Zeppelin Onslaught: The Forgotten Blitz 1914-1915

by Ian Castle

Overview

At the outbreak of the First World War, the United Kingdom had no aerial defense capability worthy of the name. Britain had just thirty guns to defend the entire country, with all but five of these considered ‘of dubious value’. So when raiding German aircraft finally appeared over Britain the response was negligible and ineffective. Of Britain’s fledgling air forces, the Royal Flying Corps had accompanied the British Expeditionary Force into Europe leaving the Royal Naval Air Service to defend the country as best it could. That task was not an easy one.

From the first raid in December 1914, aerial attacks gradually increased through 1915, culminating in highly damaging assaults on London in September and October. London, however, was not the only recipient of German bombs, with counties from Northumberland to Kent also experiencing the indiscriminate death and destruction found in this new theater of war – the Home Front. And when the previously unimagined horror of bombs falling from the sky began, the British population was initially left exposed and largely undefended as civilians were killed in the streets or lying asleep in their beds. The face of war had changed forever and those raids on London in the autumn of 1915 finally forced the government to pursue a more effective defense against air attack.

This German air campaign against the United Kingdom was the first sustained strategic aerial bombing campaign in history. Yet it has become the forgotten Blitz.

In Zeppelin Onslaught Ian Castle tells the complete story of the 1915 raids in unprecedented detail in what is the first in a planned series of three books that will eventually provide a complete history of Britain’s Forgotten Blitz of 1914-18.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848324336
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	06/01/2018
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Ian Castle began writing military history over thirty years ago but for the last twelve years has focused on Germany’s First World War air raids against Britain. Initially exploring the London raids, his later research extended to include attacks across the whole country. He is currently working on a three-volume history of the raids. In addition to writing books, Ian regularly contributes articles to magazines and journals and has been involved in a number of television documentaries detailing this early air campaign. Besides giving regular talks on the subject, Ian has also built an extensive website highlighting these early air raids.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Acknowledgements ix

Chapter 1 'No Longer an Island' 1

Chapter 2 Something Out of Nothing 5

Chapter 3 Attack is the Best Form of Defence 16

Chapter 4 'Forcing England to Her Knees' 31

Chapter 5 'Oh, Good God, What is If?' 45

Chapter 6 'Discovering a New Country' 63

Chapter 7 'Only H.V.B. on Board' 79

Chapter 8 'The Devils Have Come!' 94

Chapter 9 A Glimmer of Hope 112

Chapter 10 London's Burning 124

Chapter 11 The 'Experiment' is Over 144

Chapter 12 The Guns Strike Back 160

Chapter 13 'Gazing With Horror and Dread' 178

Chapter 14 'An Absolute Feeling of Helplessness' 193

Chapter 15 'A Beautiful but Terrifying Sight' 213

Chapter 16 'What Are You Going to do About These Airship Raids?' 232

Chapter 17 London Surrounded 249

Chapter 18 'The Earth Shook and Trembled' 268

Chapter 19 The Home Front Line 288

Appendices

Appendix I German Airship Numbering Systems 303

Appendix II Airship Raids 1915 305

Appendix III Individuals Killed in Air Raids -1915 307

References and Notes 315

Bibliography 337

Index 343

List of Maps

Map 1 Zeppelins over East Anglia, January to April 1915 xi

Map 2 Aeroplane Raids December 1914 to September 1915 xii

Map 3 The Raids of Army Zeppelin LZ 38, 29 April to 31 May 1915 xiii

Map 4 Zeppelin Raids around the Humber, June to August 1915; Zeppelin Raids Around the Tyne, April to June 1915 xiv

Map 5 Zeppelins Over London, August to September 1915 xv

Map 6 Zeppelins Over Essex and Suffolk, 11-14 September 1915 xvi

Map 7 London Surrounded - The Zeppelin Raid of 13-14 October 1915 xvii

Map 8 Zeppelin Raid Penetration 1915 xviii