Early in 1917 the RNAS took delivery of new Curtiss H-12 ‘Large America’ flying boats. It enabled patrols to extend far out into the North Sea, and its initial deployment caught Zeppelin crews off guard. On 14 May 1917, a ‘Large America’ shot down Zeppelin L 22. (CCI)

The development of the G-type bomber, the Grosskampfflugzeug or ‘large battle aeroplane’, better known as the Gotha, brought London within range of squadron bomber attacks launched from Belgium. The image shows ten Gothas of Kagohl 3 prior to an attack on England, the first raid taking place on 25 May 1917. (Colin Ablett)

Hauptmann Ernst Brandenburg (left) was given a blank sheet of paper and orders to create a bomber squadron to take the war to England, and London in particular. He succeeded spectacularly on 13 June 1917. Injured a few days later, command of Kagohl 3 passed to Hauptmann Rudolf Kleine (right), who earned a reputation as a risk taker. (Author’s Collection)

An aerial view of the Gotha G.IV in the pale daytime camouflage. The commander occupied the circular nose position and an off-set passage allowed him to move back and communicate with the pilot who sat behind him. Just to the rear of the upper wing the rear gun position can be seen, and the inverted v-shaped opening that allowed the gunner to fire down through the fuselage. (Author’s Collection)

The funeral procession through the East End of London of the children killed at the Upper North Street School in Poplar. The names of the 18 victims are commemorated on a monument located in Poplar Recreation Ground. Procession image (David Marks Collection), monument images (Author’s Collection)

This image of school children lying down during air raid drill at their school is dated just four days after the bomb exploded at the Upper North Street School. The original caption says: ‘At a given signal all lie down flat.’ (Author’s Collection)

On 17 June 1917, just after 2.00am, Zeppelin L 42 bombed the coastal town of Ramsgate in Kent. Two bombs falling on Albert Street obliterated four houses and left a scene of utter devastation. Looking at the image it is hard to understand how only three people were killed. (Author’s Collection)

The wreckage of Zeppelin L 48, which was shot down over Theberton in Suffolk in the early hours of 17 June 1917. The burning wreck plummeted to the ground tail first, the rear part crumpling on contact with the ground and absorbing the force of the impact, leaving the nose untouched. This enabled three of the crew to survive the fall. (Author’s Collection)

Casualties of the second London Gotha raid on 7 July 1917. Taken completely by surprise, when Kagohl 3 appeared over London on the Saturday morning, casualties quickly mounted, with 57 killed and 193 injured. (Author’s Collection)

A historic photo taken on 7 July 1917, showing the Gothas of Kagohl 3 that attacked London, the formation now broken up after dropping their bombs and commencing the homeward journey. The photographer took the image through telegraph wires and power cables. (Author’s Collection)

Having previously blocked all attempts to introduce public air raid warnings in London, after the Gotha raid on 7 July, the government authorised a system of police warnings. Police officers toured the streets on foot, by bicycle and car, bearing placards with the words ‘Take Cover’ while blowing whistles, ringing bells and sounding car horns to attract attention. (Left: Author’s Collection; Right: Colin Ablett)

At the same time as the police warnings, marine distress maroons were fired from small brass mortars fixed on fire station roofs. Initially these warning maroons were only to be employed during daylight hours but later, when the raids switched to night time, they were also employed after dark. (Author’s Collection)

Jan Christian Smuts (left) had fought against Britain in the Anglo-Boer War but was now a Lieutenant General and South African statesman. He joined the Imperial War Cabinet in early 1917 and was appointed to analyse Britain’s air defences and make recommendations for the future. One recommendation led to the appointment of Major General Edward Bailey Ashmore (right) to the newly created role of head of the London Air Defence Area (LADA). (Author’s Collection)

For the first night raid by Kagohl 3, on 3 September 1917, five volunteer crews targeted the Chatham Naval Base in Kent. Two bombs exploded at the vast drill hall, employed as an overspill dormitory for around 700 sailors. The explosions killed 130 men and injured another 86; the greatest loss in a single incident during the German bombing campaign. (Author’s Collection)

Developed in autumn 1917 by Lieutenant Colonel Maximilian St Leger Simon, commanding London’s AA guns, and Captain A.R.F. Kingscote, Royal Garrison Artillery, a new system of barrage fire resulted in ‘curtains’ of shellfire at pre-set map-based locations, directly in the path of incoming raiders. (Author’s Collection)

Another of Smuts’ recommendations saw the creation of a balloon apron protecting London’s eastern approaches. Ten apron sections were raised, each comprising three balloons 500 yards apart and linked by cables, ascending to 10,000 feet. From these cables, 1,000-foot-long steel wires hung down at 25-yard intervals, creating a threatening aerial barrier and forcing raiders to approach at more predictable heights. (Author’s Collection)

