Editing Zeppelin (section)

====Bombing campaign against Britain====
{{further|German strategic bombing during World War I}}
[[File:It is far better to face the bullets.jpg|thumb|right|upright|British First World War poster of a Zeppelin above London at night]]

At the beginning of the conflict, the German command had high hopes for the airships, which were considerably more capable than contemporary light fixed-wing machines: they were almost as fast, could carry multiple machine guns, and had enormously greater [[bomb]]-load range and endurance. Contrary to expectation, it was not easy to ignite the hydrogen using standard bullets and shrapnel. The Allies only started to exploit the Zeppelin's great vulnerability to fire when a combination of [[Pomeroy bullet|Pomeroy]] and [[Frank Arthur Brock|Brock]] explosive ammunition with Buckingham [[incendiary ammunition]] was used in [[fighter aircraft]] machine guns during 1916.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1919/1919%20-%200895.PDF |title=The Brock Bullet Claim |website=flightglobal.com |publisher=Flight Aircraft Engineer Magazine |access-date=12 August 2018 }}</ref> The British had been concerned over the threat posed by Zeppelins since 1909, and attacked the Zeppelin bases early in the war. LZ&nbsp;25 was destroyed in its hangar at Düsseldorf on 8 October 1914 by bombs dropped by Flt Lt Reginald Marix, RNAS,<ref>Thetford, Owen. ''British Naval Aircraft since 1912''. London: Putnam, 4th ed, 1978. {{ISBN|0-370-30021-1}} p. 286</ref> and the sheds at Cologne as well as the Zeppelin works in Friedrichshafen were also attacked. These raids were followed by the [[Cuxhaven Raid]] on Christmas Day 1914, one of the first operations carried out by ship-launched aeroplanes.

Airship raids on Great Britain were approved by the [[William II of Germany|Kaiser]] on 7 January 1915, although he excluded London as a target and further demanded that no attacks be made on historic buildings.<ref>Robinson 1971, pp. 55-6</ref> The raids were intended to target only military sites on the east coast and around the Thames estuary, but bombing accuracy was poor owing to the height at which the airships flew and navigation was problematic. The airships relied largely on [[dead reckoning]], supplemented by a radio direction-finding system of limited accuracy. After [[Blackout (wartime)|blackout]]s became widespread, many bombs fell at random on uninhabited countryside.

=====1915=====
The first on Britain took place on the night of 19–20 January 1915. Two Zeppelins, L&nbsp;3 and L&nbsp;4, intended to attack targets near the River [[Humber]] but, diverted by strong winds, eventually dropped their bombs on [[Great Yarmouth]], [[Sheringham]], [[King's Lynn]] and the surrounding villages, killing four and injuring 16. Material damage was estimated at £7,740.<ref>Cole and Cheesman, 1984, p. 24</ref>

The Kaiser authorised the bombing of the London docks on 12 February 1915,<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 67</ref> but no raids on London took place until May. Two Navy raids failed due to bad weather on 14 and 15 April, and it was decided to delay further attempts until the more capable [[Zeppelin P Class|P class Zeppelins]] were in service. The Army received the first of these, LZ&nbsp;38, and Erich Linnarz commanded it on a raid over [[Ipswich]] on 29–30 April and another, attacking [[Southend]] on 9–10 May. LZ&nbsp;38 also attacked [[Dover]] and [[Ramsgate]] on 16–17 May, before returning to bomb Southend on 26–27 May. These four raids killed six people and injured six, causing property damage estimated at £16,898.<ref name="cole p51-55">Cole and Cheesman 1984, pp. 51–55.</ref> Twice Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) aircraft tried to intercept LZ&nbsp;38 but on both occasions it was either able to outclimb the aircraft or was already at too great an altitude for the aircraft to intercept.

