passed over the cities of Yarmouth, Cromer, Sherringham and
King's Lynn. On this expedition there were two Zeppelins. They reached
the coast of Norfolk about 8.30 in the evening and then steered
northwest across the country toward King's Lynn, dropping bombs as they
went. In these towns there were no military stations and the damage
suffered was very slight. Nine persons were killed, all civilians. This
raid was followed by many others, which at first usually wasted their
ammunition, dropping their bombs on small country towns or in empty
fields.

On the 31st of May an expedition reached London and killed six persons
in the east end. The result of this raid was to stir the English to
intense indignation. Mobs gathered in the London streets, and persons
suspected of being Germans, or with German sympathies, were attacked.
Other raids followed, none of them doing serious military damage, but
usually killing or wounding innocent non-combatants. The stupid policy
of secrecy which they maintained during the first year of the war
unfortunately permitted great exaggeration of the real damages which
they had suffered.

During the first year, according to Mr. Balfour, in eighteen Zeppelin
raids there were only seventy-one civilian adults and eighteen children
killed, one hundred and eighty-nine civilian adults and thirty-one
children wounded. No soldier or sailor was killed and only seven
wounded.

In France similar attacks had been made on Paris and Calais. On the 20th
of March two Zeppelins dropped bombs on Paris, but Paris, unlike London,
was a fortified city, and the sky soldiers were driven off by the
anti-aircraft guns. The French also devised an efficient method of
defense. On the appearance of an airship great searchlights flashed into
the air and the enemy was made at once a target, not only for the guns
of all the forts, but also for airplane attack. In order to attack
successfully a Zeppelin it was necessary that an airplane should attain
a position above the enemy. For an airplane to rise to such a height
time was required, as the airplane rises slowly. The French, therefore,
devised a scheme by which two or more airplanes were kept constantly
circling at a very great height above the city. Relays were formed which
relieved each other at regular intervals. When an airship approached it
would therefore be compelled in the first place to pass through the fire
of the guns on the great forts, and then would find in t