Warneford caught his Zeppelin in Belgium because it was flying low
just before getting near to its shed. In the late summer of 1916, a
young English airman brought down another of these airships when it was
flying high over London to avoid the fire from the anti-aircraft guns.
There were many air raids on the capital during 1915 and 1916 and a
great deal of damage was done. The time chosen for these visits was
usually the dead of night, when there was no moon and very little
wind. People got used to saying to each other, with a kind of thrill,
“This is a good night for a raid.” And at one time most people went
to bed fully expecting to be called up some time after midnight for
an adventure of a kind which was quite new to London and to peaceful
England.
The authorities gave instructions to the people what to do if a raid
should take place. They were very careful to tell them to keep indoors
and not to gather in crowds. But when the airships came many people
felt that they must get out of the house to see what was going on; and
one morning in September 1916 great crowds of Londoners saw a sight
which had never before been seen in the long and varied history of the
great city.
They saw a burning Zeppelin fall from the sky like a meteor. And it was
not until some days later that they learnt that it had been brought
down by Lieutenant W. L. Robinson, who received the Victoria Cross for
his skill and bravery, which were indeed of a very special kind.
About midnight on Saturday, September 2nd, London airmen were warned
that Zeppelins were on their way to the city. At once a number of
them went up in the pitch-black darkness and circled round and round
in search of the “terror that flieth by night,” Lieutenant Robinson
was one of the number and all were keen to do something great for the
honour of their corps. For the British airman does not work to win
praise for himself, but to make a fine tradition for that branch of the
military service to which he belongs.
The airmen had been up for quite two hours flying about among the
darting searchlights before the Zeppelins arrived. There were two of
the airships at first and it was known at the time that others were on
the way; but the rest did not appear for a reason which will be evident
when this story has been told.
The defenders of London relied upon three things: (1) the large number
of anti-aircraft guns which had been placed on the high places round
about the city; (2) the searchlights which gave the gunners their
chance to aim properly; (3) the airmen who had learnt a great deal
about this strange kind of fighting since Warneford brought down the
airship in Belgium.
The task of these airmen was a very difficult one and they were exposed
to more dangers and risks than many people imagined. It was, in the
first place, a severe trial of strength and nerve-power to remain in
the air so long before the Zeppelins arrived. Then they were in danger
from the guns of the airships which had often sent aeroplanes toppling
nose foremost to the ground, while they usually carried only one
machine-gun apiece, as well as a small supply of bombs.
It was further necessary that an airman should rise to a very great
height to get above a Zeppelin; for without getting some distance
above it he could not make any use of his bombs at all. At this great
height it is very cold even on a summer morning, and this increases the
difficulty of the airman’s task.
Moreover, it was a fight between the skill and endurance of one man
against about twenty-eight, which was the usual number of a Zeppelin
crew.
Robinson was, however, equal to the task. He boldly attacked the first
monster which came within his range, but had no success for several
reasons. So he turned to the other, and by skilful management of his
machine contrived to get above it in such a position that he could drop
a bomb on the envelope. By this time many thousands of people were
gathered together in the open spaces round about London; but the fight
took place at such a great height that they only saw the effect of
Robinson’s work.
What they saw, however, was stirring and exciting enough. Suddenly a
light appeared on the Zeppelin. At first some of the watchers thought
it was the searchlight of the airship. But as they gazed they saw the
light grow larger; and soon they were aware that the envelope of the
ship was in flames.
A tongue of fire swept up the structure which then turned on end and
fell to earth in a curve like that of a meteor. And as it fell there
rose from thousands of British throats such a cheer as man had never
heard before. It was a sound to be remembered to one’s dying day; a
shout of triumph mingled with awe and wonder, as if men watched the
very judgment of God.
The airship fell into a field at Cuffley, not far from London, and it
was fortunate that the blazing mass did not come down in a crowded
district. It burnt for nearly two hours, watched by a crowd of people,
and every few moments there was an explosion as the flames reached a
store of machine-gun cartridges.
There was some danger of greater explosions, for the bombs might
take fire at any moment; but this did not prevent the men who were
watching from trying to put out the fire. The last of the flames were
extinguished with water from the village well. Such was the end of
Count Zeppelin’s splendid ship, one of the fleet with which he had
vowed he would destroy London.
After a time the watchers saw an aeroplane wheeling round in graceful
flight above their heads. It came to earth some distance away, and the
airman alighting, walked quickly to the place where the wreck of the
Zeppelin was lying. He looked carefully at the wreckage and then turned
away. And no one knew at the moment that this was Lieutenant Robinson
himself.