The ‘Silent Raid’ of 19/20 October 1917 was a disaster for the German Naval Airship Division, with five Zeppelins lost. One, L 44, was shot down in flames by French AA guns near Chenevières, only about 10 miles from safety. Earlier in the raid, L 44 had dropped bombs in Norfolk, Essex and Kent, but they had little effect. No one survived the crash. (Author’s Collection)

Like many of the Zeppelins lost in the ‘Silent Raid’, L 45, was blown across France by strong winds, following the failure of three of her engines. Unable to get back to Germany, her commander ditched her a few miles north-west of Sisteron, on an island in the shallow River Buëch. The crew survived, but earlier their bombs had killed three in Northampton and 35 in London. (David Marks Collection)

During the Gotha raid on 6 December 1917, anti-aircraft guns damaged two of the raiders, forcing them down. One (left) crash-landed north-east of Canterbury in Kent where the crew surrendered to two Special Constables. The other Gotha (right) crashed on the RFC airfield at Rochford, but was accidently set on fire. When Cecil Lewis, one of the pilots at the airfield, went to see the crashed bomber in daylight, ‘only the charred iron-work of the fuselage, the engines and wires were left’. (Author’s Collection)

On 28 January 1918 a Gotha was attacked when near Romford, Essex, by two Sopwith Camels of No. 44 Squadron. After a running battle the Gotha burst into flames and crashed in a farmer’s field near Wickford, Essex. All three of the crew died in the wreckage. (Author’s Collection)

The devastation at Ahlhorn Zeppelin base after the disaster there on 5 January 1918. Little remains of Shed III ‘Alrun’ and IV ‘Alix’, or L 46 and SL 20, which were inside. In the top right corner of the image are the uncompleted Sheds V and VI. (Sourced by Harry Redner)

Just after midnight on 29 January 1918, Giant R12 dropped a 300kg bomb that exploded at Odhams Printing Works on Long Acre, Covent Garden. The basement of the building served as a public shelter during raids. The destruction caused by the explosion was immense and it took six weeks before the final bodies were recovered. In total 38 died at Odhams, with 85 injured, the most casualties in London caused by a single bomb. (Author’s Collection)

The full range of PuW high-explosive bombs used by German bombers. In Britain, due to their shape, they became popularly known as ‘aerial torpedoes’. From left to right: 50kg, 100kg, 300kg, 1,000kg; the soldier in the centre is holding the 12kg bomb. (Author’s Collection)

A Gotha, showing the night-camouflage ‘lozenge’ pattern, being loaded with 450kg of PuW bombs, a fairly typical load for a night raid: 2 x 100kg and 5 x 50kg. (David Marks Collection)

R39, the Riesenflugzeug (Giant) commanded by Hauptmann Richard von Bentivegni, who also held command of Rfa 501. R39 was the only R-type adapted to carry the 1,000kg high-explosive bomb. (Collection DEHLA)

On the night of 16 February 1918, Giant R39 dropped a 1,000kg bomb when over south-west London. It struck a wing of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to the Chelsea Pensioners, obliterating quarters occupied by the Captains of Invalids and their families, and killing five of the occupants. (Author’s Collection)

A close-up of the cockpit area of Giant R25. On 29 January 1918, R25 returned from a raid on England riddled with 88 bullet holes, and on 17 February made a solo attack on London, succeeding in dropping a close concentration of five bombs on St Pancras Station. (Author’s Collection)

During the last air raid on Britain, two bombs exploded in Avondale Square, off Old Kent Road, just before midnight on 19 May 1918. These photos show two images of one of the houses damaged in the square and its neighbour. (Author’s Collection)

The very last bomb dropped on London by a Gotha struck St Clement’s House in Bolsover Street, a women’s hostel and training college, at about 12.20am on 20 May 1918. The explosion injured three women and a Canadian army officer. (David Marks Collection)

Zeppelin L 70, the largest and most powerful airship to see service in the war, joined the Naval Airship Division on 8 July 1918. Surprisingly, command went to the relatively inexperienced Kapita¨nleutnant Johannes von Lossnitzer. (Author’s Collection)

On 5 August 1918, Führer der Luftschiffe Peter Strasser ordered a raid on Britain, and participated on board L 70 to observe his new airship in action. Following an encounter with British aircraft, L 70 was shot down in flames. Strasser, ‘the father of the Naval Airship Division’, and all on board, were killed. (David Marks Collection)

Zeppelin L 64. At the end of the war, after the scuttling of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow, loyal Zeppelin crews destroyed seven of the remaining front-line Zeppelins. Only three survived; one of them, L 64, was handed over to Britain as part of the war reparations. (David Marks Collection)