Contents

Introduction

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 1917 – They Think It’s All Over

Chapter 2 ‘The scene was too awful’

Chapter 3 Gothas Over London

Chapter 4 ‘The lights of death’

Chapter 5 ‘The damned impudence’

Chapter 6 ‘A senior officer of first-rate ability’

Chapter 7 ‘I shall never forget that night’

Chapter 8 ‘Am I dead or alive?’

Chapter 9 ‘If only we had had a warning’

Chapter 10 ‘A growing confidence’

Chapter 11 The Silent Raid

Chapter 12 ‘Got it!’

Chapter 13 ‘I’ll shoot the first man to light a match’

Chapter 14 ‘A desperate struggle for life’

Chapter 15 Giants in the Sky

Chapter 16 The Zeppelins Return

Chapter 17 ‘Dawn of a fine spring morning’

Chapter 18 ‘This giant flame of sacrifice’

Appendix I: Air Raids 1917–1918

Appendix II: Summary of Air Raid Statistics 1914–1918

Appendix III: Individuals Killed in Air Raids 1917–1918

Bibliography

Notes

LIST OF MAPS

Map 1 25 May 1917 – The First Gotha Raid

Map 2 13 June 1917 – The First Gotha Raid on London

Map 3 17 June 1917 – The Last Raid of Zeppelin L 48

Map 4 South east England’s airfields

Map 5 19/20 October 1917 – The Silent Raid

Map 6 12/13 April 1918 – The Last Zeppelin Raid

Map 7 The London Air Defence Area (LADA) 1918

Map 8 LADA Control