w ▁two ▁hundred ▁miles ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁Ze ppel in ▁sh eds ▁at ▁Düsseldorf ▁and ▁C ologne , ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁British ▁air ▁ra id ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁Th ick ▁mist ▁in ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁Valley ▁meant ▁that ▁only ▁Col let ▁found ▁his ▁target , ▁and ▁he ▁accur ately ▁dropped ▁two ▁ ▁bomb s ▁from ▁ ▁on ▁the ▁shed ▁at ▁Düsseldorf , ▁although ▁the ▁bomb s ▁failed ▁to ▁expl ode . ▁Despite ▁being ▁hit ▁by ▁enemy ▁fire , ▁he ▁returned ▁safely , ▁as ▁did ▁the ▁other ▁three ▁aircraft ; ▁they ▁had ▁spent ▁more ▁than ▁an ▁hour ▁flying ▁over ▁C ologne ▁attempting ▁to ▁find ▁their ▁target , ▁but ▁after ▁failing ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁they ▁returned ▁to ▁base ▁without ▁dro pping ▁their ▁bomb s . ▁ ▁Col let ' s ▁fe at ▁was ▁described ▁thus ly : ▁Fl ight ▁Lieutenant ▁Col let ▁approached ▁the ▁Ze ppel in ▁shed ▁at ▁Düsseldorf ▁at ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁. ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁bank ▁of ▁mist ▁below , ▁which ▁he ▁encountered ▁at ▁. ▁He ▁travers ed ▁the ▁depth ▁of ▁this ▁layer ▁and ▁emer ged ▁there ▁from ▁at ▁a ▁height ▁of ▁only ▁ ▁above ▁the ▁ground . ▁His ▁objective ▁was ▁bare ly ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁a ▁mile ▁ahead . ▁Tra v elling ▁at ▁high ▁speed ▁he ▁launched ▁his ▁bomb s ▁with ▁what ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁dead ly ▁precision , ▁and ▁disappeared ▁into ▁cover ▁almost ▁before ▁the ▁enemy ▁had ▁grasp ed ▁his ▁intent ions . ▁ ▁Col let ▁was ▁subsequently ▁awarded ▁the ▁Dist ingu ished ▁Service ▁Order ▁on ▁ 2