[Graeme]

Four Imperial Navy Zeppelins had departed for the Firth of Forth on 02/04/16 - L13, L14, L16 and L22. L13 returned to base with engine trouble whilst the other three continued as planned. However, northerly winds disrupted any intended co-ordination.

L14 (Kapitanleutnant Bocker) made landfall at St Abbs Head and skirted the coast around to Dunbar before bombing Leith and Edinburgh between 2330 and 0015 as he failed to find the Rosyth dockyard or the Forth Rail Bridge(!).

L16 (Oberleutnant-sur-Zee Peterson) crossed the coast "eight miles north of Blyth" at 2300 and after dropping bombs randomly during a 90-minute meander which took the Zeppelin as far south as Cramlington Aerodrome, returned north and headed out to sea near her original landfall point.

L22 (Kapitanleutnant Dietrich) dropped bombs on and around Berwick between 2115 and 2145, claiming to have attacked factories in Newcastle. L22 then flew north and finally dropped more bombs on Edinburgh at 2350.

The two Army Zeppelins that operated that night (LZ88 and LZ90) raided London so can be ruled out.

It would appear that L16 was the Zeppelin in question. Navigation was notoriously poor due to a lack of instrumentation and easily identifiable ground features, whilst wind could easily push raiders well off course.

The local response by the Royal Flying Corps that evening was to send two BE.2c aircraft up from Cramlington, both machines being from 36 (Home Defence) Squadron. One hit a ditch on landing, caught fire and was destroyed, although the pilot escaped unhurt.

On the night of 2nd/3rd May 1916, L11 (Korvettenkapitan Schutze) crossed the coast at Holy Island intending to strike Rosyth or the Forth Rail Bridge, but headed south and flew over Amble at around 2320, heading out to sea again. Two bombs were dropped on land but I am not sure where.