On 31 May Linnarz commanded LZ&nbsp;38 on the first raid against London. In total some 120 bombs were dropped on a line stretching from [[Stoke Newington]] south to [[Stepney]] and then north toward [[Leytonstone]]. Seven people were killed and 35 injured. 41 fires were started, burning out seven buildings and the total damage was assessed at £18,596. Aware of the problems that the Germans were experiencing in navigation, this raid caused the government to issue a [[D notice]] prohibiting the press from reporting anything about raids that was not mentioned in official statements. Only one of the 15 defensive sorties managed to make visual contact with the enemy, and one of the pilots, Flt Lieut D. M. Barnes, was killed on attempting to land.<ref>Cole and Cheesman, 1984, pp. 56-8</ref>

The first naval attempt on London took place on 4 June: strong winds caused the commander of L&nbsp;9 to misjudge his position, and the bombs were dropped on [[Gravesend, Kent|Gravesend]]. L&nbsp;9 was also diverted by the weather on 6–7 June, attacking [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] instead of London and causing considerable damage.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, p.60</ref> On the same night an Army raid of three Zeppelins also failed because of the weather, and as the airships returned to Evere (Brussels) they ran into a counter-raid by RNAS aircraft flying from [[Veurne|Furnes]], [[Belgium]]. LZ&nbsp;38 was destroyed on the ground and LZ&nbsp;37 was intercepted in the air by [[Reginald Alexander John Warneford|R. A. J. Warneford]], who dropped six bombs on the airship, setting it on fire. All but one of the crew died. Warneford was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for his achievement. As a consequence of the RNAS raid both the Army and Navy withdrew from their bases in Belgium.<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 77</ref>

After an ineffective attack by L&nbsp;10 on [[Tyneside]] on 15–16 June the short summer nights discouraged further raids for some months, and the remaining Army Zeppelins were reassigned to the Eastern and Balkan fronts. The Navy resumed raids on Britain in August, when three largely ineffective raids were carried out. On 10 August the antiaircraft guns had their first success, causing L&nbsp;12 to come down into the sea off [[Zeebrugge]],<ref>Cole and Cheesman pp. 64-7</ref> and on 17–18 August L&nbsp;10 became the first Navy airship to reach London. Mistaking the reservoirs of the [[Lea Valley]] for the Thames, it dropped its bombs on [[Walthamstow]] and Leytonstone.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, p. 68</ref> L&nbsp;10 was destroyed a little over two weeks later: it was struck by lightning and caught fire off [[Cuxhaven]], and the entire crew was killed.<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 384.</ref> Three Army airships set off to bomb London on 7–8 September, of which two succeeded: SL&nbsp;2 dropped bombs between [[Southwark]] and [[Woolwich]]: LZ&nbsp;74 scattered 39 bombs over [[Cheshunt]] before heading on to London and dropping a single bomb on [[Fenchurch Street station]].

[[File:Zeppelin Raid plaque, 61 Farringdon Road, London, England, IMG 5217 edit.jpg|thumb|left|A commemorative plaque at 61 [[Farringdon Road]], London]]

The Navy attempted to follow up the Army's success the following night. One Zeppelin targeted the [[benzole]] plant at [[Skinningrove]] and three set off to bomb London: two were forced to turn back but L&nbsp;13, commanded by ''Kapitänleutnant'' Heinrich Mathy reached London. The bomb-load included a {{convert|300|kg|lb|adj=on}} bomb, the largest yet carried. This exploded near [[Smithfield, London|Smithfield Market]], destroying several houses and killing two men. More bombs fell on the textile warehouses north of [[St Paul's Cathedral]], causing a fire which despite the attendance of 22 fire engines caused over half a million pounds of damage: Mathy then turned east, dropping his remaining bombs on [[Liverpool Street station]]. The Zeppelin was the target of concentrated anti-aircraft fire, but no hits were scored and the falling shrapnel caused both damage and alarm on the ground. The raid killed 22 people and injured 87.<ref>Cross 1991, p. 35.</ref> The monetary cost of the damage was over one sixth of the total damage costs inflicted by bombing raids during the war.<ref>Robinson 1971 p. 109</ref>

After three more raids were scattered by the weather, a five-Zeppelin raid was launched by the Navy on 13 October, the "Theatreland Raid." Arriving over the Norfolk coast at around 18:30, the Zeppelins encountered new ground defences installed since the September raid; these had no success, although the airship commanders commented on the improved defences of the city.<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 117</ref> L&nbsp;15 began bombing over [[Charing Cross]], the first bombs striking the [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Theatre]] and the corner of Exeter and Wellington Streets, killing 17 and injuring 20. None of the other Zeppelins reached central London: bombs fell on Woolwich, [[Guildford]], [[Tonbridge]], [[Croydon]], [[Hertford]] and an army camp near Folkestone. A total of 71 people were killed and 128 injured.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, p. 73</ref> This was the last raid of 1915, as bad weather coincided with the new moon in both November and December 1915 and continued into January 1916.

