# Zeppelin LZ 95

Zeppelin LZ 95 (L 48) was a U-class zeppelin of the Imperial German Military.

## Career

One successful reconnaissance mission. L 48 and its U-class sister Airships were designed to fly as high as 20,000 feet (6,100 m).

## Destruction

L 48 joined an attempted attack on London with 4 other Zeppelins, L 42, L 44, L 45 and L 47. 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, flown by Canadian pilot Second Lieutenant Loudon Pierce Watkins. He was attached to No. 37 Squadron of British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) fighters. Watkins had enlisted with his three brothers. He had been based in the UK, as home defence, since 11 December 1916. Watkins shot down L 48 over water near Great Yarmouth on 17 June 1917 but it crashed near Theberton, Suffolk, a village near the town of Leiston. There were three survivors; the remainder of the crew were buried at St Peter's Church, Theberton, 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 defense.

## Specifications (LZ 95 / Type u zeppelin)

Data from Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893-1940
General characteristics
* Crew: 19
* Capacity: 39,000 kg (85,980 lb) typical disposable load
* Length: 196.4 m (644 ft 4 in)
* Diameter: 23.9 m (78 ft 5 in)
* Fineness ratio: 8.22
* Volume: 55,795 m$^3$ (1,970,400 cu ft)
* Empty weight: 25,750 kg (56,769 lb)
* Useful lift: 64,750 kg (142,750 lb)
* Powerplant: 5 × Maybach HS Lu 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines, 180 kW (240 hp) each
* Propellers: 2-bladed Lorenzen propellers
Performance
* Maximum speed: 107.6 km/h (66.9 mph, 58.1 kn)
* Range: 7,400 km (4,600 mi, 4,000 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft) 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 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 £128,500,000 in 2023) in damage. 84 airships took part, of which 30 were shot down or lost in accidents.
Airships shot down over the UK during WWI :
| Shot down | Tactical No | Production No | Shot down by | Aircraft | Squadron | Serial Number | Crash location |
| 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 Wulfstan 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 |
| 17 June 1917 | L 48 | LZ 95 | 2nd Lt Loudon Pierce Watkins | B.E.12 | No. 37 Home Defence Squadron | 6110 | Theberton, East Suffolk |