a sheep. More bombs were dropped round Faversham damaging the church windows at Badesmere. The airship went out over Whitstable.
Victims & Damage
A large number of houses were damaged in Leyton, Leytonstone and Wanstead.
Summary
The Official Report believed that L11 was meant to head to London and join L10. Apparently when the Commander returned home he reported he had bombed London.
Weather – Fine but rather cloudy, light wind.
Response – There was very little AA fire over London.
The AA guns in Faversham were not able to respond. This was because the searchlight was not working, the director of the power works had cut the power as he considered the light was too close to the works.
One of the British planes was blown up by its own bombs. The pilot, Lt Morrison, was slightly injured and the Observer, Lt Square was unhurt.
Bombs – 128
Injured – 38
Raid details taken from Air Raids, 1915, Airship Raids August - September 1915, Complied by the Intelligence Section, General Headquarters, Home Forces, published June 1918. (National Archive AIR/1/2123)
Header Photo - IWM Q 30233 German commemorative medal marking the air raid on London by German zeppelins on the night of 1718 August 1915