Jan 20th 2015: Dawn of the Air Raid

[xoxoxoBruce]

I would guess when the tank of benzene exploded it would scatter pieces of flaming tarred rope in all directions. If they want to tar the rope, just ask the navy, they've been doing it for centuries.

[Carruthers]

Stem and base only, of a First World War German incendiary bomb which was dropped on the railway lines near Wallsend Station, Northumberland, on the night of 14 April 1915, by the German Naval Airship Zeppelin L9. This, the second Zeppelin raid in which bombs were dropped on England, started out as a reconnaissance flight, but when within a hundred miles of Flamborough Head, Kapitanleutenant Mathy in L9, with a good supply of bombs on board, was authorised to raid the Tyne. The L9 appeared off the mouth of the Tyne at about 7pm, and proceeded northwards to Blyth, before coming inland to raid Tyneside. The airship was met by the rifle-fire of the 1st Battalion Northern Cyclists at Cambois. Mathy's first bomb fell in a field at West Sleekburn, followed by twenty-two others before the Tyne was reached at about 8.40pm. L9 unloaded the eight remaining bombs and went out to sea south of South Shields. The only casualties occurred at Wallsend, where a woman and a child were injured. Note that the first German airship raid on Great Britain took place on the night of 19/20 January 1915, when Zeppelins L3 and L4 dropped bombs on East Anglia, and casualties were sustained in Great Yarmouth and King's Lynn.

First World War period incendiary bomb dropped on railway lines near Wallsend Station, Northumberland, on the night of 14th April, 1915 by German Naval airship L.9 in the course of the second Zeppelin raid in which bombs were dropped on England.

Bomb remnant of German incendiary bomb, comprising stem and base only (H 53cm x 18cm diameter).

Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum Zeppelin Incendiary Bomb

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, the museum calls it a "German incendiary bomb", that would support my theory of the burning tarred rope pieces scattered from the explosion.

The picture Carruthers used in the op looks like explosion damage rather than fire razed, to my eye. I wonder if they had more than one kind of bomb?

From here,

In 20 minutes a Zeppelin had dropped 3,000 pounds of bombs, 91 incendiaries that had started 40 fires, gutted buildings and left seven people dead. Not a single shot was fired in retaliation. From that day forward the Zeppelins were known as the "baby killers".

Hmm, that would make them about 33 lbs each, so there was probably only one type.

During their brief, but deadly dominance the airships killed more than 500 people and injured more than a thousand in places all down the east of the country. The last ever attempt to bomb Britain by a Zeppelin was over the Norfolk coast on 5 August 1918. Three years earlier, when a Zeppelin first appeared in the skies above Great Yarmouth, it was an invincible force, but now they were outclassed and dealt with swiftly.

But the Brits learned from it. Should be, keep calm, carry on, but take notes.

But the Zeppelin exposed those at home who were now as vulnerable as those on the front line. The government became acutely aware they needed an aerial defence system that operated in depth.
It led to the formation of the RAF in 1918 and to the development of operations rooms such as the one at Duxford that proved so crucial in 1940 during the Battle of Britain and ultimately victory in World War Two.

[Carruthers]

I wonder if they had more than one kind of bomb?

The local police force made this collection of the spent incendiary bombs dropped on Bury St Edmunds in April, 1915. Also a few pieces of explosive bombs.

It would seem that they kept their options open.


The Great War of 1914 to 1918 Picture Gallery of Bury St Edmunds and surrounds

[xoxoxoBruce]

Excellent, Sir, that explains the apparent explosive damage.

However that link shows incendiary bombs pretty intact, so I figured they were extinguished before finishing their mission.
Then I saw this...


That shoots down my theory of the exploding Benzene tank scattering burning pieces of tarred rope.

[mrputter]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

shoots down

I see what you did there!