Although these raids had no significant military impact, the psychological effect was considerable. The writer [[D. H. Lawrence]] described one raid in a letter to [[Lady Ottoline Morrell]]:<ref>Boulton, 2000, p. 106.</ref>
{{blockquote|Then we saw the Zeppelin above us, just ahead, amid a gleaming of clouds: high up, like a bright golden finger, quite small (...) Then there was flashes near the ground—and the shaking noise. It was [[Paradise Lost|like Milton]]—then there was war in heaven. (...) I cannot get over it, that the moon is not Queen of the sky by night, and the stars the lesser lights. It seems the Zeppelin is in the zenith of the night, golden like a moon, having taken control of the sky; and the bursting shells are the lesser lights.}}


=====1916=====
The raids continued in 1916. In December 1915, additional P&nbsp;class Zeppelins and the first of the new Q&nbsp;class airships were delivered. The Q&nbsp;class was an enlargement of the P&nbsp;class with improved ceiling and bomb-load.

The Army took full control of ground defences in February 1916, and a variety of sub 4-inch (less than 102&nbsp;mm) [[caliber|calibre]] guns were converted to [[anti-aircraft]] use. [[Searchlight]]s were introduced, initially manned by police. By mid-1916, there were 271 anti-aircraft guns and 258 searchlights across England. Aerial defences against Zeppelins were divided between the RNAS and the [[Royal Flying Corps]] (RFC), with the Navy engaging enemy airships approaching the coast while the RFC took responsibility once the enemy had crossed the coastline. Initially the War Office had believed that the Zeppelins used a layer of inert gas to protect themselves from incendiary bullets, and favoured the use of bombs or devices like the [[Ranken dart]]. However, by mid-1916 an effective mixture of explosive, tracer and incendiary rounds had been developed. There were 23 airship raids in 1916, in which 125 tons of bombs were dropped, killing 293 people and injuring 691.

[[File:Zeppelin flagstone in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|upright|Zeppelin memorial flagstone, [[Edinburgh]]]]
[[File:Unexploded Zeppelin bomb, 1916.jpg|thumb|upright|Zeppelin bomb, on display at the [[National Museum of Flight]] near Edinburgh]]
[[File:Girder from zeppelin.jpg|thumb|Section of girder from a Zeppelin shot down in England in 1916. Now at the [[National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)|National Physical Laboratory]]]]

The first raid of 1916 was carried out by the German Navy. Nine Zeppelins were sent to Liverpool on the night of 31 January – 1 February. A combination of poor weather and mechanical problems scattered them across the [[English Midlands|Midlands]] and several towns were bombed. A total of 61 people were reported killed and 101 injured by the raid.<ref name="times05021916">"Damage in the Raid." ''The Times,'' 5 February 1916, p. 7.</ref> Despite ground fog, 22 aircraft took off to find the Zeppelins but none succeeded, and two pilots were killed when attempting to land.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, pp. 83–5.</ref> One airship, the [[LZ 54 (L 19)|L&nbsp;19]], came down in the North Sea because of engine failure and damage from Dutch ground-fire. Although the wreck stayed afloat for a while and was sighted by a British [[fishing trawler]], the boat's crew refused to rescue the Zeppelin's crew because they were outnumbered, and all 16 crew died.<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 128</ref>

Further raids were delayed by an extended period of poor weather and also by the withdrawal of the majority of Naval Zeppelins in an attempt to resolve the recurrent engine failures.<ref>Robinson 1971, pp. 129–30</ref> Three Zeppelins set off to bomb [[Rosyth]] on 5–6 March but were forced by high winds to divert to Hull, killing 18, injuring 52 and causing £25,005 damage.<ref>Cole and Cheeseman, p. 110</ref> At the beginning of April raids were attempted on five successive nights. Ten airships set off on 31 March: most turned back and L&nbsp;15, damaged by antiaircraft fire and an aircraft attacking using Ranken darts, came down in the sea near Margate. Most of the 48 killed in the raid were victims of a single bomb which fell on an Army billet in [[Cleethorpes]].<ref>Cole and Cheeseman 1984, pp118–20</ref> The following night two Navy Zeppelins bombed targets in the north of England, killing 22 and injuring 130. On the night of 2/3 April a six-airship raid was made, targeting the naval base at [[Rosyth]], the [[Forth Bridge]] and London. None of the airships bombed their intended targets; 13 were killed, 24 injured and much of the £77,113 damage was caused by the destruction of a warehouse in [[Leith]] containing whisky.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984 p. 122</ref><ref>Robinson 1971 p. 137</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/lost-edinburgh-zeppelin-air-raid-of-1916-1-3375536|title=Lost Edinburgh: Zeppelin Air Raid of 1916|last=McLean|first=David|date=14 April 2014|work=[[The Scotsman]]|access-date=1 June 2014}}</ref> Raids on 4/5 April and 5/6 April had little effect,<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, p. 124</ref> as did a five-Zeppelin raid on 25/6 April and a raid by a single Army Zeppelin the following night. On 2/3 July a nine-Zeppelin raid against Manchester and Rosyth was largely ineffective due to weather conditions, and one was forced to land in neutral Denmark, its crew being interned.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, pp. 132–4</ref>

