Shropshire Routes to Roots

Zeppelin raids: Newspaper worksheet

Instructions

These newspaper reports were all published in the Shrewsbury Chronicle during the First World War. Read each source in order, and then answer the questions.

Source one

WHERE THE AEROPLANE SCORES.

The greatest danger to the Zeppelin comes from a well organised aeroplane fleet such as Great Britain possesses. American experts say that we have the finest air organisation in the world, and whilst we perhaps should not in our modesty take so extravagant a view of our own achievements, yet undoubtedly the war has demonstrated that Great Britain's naval airmen have accomplished wonders.
It is betraying no secret to say that there are twice as many British naval airmen stationed in England as there are on the Continent. That is to say, the bulk of our air arm is to be found within these shores, and it is known that No Zeppelin, however perfectly it may be armed, can hope to escape the attentions of the British pilot.
The gun on top of the gas-bag, of which Germany so proudly boasts, is a dummy, with no value whatever. Only the machine gun in the carriage "underneath the bag is of any service to the Zeppelin crew".

[Shrewsbury Chronicle]

Source two

This was a report on the first bombing of London.

Man, Woman, Boy, and Infant Killed
INCENDIARY BOMBS CAUSE MANY FIRES

In reference to the Zeppelin raid on certain outlying districts of London, the following further official statement was issued on Tuesday evening:
In amplification of the information which appears in this mornings papers, the following particulars of last night's Zeppelin raid in the metropolitan area are now available for publication.
Late last night about ninety bombs, mostly of an incendiary character, were dropped from hostile aircraft in various localities not far distant from each other. A number of fires (of which only three were large enough to require the service of fire engines), broke out. All the fires were promptly and effectively dealt with: only one of these fires necessitated a district call. The fires were all caused by the incendiary bombs referred to. No public building was injured, but a number of private premises were damaged by fire or water. The number of casualties were small. So far as at present ascertained one infant, one boy, one man, and one woman were killed, and another woman is so seriously injured that her life is despaired of. A few other private citizens were seriously injured. The precise numbers are not yet ascertained.
Adequate police arrangements, including the calling out of the special constables, enabled the situation to be kept thoroughly in hand throughout.

The following notice was issued by the Press Bureau early on Tuesday morning:
The press are specially reminded that no statement whatever must be published dealing with the places in the neighbourhood of London reached by aircraft or the course supposed to be taken by them, or any statement or diagrams which might indicate the ground or route covered by them. The Admiralty Communication gives all the news which can properly be published.
These instructions are given in order to secure the public safety, and the present intimation may itself be published by the Press as explaining the absence of more detailed reports.

[Shrewsbury Chronicle, 4 June 1915]

Source three

This was a report on the most damaging raid on London.

The London Zeppelin raid

A description of last week's air raids on the London district, drawn up at the request of the Home Secretary, was issued last week end. From this it appears that 38 people were killed and 12 injured - nearly all non-combatants- and that in every case where damage was caused it was private property that suffered

[Shrewsbury Chronicle, 24 September 1915]

Source four

The following was issued late on Friday Night by the Press Bureau:-
With respect to the official German statements relating to the recent raid in England, the war Office announces that the damage to industrial or commercial establishments was as follows:-
Serious damage was done to
Three breweries
Three railway sheds
One engine shed.
One tube factory.
One lamp factory.
One blacksmith's shop
Finer damage, such as the shattering of glass and doors, occurred at
A munition factory.
Ironworks in two places.
A crane factory.
A harness factory.
A railway grain shed.
A colliery.
A pumping station.
No docks, no granaries, munition factories, or industrial establishments of any sort other than those mentioned were damaged.
Some fifteen houses of working-class people were demolished, and a large of small shops and dwelling houses were injured, some seriously, and many slightly.
The latest returns of casualties show:-

	Killed	Injured
Men	26	48
Women	28	46
Children	7	7
	61	101

It is not proposed in future to issue detailed statements of this character, as it is inadvisable to give information to the enemy as to the results of their air attacks. On the occasion of this raid, however, in which the largest number, so far, of airships have been employed, this statement of damage done is given in order to show how unfounded is the claim that the economic life of Great Britain or its military preparations can be appreciably affected by promiecuous bomb-dropping from airships wandering over the county in the dark.
In the 29 raids, great and small, that have taken place over Great Britain since the war began, 133 men (of whom 17 were soldiers), 90 women, and 43 children have been killed: but when it is remembered that in the Lusitania alone 1,198 persons were drowned, the Zeppelin Raids as a means of murdering innocent civilians must be comparatively disappointing to their promoters.

[Shrewsbury Chronicle, 11 February 1916]