Yet another exciting instalment of ‘Langham’s London’, is the damage to one of the Sphinx’s that flank Cleopatra’s Needle at Embankment, London. On the night of 4th/5th September 1917, the first night time raid on London by German aircraft was taking place (not first raid, as the plaque says).
Eleven Gotha G.V’s set off to attack, however only nine attacked, only five of those hitting London, the others hitting Suffolk, Margate and Dover.
Nineteen were killed that night by the attack, and one Gotha went missing, presumably shot down by anti aircraft fire, but searches proved fruitless as nothing was found of it, despite apparently receiving a direct hit and diving towards the River Medway.
Just before midnight, one of four bombs intended for the nearby Charing Cross station hit the road just alongside the right hand (looking from the land, unless you happen to be taking a swim) Sphinx.
The blast and bomb fragments damaged the pedestal of Cleopatra’s needle (it’s having work done to it so not visible) and also the plinth of the right hand Sphinx. The sphinx also has chunks missing from its paws and side as testament to the raid.
As well as damaging the Sphinx and Cleopatra’s Needle, a tram was hit by the bomb, killing two passengers and the conductor. The blast was so severe a whole was made in the road under which the circle/district underground line could be seen (this line was built using the ‘cut and cover’ method so was only a few metres under the surface at the most)
By: Growler - 29th March 2008 at 12:02
London shrapnel damage
What great photos. I was always fascinated by bomb damage still visible in London. There is still, I believe, damage at Victoria station from the Dornier 17 which had its tail removed by a (recently excavated) Hurricane, as well as damage to the sides of both the V&A and Natural History museums, though I’ve not seen this myself. There’s a good discussion on the subject at:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/londonatwar/discuss/72157601037333493/
I remember derelict lots around the Kings Cross area in the 80s which were bombed out – no doubt developed now, and the row of dodgy video stores, etc, diagonally opposite to Centre Court on Tottenham Court Road were “temporary” shops put up in the war to replace those that had been bombed. Have these now gone too?
Would there be any chance of some photos of some of these other sites?
By: BlueRobin - 29th March 2008 at 09:34
Interesting, didn’t know about this raid. Thanks RL. 🙂
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March 29, 2008 at 12:41 am