The merchant marine cargo zeppelin North Branford is undergoing repairs at the Boston International Aerodrome after limping to port with half her engines destroyed and an unknown number of casualties. The zeppelin was traveling to Boston without an escort from the South American nation of Colombia; aboard was a load of petroleum, coffee, and bananas. During poor weather she seemingly drifted further west than intended, and may have violated Confederate airspace somewhere off the coast of the Outer Banks. Admiral George Howland of the Atlantic Coalition Militia addressed reporters regarding the attack, and placed blame on the Confederation of Dixie.

"Airmen and Officers aboard the North Branford have positively identified the attacking aircraft as E1 Avengers bearing the markings of The Confederacy. The leader of the flight contacted the zeppelin and declared the airship had violated Confederate territory and would be shot down. Captain Weatherall repeatedly radioed the Dixie aircraft, stating that any incursion was accidental, and notifying them that the North Branford is a merchant vessel, but the Dixie planes carried on with their attack."

The North Branford pressed north at full power, and broadcast a distress signal which was picked up by none other than the Madison Venturers who were flying maneuvers off the coast of New York at the time. Major Loyle "Show-Stopper" Crawford confirmed the statements of the zeppelin's officers and crew: "Those were Dixie planes all right. They flew like Dixie pilots too—first glimpse of us coming and they turned tail and ran south. We couldn't chase them, of course, since the zepp was shot up so bad. For a while there we figured we might have to fly cover for a sea rescue, but she made it back to Boston. My compliments to the Captain and crew."

Confederate Air Corps officials still have not responded to requests for information about the incident, but reliable sources have let slip that the Dixie military has something of a mystery on their hands—nobody is sure where the attacking flight originated from, and no word of the incident has come up through official channels from their pilots. One anonymous Confederate officer called the attack "definitely some kind of Yankee trick," and claimed that every Dixie plane was accounted for at the time of the attack.