ell as by
bombs thrown from an aeroplane piloted by Lieutenant Brandon to a
height of several hundred feet above the Zeppelin. This ship, believed
to be the _L-15_, was so severely damaged that it was forced to
descend in the mouth of the Thames, after dropping overboard portions
of its machinery, gun, ammunition, and gasoline tank. The loss of the
airship was admitted by the German admiralty in a statement issued on
April 2, 1916, which said: "In spite of violent bombardment all the
airships returned, with the exception of _L-15_, which, according to
report, was compelled to descend in the waters of the Thames River.
Searches instituted by our naval forces have, up to the present, not
been productive of any result."

Zeppelin raids followed each other in quick succession, no less than
forty having been chronicled by July 31, 1916. They became so common,
in fact, that the people of England lost much of their first terror
and began to view the spectacle of a bombardment from the air as
something that was quite "interesting" to watch! How great the damage
caused to manufacturing and to railroads and shipping has been in the
course of these two-score air raids is something that the British
censor has jealously guarded. That such damage has been done is but
natural, for tons of explosives cannot be hurled from heights of two
miles upon a thickly populated district without doing considerable
harm. In one case, it is known, the first bomb dropped upon the power
house of the manufacturing town which was attacked, and put the entire
electric power and light supply out of business for a week.

Another Zeppelin raid, in which the attacking squadron suffered the
loss of an airship, took place on February 22, 1916, in the
neighborhood of Verdun. The Zeppelin _L-77_, one of the largest and
latest of the German air fleet, crossed the French battle lines at a
height of about 2,500 yards, when it was picked up by searchlights
stationed in the rear. A violent bombardment immediately began and one
of the exploding shells damaged the motor of the rear gondola. The
speed of the Zeppelin was reduced by the failure of the motor, and one
of the new French incendiary shells struck the gas bag near its
center, causing a violent explosion. The two ends of the big gas bag
dropped and as the gondolas hit the ground the entire load of bombs
exploded, tearing the ship and its crew to shreds. Two other
Zeppelins, flying at greater height, about ten