On 19 January 1915 Germany launched its first Zeppelin airship raid on Britain. Zeppelins L3 and L4 carried eight bombs a piece, as well as incendiary devices, and had enough fuel for 30 hours. Initially, Kaiser Wilhelm II sought to target only military sites on the east coast and refused to permit the bombing of London, fearing they may injure his relatives in the British royal family â namely his first cousin King George V.
A further 55 Zeppelin raids were carried out over the course of the war, claiming around 500 victims from cities all over the United Kingdom. From Dover to Wigan, Edinburgh to Coventry, and London, civilians from all corners of the country witnessed the terrors in the sky.
MILITARY HISTORY SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER
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