On 28–29 July, the first raid to include one of the new and much larger [[Zeppelin R Class|R-class Zeppelins]], L&nbsp;31, took place. The 10-Zeppelin raid achieved very little; four turned back early and the rest wandered over a fog-covered landscape before giving up.<ref>Cole and Cheesman, p. 139</ref> Adverse weather dispersed raids on 30–31 July and 2–3 August, and on 8–9 August nine airships attacked Hull with little effect.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, p. 145</ref> On 24–25 August 12 Navy Zeppelins were launched: eight turned back without attacking and only Heinrich Mathy's L&nbsp;31 reached London; flying above low clouds, 36 bombs were dropped in 10 minutes on south east London. Nine people were killed, 40 injured and £130,203 of damage was caused.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, p.149</ref>

Zeppelins were very difficult to attack successfully at high altitude, although this also made accurate bombing impossible. Aeroplanes struggled to reach a typical altitude of {{convert|10000|ft}}, and firing the solid bullets usually used by aircraft guns was ineffectual: they only made small holes causing inconsequential gas leaks. Britain developed new bullets, the Brock containing oxidant [[potassium chlorate]], and the Buckingham filled with [[phosphorus]], which reacted with the chlorate to catch fire and hence ignite the Zeppelin's hydrogen. These had become available by September 1916.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-37164689 |title=Leefe Robinson: The man who shot down a Baby Killer|website=BBC News |date=3 September 2016  }}</ref>

The biggest raid to date was launched on 2–3 September, when twelve German Navy and four Army airships set out to bomb London. A combination of rain and snowstorms scattered the airships while they were still over the North Sea. Only one of the naval airships came within seven miles of central London, and both damage and casualties were slight. The newly commissioned [[Schütte-Lanz#SL11|Schütte-Lanz SL&nbsp;11]] dropped a few bombs on [[Hertfordshire]] while approaching London: it was picked up by searchlights as it bombed [[Ponders End]] and at around 02:15 it was intercepted by a [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2|B.E.2c]] flown by Lt. [[William Leefe Robinson]], who fired three 40-round drums of Brocks and Buckingham ammunition into the airship. The third drum started a fire and the airship was quickly enveloped in flames. It fell to the ground near [[Cuffley]], witnessed by the crews of several of the other Zeppelins and many on the ground; there were no survivors. The victory earned Leefe Robinson a Victoria Cross;<ref>Robinson 1971 pp 172–9</ref> the pieces of SL&nbsp;11 were gathered up and sold as souvenirs by the [[Red Cross]] to raise money for wounded soldiers.

