The seaplane, the newest naval machine at the time, and as yet an
untried factor, was to see maiden service first at the hands of
the British, when on the 25th of December a raid on Cuxhaven was
made. Seven naval seaplanes attacked a fleet of German cruisers and
destroyers lying off Schilling Roads near the German port. The men
who thus made history in aviation were Francis E. T. Hewlett, son
of the famous novelist, accompanied by seven pilots. A naval force
consisting of a light cruiser, a flotilla of destroyers and another
of submarines brought up near Helgoland during the morning. When
this naval force was first discovered by the lookouts on Helgoland,
there immediately appeared approaching from the German base two
Zeppelins and a number of German seaplanes, together with some
submarines. Meanwhile, from the decks of the British craft there
went up the seven British seaplanes.
In order to give them a place for landing after they returned from
their raid, it was necessary for the British ships to remain in
the vicinity for three hours. The _Undaunted_ and _Arethusa_, with
the rest of the British force, had to "dance" about, dodging the
submarines which were attacking them from beneath the surface of
the water and the aircraft hovering over them. Bombs dropped from
the latter failed to find their targets, and by swift maneuvering
the torpedoes shot at them were also caused to go far wide of the
mark.
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