Ian Castle tells the story of Germany's air offensive against Britain in World War I (1914-1918), in which, from May 1915 until October 1917, zeppelins dropped thousands of tons of bombs on London. Initially the city was woefully unprotected but an integrated air defense system was progressively developed in response to the early months' destruction and casualties.
Over a year was to pass before the first zeppelin was downed over British soil by the Royal Flying Corps but successes then steadily mounted as observation and communication networks improved and new tactics were learned. In his revealing account of a terrifying campaign which was to be repeated only decades later in the Luftwaffe's Blitz, the author describes the birth of a new arena of warfare, "the home front."
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This book tells the story of Germanys strategic Zeppelin offensive against Britain, and how it came to be neutralized.
| Introduction |
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6 | (4) |
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10 | (7) |
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17 | (30) |
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The first London raid - the army claims the prize First blood |
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The second London raid - the navy strikes |
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The third raid - south-east London targeted |
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The fourth raid - central London blasted |
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Concerns for London's defence |
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The fifth raid - `Theatreland' and the artillery response |
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47 | (38) |
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A period of consolidation |
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A shift in fortune Reorganization and re-armament |
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The last raids of spring London's aerial defence makes ready |
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Return of the raiders The sixth London raid - the Super Zeppelins reach the capital |
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The tide turns - the loss of SL.11 |
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L.32 - a Super Zeppelin destroyed |
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L.31 and the death of Heinrich Mathy Zeppelin losses mount |
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85 | (5) |
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The arrival of the `Height Climbers' |
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1918: The End Of The Zeppelin War |
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90 | (2) |
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92 | (1) |
| Select Bibliography |
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93 | (1) |
| Order Of Battle For The London Raids |
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94 | (2) |
| Index |
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96 | |
Ian Castle has lived in London all his life. Here, he combines his passion for military history with a fascination for the history of the city. His previous books have focused on his other great interests: the Napoleonic Wars and Britains 19th-century wars in South Africa, but this is the first exploring his interests in the early aviation pioneers.
Christa Hook began her illustrating career in 1986. Her work has featured extensively in the worlds of publishing and television, and she has established herself as one of Osprey's most popular illustrators. Her illustrations combine the historian's attention to detail with the artist's sense of drama and atmosphere, and they are sought after by collectors worldwide. She has had work selected for the Laing Land and Seascape Exhibition 2000 at the Mall, and the Not the Royal Academy Exhibition 2000 at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery.