[[File:The End of the 'Baby-Killer'.png|thumb|upright|British propaganda postcard, entitled "The End of the 'Baby-Killer'"]]
[[File:A damaged gondola with a collapsable boat lying near., Bestanddeelnr 158-1400.jpg|thumb|left|A damaged Zeppelin gondola with a collapsable boat lying nearby. September 1916]]
The loss of SL&nbsp;11 to the new ammunition ended the German Army's enthusiasm for raids on Britain. The German Navy remained aggressive,<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 179</ref> and another 12-Zeppelin raid was launched on 23–24 September. Eight older airships bombed targets in the Midlands and northeast, while four R-class Zeppelins attacked London. L&nbsp;30 did not even cross the coast, dropping its bombs at sea. L&nbsp;31 approached London from the south, dropping a few bombs on the southern suburbs before crossing the Thames and bombing [[Leyton]], killing eight people and injuring 30.
[[File:L32 Green Farm Lane Memorial Great Burstead.jpg|left|thumb|L32 Great Burstead Memorial]]
L&nbsp;32 was piloted by ''Oberleutnant'' Werner Peterson of the Naval Airship Service, who had only taken command of L&nbsp;32 in August 1916. L&nbsp;32 approached from the south, crossing the English Channel close to Dungeness light house, passing Tunbridge Wells at 12:10 and dropping bombs on [[Sevenoaks]] and [[Swanley]] before crossing over [[Purfleet]]. After receiving heavy gunfire and encountering a multitude of anti-aircraft search lights over London, Peterson decided to head up the Essex coast from Tilbury and abort the mission. Water ballast was dropped to gain altitude and L&nbsp;32 climbed to 13,000 feet. Shortly afterwards at 12:45 L&nbsp;32 was spotted by 2nd Lieutenant [[Frederick Sowrey]] of the Royal Flying Corps, who had taken off from nearby [[RAF Hornchurch]] (known at the time as Sutton's Farm). As Sowrey approached he fired three drums of ammunition into the hull of L&nbsp;32, including the latest Bock & Pomeroy incendiary rounds. L&nbsp;32, according to witness accounts, violently turned and lost altitude, burning from both ends and along its back. The airship narrowly missed Billericay High Street as it passed over, one witness saying the windows to her home rattled and the Zeppelin sounded like a hissing freight train. L&nbsp;32 continued down Hill side and came down at Snail's Hall Farm off Green Farm Lane in [[Great Burstead]], crashing at 01:30 on farm land; the 650-foot-long airship struck a large oak tree.

The entire 22 crew were killed. Two crew members jumped rather than be burned (one was said to be Werner Peterson). The crew's bodies were kept in a barn nearby until 27 September when the Royal Flying Corps transported them to nearby [[St Mary Magdalene, Great Burstead|Great Burstead Church]]. They were interred there until 1966, when they were reinterred at the German Military Cemetery in [[Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery|Cannock Chase]]. Attending the scene of the crash site were the Royal Naval Intelligence, who recovered the latest secret code book which was found within the gondola of the crashed L32.

L&nbsp;33 dropped a few incendiaries over [[Upminster]] and [[Bromley-by-Bow]], where it was hit by an anti-aircraft shell, despite being at an altitude of {{convert|13000|ft|m}}. As it headed towards Chelmsford it began to lose height and came down close to [[Little Wigborough]].<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, pp.167–8</ref>
The airship was set alight by its crew, but inspection of the wreckage provided the British with much information about the construction of Zeppelins, which was used in the design of the British [[R33-class airship]]s.

The next raid came on 1 October 1916. Eleven Zeppelins were launched at targets in the Midlands and at London. Only L&nbsp;31, commanded by the experienced Heinrich Mathy making his 15th raid, reached London. As the airship neared Cheshunt at about 23:20 it was picked up by searchlights and attacked by three aircraft from [[No. 39 Squadron RAF|No. 39 Squadron]]. 2nd lieutenant Wulstan Tempest succeeded in setting fire to the airship, which came down near Potters Bar. All 19 crew died, many jumping from the burning airship.<ref>Cole and Cheesman, pp. 174–6</ref>

For the next raid, on 27–28 November, the Zeppelins avoided London for targets in the Midlands. Again the defending aircraft were successful: L&nbsp;34 was shot down over the mouth of the Tees and L&nbsp;21 was attacked by two aircraft and crashed into the sea off [[Lowestoft]].<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, pp.180–1</ref> There were no further raids in 1916 although the Navy lost three more craft, all on 28 December: SL&nbsp;12 was destroyed at [[Ahlhorn]] by strong winds after sustaining damage in a poor landing, and at [[Tondern]] L&nbsp;24 crashed into the shed while landing: the resulting fire destroyed both L&nbsp;24 and the adjacent L&nbsp;17.<ref name="Whitehouse, Arch 1966, p. 182">Whitehouse, Arch, ''The Zeppelin Fighters'', New York: Ace Books, 1966, no ISBN, p. 182.</ref>

