Zeppelin Kommt! Children play a Zeppelin raid on London. Holding his bomb in the gondola is a doll of the airship's inventor, Count Zeppelin. The other children, playing the English, cower, and the British fleet — folded paper boats — remains in port. Prewar postcards celebrated the imposing airships and the excitement they generated with the same expression, 'Zeppelin Kommt!'. Postcard by P.O. Engelhard (P.O.E.). The message on the reverse is dated May 28, 1915.
P.O.E.? EnglandLondonZeppelin Kommt!Reverse:Message dated May 28, 1915Stamped: Geprüft und zu befördern (Approved and forwarded) 9 Komp. Bay. L.I.N. 5
"The airship was well lighted by searchlights but there was not a sign of any gunfire. I could distinctly see the propellers revolving and the airship was maneuvering to avoid the searchlight beams. I fired at it. The first two drums of ammunition had apparently no effect, but the third one caused the envelope to catch on fire in several places; in the center and the front. All firing was traversing fire along the envelope. The drums were loaded with a mixture of Brock, Pomeroy and tracer ammunition. I watched the burning airship strike the ground and then proceeded to find my flares. I landed at Sutton's farm at 1:40 A.M., 24th instant. My machine was B.E.2C 4112. After seeing the Zeppelin had caught fire, I fired a red Very light."
Part of the official report of his downing of Zeppelin LZ.32 on the night of September 23–24, 1916 by Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey of Number 39 Squadron flying from his base at Sutton's Farm. The commander of LZ.32 was Oberleutnant-zur-See (naval Lieutenant) Werner Peterson who perished with his crew. The British found a copy of the latest signal book of the German navy in the wreckage. The same night L.33 was brought down relatively gently after being hit by ground fire, and losing some of its gas gas compartments or cells. L.33 was commanded by Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant Commander) Alois Böcker who survived with his crew of 21. Although they fired the airship, the frame survived to provide intelligence to the British. Peterson and Böcker captained two Zeppelins in a raid by twelve. The losses were unsustainable. 'Brock' and 'Pomeroy' were types of explosive bullets.
The Zeppelin Fighters by Arch Whitehouse, page 152, copyright © 1966 by Arch Whitehouse, publisher: New English Library, publication date: 1978
1916-09-24, 1916, September, Zeppelin, LZ.32, LZ32, L32, LZ.33, LZ33, L33, Zeppelin down
