ZEPPELIN TERROR IN LONDON

ZEPPELIN CONSTRUCTION

• Aluminum framework
• Gasbags that contain hydrogen which made it float
• Intestinal linings of cows provided leak-proof hydrogen chambers
• For every one zeppelin built, 250,000 cows were slaughtered

Untitled Slide

FIRST ATTACK ON LONDON

• May 31st, 1915
• Germany used the glow of the River Thames to navigate, as it was the only large land mark visable from such high altitudes
• A huge zeppelin dropped 90 incendiary bombs along with 30 grenades over London
• 7 fatalities, 35 wounded

FIGHTING BACK

• Early in the war, Britain couldn't stop the zeppelins due to their shortage in proper air force technology. The zeppelins flew at such high altitudes that machine gun fire was rendered useless
• To protect themselves, people would hide in underground structures such as basements, bunkers, and other structures

ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL

• September 18th, 1915
• A 3 ton bomb was dropped
• Damage was widespread, killed 22 civilians, including six children
• The public wanted better defenses against the zeppelins, now nicknaming them as "baby killers

THE PLAN

• Britain installed massive searchlights as a precautionary measure against the zeppelins spotting them before they could do any damage
• They drained St. James Park's lake to prevent its shimmer from directing zeppelins to Buckingham Palace
• Charlie Chapman made a film in which he brought down a zeppelin to build confidence and morale in the people

SINK THE ZEPPELINS

• Every zeppelin had one major weak point, their highly flammable hydrogen
• By mid-1916, Britain had developed airplanes that could reach higher altitudes
• These airplanes could fire explosive bullets to penetrate the zeppelins outer skin to allowing the flow of oxygen inside
• Then they would use incendiary bullets to ignite the flammable gases

PUTTING THE PLAN TO ACTION

• German launched their largest raid on September 2nd, 1916
• They had a fleet of 16 airships on their way to London
• A searchlight spotted one, and quickly notified Royal Flying Corps pilot William Leefe Robinson
• He shot up 11,000 feet and sent the zeppelin tumbling down in a great fiery inferno
• This was the turning of the tides

AFTERMATH

• Many other brave pilots succeeded in doing what Robinson did
• The zeppelin raids still happened, but they were much less frequent
• Germany attacked Britain at least 50 more times, but 77 out of 115 of their air crafts were shot down or disabled