One successful reconnaissance mission. L 48 and its U-class sister Airships were designed to fly high as 20,000 feet (6,100m).[1]
Destruction
L 48 joined attempted attack on London with 4 other Zeppelins, L 42, L 44, L 45 and L 47.[1] Commanded by George Eichler, on his thirteenth raid, it became lost and was intercepted and destroyed by Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12, serial No. 6110,[2] flown by Canadian pilot Second Lieutenant Loudon Pierce Watkins.[1] He was attached to No. 37 Squadron of British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) fighters. Watkins enlisted with his three brothers. He had been based in the UK, as home defence, since 11 December 1916.[3] Watkins shot down L 48 over water near Great Yarmouth on 17 June 1917 but it crashed near Leiston. Three survivors; crew buried at Theberton, Suffolk, later to be exhumed and reburied at Cannock Chase.
Of the seven Zeppelins lost over England that were shot down in 1917 during the First World War, L 48 was the only one shot down by the RFC's Home defence.[4]
Powerplant: 5 × Maybach HS Lu 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines, 180kW (240hp) each
Propellers: 2-bladed Lorenzen propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 107.6km/h (66.9mph, 58.1kn)
Range: 7,400km (4,600mi, 4,000nmi)
Service ceiling: 5,500m (18,000ft) static
Armament
Guns: defensive machine-guns in gondolas and envelope top gun positions
Bombs: provision for bombs
Dirigibles shot down over the UK
Airships made about 51 bombing raids on Britain during the war. 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 £108,200,000in 2021) in damage. 84 airships took part, of which 30 were shot down or lost in accidents.[6]
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