Schütte-Lanz SL 11 explained
The
Schütte-Lanz SL 11 was a German military
dirigible built in 1916 by
Luftschiffbau Schütte-Lanz. It was the first German airship to be shot down while bombing England.
Operational history
The SL 11 was based at Spich and commanded by Hauptmann Wilhelm Schramm. In the early hours of 3 September 1916, after jettisoning bombs over Essendon, Hertfordshire, destroying several houses, damaging a church, and killing two sisters aged 26 & 12,[1] [2] it was attacked over Hertfordshire by Lt. William Leefe Robinson flying a BE 2C using incendiary ammunition. It crashed at Cuffley, killing the entire crew, who were buried at Potters Bar Cemetery; they were re-interred at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery in 1962.[3] Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Specifications
- First Flight: 1 August 1916
- Length:
- Diameter:
- Gas Capacity:
- Performance:
- Payload:
- Engines: 4x Maybach HS-Lu 6-cyl in-line engines: total
See also
References
- Book: Liddell Hart, Sir Basil Henry . B. H. Liddell Hart . A History of the World War 1914–1918 . 1934 . . 978-0-304-93653-3.
Notes and References
- Obituary . Telegraph and Telephone Journal . October 1916 . 3 . 25 . 14 .
- Web site: Zeppelin Raids . Herts at War . 2016-09-04.
- Book: Baker, Brian. The Zeppelin Graves on Cannock Chase. 2002. 2nd revised & extended. The Association of Friends of Cannock Chase. Cannock Chase. 1–2.