=====1917=====
[[File:Maschinengondel eines Zeppelin-Luftschiffes - Felix Schwormstädt 1917.jpg|thumb|right|1917 watercolour by [[Felix Schwormstädt]] – translated title: "In the rear engine gondola of a Zeppelin airship during the flight through enemy airspace after a successful attack on England"]]
[[File:Zeppelin memorial, Camberwell Old Cemetery, June 2018.jpg|thumb|right|Memorial in [[Camberwell Cemeteries#Camberwell Old Cemetery|Camberwell Old Cemetery]], London, to 21 civilians killed by Zeppelin bombings in 1917]]
To counter the increasingly effective defences new Zeppelins were introduced which had an increased operating altitude of {{convert|16500|ft|m}} and a ceiling of {{convert|21000|ft|m}}. The first of these S-class Zeppelins, LZ&nbsp;91 (L&nbsp;42) entered service in February 1917.<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 389</ref> They were basically a modification of the R-class, sacrificing strength and power for improved altitude. The surviving R-class Zeppelins were adapted by removing one of the engines.<ref>Robinson 1971, p.208</ref> The improved safety was offset by the extra strain on the airship crews caused by altitude sickness and exposure to extreme cold and operating difficulties caused by cold and unpredictable high winds encountered at altitude.

The first raid of 1917 did not occur until 16–17 March: the five Zeppelins encountered very strong winds and none reached their targets.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, p. 198.</ref> This experience was repeated on 23–24 May. Two days later 21 [[Gotha G.IV|Gotha bomber]]s attempted a daylight raid on London. They were frustrated by heavy clouds but the effort led the Kaiser to announce that airship raids on London were to stop; under pressure he later relented to allow the Zeppelins to attack under "favorable circumstances".

On 16–17 June, another raid was attempted. Six Zeppelins were to take part, but two were kept in their shed by high winds and another two were forced to return by engine failure. L&nbsp;42 bombed Ramsgate, hitting a munitions store. The month-old L&nbsp;48, the first U&nbsp;class Zeppelin, was forced to drop to {{convert|13000|ft|m}} where it was caught by four aircraft and destroyed, crashing near [[Theberton]], Suffolk.<ref>Cole and Cheesman, pp 250-4</ref>

After ineffective raids on the Midlands and the north of England on 21–22 August and 24–25 September, the last major Zeppelin raid of the war was launched on 19–20 October, with 13 airships heading for [[Sheffield]], Manchester and [[Liverpool]]. All were hindered by an unexpected strong headwind at altitude. L&nbsp;45 was trying to reach Sheffield, but instead it dropped bombs on Northampton and London: most fell in the north-west suburbs but three {{convert|300|kg|lb|abbr=on}} bombs fell in [[Piccadilly]], [[Camberwell]] and [[Hither Green]], causing most of the casualties that night. L&nbsp;45 then reduced altitude to try to escape the winds but was forced back into the higher air currents by a B.E.2e. The airship then had mechanical failure in three engines and was blown over [[French Third Republic|France]], eventually coming down near [[Sisteron]]; it was set on fire and the crew surrendered. L&nbsp;44 was brought down by ground fire over France: L&nbsp;49 and L&nbsp;50 were also lost to engine failure and the weather over France. L&nbsp;55 was badly damaged on landing and later scrapped.<ref>Cole and Cheesman 1984, pp. 345-6</ref>

There were no more raids in 1917, although the airships were not abandoned but refitted with new, more powerful, engines.

=====1918=====
There were only four raids in 1918, all against targets in the Midlands and northern England. Five Zeppelins attempted to bomb the Midlands on 12–13 March to little effect. The following night three Zeppelins set off, but two turned back because of the weather: the third bombed [[Hartlepool]], killing eight and injuring 29.<ref>Robinson 1971, p. 308</ref> A five-Zeppelin raid on 12–13 April was also largely ineffective, with thick clouds making accurate navigation impossible. However, some alarm was caused by the other two, one of which reached the east coast and bombed [[Wigan]], believing it was Sheffield: the other bombed [[Coventry]] in the belief that it was [[Birmingham]].<ref>Robinson 1971, pp. 308-13</ref> The final raid on 5 August 1918 involved four airships and resulted in the loss of ''L.70'' and the death of its entire crew under the command of ''Fregattenkapitän'' [[Peter Strasser]], head of the Imperial German Naval Airship Service and the ''Führer der Luftschiffe''. Crossing the North Sea during daylight, the airship was intercepted by a [[Royal Air Force]] [[Airco DH.4|DH.4]] [[biplane]] piloted by Major [[Egbert Cadbury]], and shot down in flames.<ref>{{Harvnb|Smith|1991|p=34.}}</ref>