her such action would
be within the limits of international law. For the time being, however,
Von Tirpitz's words remained nothing more than a threat. It was not
until months later that the threat was made good, and the consequences
must form a separate part of this narrative.

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.

The British airmen dropped their bombs on points of military importance
at Cuxhaven, but their effect was kept secret by the German authorities.
Six of the seven returned to the squadron and were picked up by
submarines. Three of the seaplanes were wrecked and had to be abandoned.
Fog not only prevented the British airmen from doing their best work,
but it kept the marksmen on the German aircraft also from hitting the
ships on the waters beneath them. This raid had been made in answer to
a great outcry that had gone up from the British public after German
warships had raided the eastern coast of England.

CHAPTER XXXIX

RAIDS ON THE ENGLISH COAST

During the first days of November, 1914, the Germans planned and carried
out a general