Zeppelin LZ 78

LZ 78 (L 34)
Imperial German Army Zeppelin LZ 78 (L 34) over Hartlepool
General information
Type	R-class reconnaissance-bomber rigid airship
National origin	German Empire
Manufacturer	Luftschiffbau Zeppelin
Designer	Ludwig Dürr
Primary user	Imperial German Army
Number built	1
History
First flight	22 September 1916
Retired	Shot down on 27 November 1916

The Imperial German Army Zeppelin LZ 78 (L-34) was a R-class World War I zeppelin.

Operational history

The airship took part in three reconnaissance missions and two attacks on England dropping 3,890 kg (8,580 lb) of bombs. It also took part in the Zeppelin raid involving three other Imperial German Airships: the LZ 72 (L 31), L 32 and Zeppelin LZ 76 (L 33) on the evening of 23 September 1916. Of the four Airships, LZ 78 was the only Zeppelin that returned to base after the raid. Together all four Zepellins succeeded in dropping 3,200 kilograms (7,100 lb) of bombs on London and surrounding counties.

Last mission

Zeppelin L34 shot down by Ian Pyott just off the coast of Hartlepool in north-east England on the night of 27/28 November 1916.

On 27 November 1916, Zeppelin LZ 78 was intercepted and destroyed by British fighter pilot Second Lieutenant Ian Pyott in Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c (Serial no. 2738) off Hartlepool. ^[1] His bullets ignited the hydrogen, "like a massive fiery torch which lit up the night for miles around, she plunged into the sea." ^[2] The commander of the Airship was Kapitanleutnant Max Dietrich the uncle of famous actress Marlene Dietrich. ^[3]

Specifications (LZ 78 / Type R zeppelin)

Data from Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893–1940 ^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 17-19
• Capacity: 32,400 kg (71,430 lb) typical disposable load
• Length: 198 m (649 ft 7 in)
• Diameter: 23.9 m (78 ft 5 in) maximum
• Fineness ratio: 8.24
• Volume: 55,200 m³ (1,950,000 cu ft) in 19 gas cells
• Empty weight: 31,400 kg (69,225 lb)
• Gross weight: 32,908 kg (72,550 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 6,250 kg (13,779 lb)
• Useful lift: 63,800 kg (140,700 lb)
• Powerplant: 5 × Maybach HS Lu 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines, 180 kW (240 hp) each
• Propellers: 4-bladed Lorenzen fixed-pitch propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed: 103 km/h (64 mph, 56 kn)
• Cruise speed: 81 km/h (50 mph, 44 kn)
• Range: 7,400 km (4,600 mi, 4,000 nmi) at 81 km/h (50 mph; 44 kn)
• Service ceiling: 3,900 m (12,800 ft) static
• Rate of climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min) maximum permitted (r-class)

Armament

• Guns: machine-guns in hull-top positions and gondolas
• Bombs: up to 60 bombs to a total of 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)

Dirigibles shot down over the UK

Airships made about 51 bombing raids on Britain during World War I. These killed 557 and injured another 1,358 people. More than 5,000 bombs were dropped (largely on towns and cities) across Britain, causing £1.5 million (equivalent to £128,500,000in 2023) in damage. 84 airships took part, of which 30 were shot down or lost in accidents. ^[5]

Airships shot down over the UK during WWI

Shot down Tactical No Production No Shot down by Aircraft Squadron Serial Number Crash location Picture 1 April 1916 L 15 LZ 48 Combination of Ranken darts dropped by Alfred Brandon and Anti-Aircraft Fire B.E.2e & ground fire No. 19 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron and Dartford AA battery Kentish Knock, Thames estuary 3 September 1916 SL 11 Lt Leefe Robinson B.E.2c No. 39 Home Defence Squadron 2693 Cuffley, Hertfordshire 24 September 1916 L 32 LZ 74 2nd Lt Frederick Sowrey B.E.2c No. 39 Home Defence Squadron 4112 Great Burstead, Essex 24 September 1916 L 33 LZ 76 Alfred Brandon B.E.2e fighter No. 39 Home Defence Squadron 4112 Little Wigborough, Essex 2 October 1916 L 31 LZ 72 2nd Lt Wulstan J. Tempest B.E.2c No. 39 Home Defence Squadron 4557 Potter's Bar, Hertfordshire 27 November 1916 L 34 LZ 78 2nd Lt Ian Pyot B.E.2c No. 36 Home Defence Squadron 2738 Hartlepool, County Durham 28 November 1916 L 21 LZ 61 Flt Lt Egbert 'Bertie' Cadbury B.E.2c RNAS Great Yarmouth 8265 Sea 14 May 1917 L 22 LZ 64 Flight Sub-Lieutenant Robert Leckie Curtiss H12 RNAS Great Yarmouth 8666 Sea 17 June 1917 L 48 LZ 95 2nd Lt Loudon Pierce Watkins B.E.12 No. 37 Home Defence Squadron 6110 Theberton, East Suffolk 21 August 1917 L 23 LZ 66 2nd Lt Bernard A. Smart Sopwith Pup HMS Yarmouth cruiser - Sea 10 May 1918 L 62 LZ 107 Capt T.C. Pattinson Felixstowe F2A - N4291 Sea 6 August 1918 L 70 LZ 112 Captain Robert Leckie Airco DH.4 RNAS Great Yarmouth - Sea 11 August 1918 L 53 LZ 100 Flight Sub-Lieutenant Stuart D Culley Sopwith Camel HMS Redoubt destroyer N6812 Sea

See also

• List of Zeppelins

Bibliography

Notes

1. Guttman 2018, p. 71.
2. Jones 2016, p. 94.
3. Marks 2017.
4. Brooks, Peter W. (1992). Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893–1940 . Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp.  95-99. ISBN   1560982284.
5. Liddell Hart 1934, p. 76.

References

• Guttman, Jon (2018). Zeppelin vs British Home Defence 1915–18. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   9781472820341.- Total pages: 80
• Jones, Ian (2016). London: Bombed Blitzed and Blown Up: The British Capital Under Attack Since 1867. Frontline Books. ISBN   9781473878990.- Total pages: 512
• Liddell Hart, Sir Basil Henry (1934). A History of the World War 1914–1918. Faber. ISBN   978-0-304-93653-3.
• Marks, David (2017). Let the Zeppelins Come. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN   9781445667034.- Total pages: 96