Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)

Zeppelin L31  The first flight of Zeppelin L31 took place on the 12th of July 1916 She was an R Class craft built under Production Code LZ72. L31 took part in an important reconnaissance mission in fleet operation against Sunderland. She made six attacks on England dropping a total of 19,411 kilograms (42,794 lb) of bombs along with L32, L 33 and L34 in a Zeppelin raid on night of 23 September 1916. L31 was intercepted and destroyed by British fighter pilot Lt V Tempest on the 2nd of October 1916 near Potters Bar, North of London. L31 was commanded by the leading airship commander of the time, Kapitän Leutnant Heinrich Mathy, who died with his entire crew after jumping from the flaming Zeppelin.

   Zeppelin LZ72(L31) was a Class type R which had its first flight on the 12th of July 1916. It made one important reconnaissance mission in fleet operation against Sunderland and 6 attacks on England dropping a total of 19,411 kilograms (42,794 lb) of bombs; with L 32, L 33 and L 34 part of Zeppelin raid on night of 23 September 1916; intercepted and destroyed by British fighter pilot Lt V Tempest on 2 October 1916 near Potters Bar, north of London, while commanded by the leading airship commander of the time, Kapitän Leutnant Heinrich Mathy, who died with his entire crew after jumping from the flaming Zeppelin.
John Doran

24th August 1916 Zeppelin raid on London  24/25th August 1916.
The sixth successful London raid was on 24,25 August when 13 Navy Zeppelins were launched and Heinrich Mathy's L 31 reached London. Flying above low clouds, 36 bombs were dropped in 10 minutes on West Ferry Road, Deptford Dry Dock, the station at Norway Street and homes in Greenwich, Eltham and Plumstead. Nine people were killed, 40 injured and £130,203 of damage was caused.
L 31 suffered no damage in the attack but several weeks of repair-work were needed following a hard landing.
John Doran

23rd September 1916 Zeppelin Raids on Britain  23/24 September 1916
The German Navy remained aggressive and a 12-Zeppelin raid was launched on 23,24 September 1916. Eight older airships bombed targets in the Midlands and Northeast, while four M-class Zeppelins (L 30, L 31, L 32, and L 33) attacked London. L 30 did not even cross the coast, dropping its bombs at sea. L 31 approached London from the south, dropped a few bombs on Kenley and Mitcham and was picked up by searchlights. Forty-one bombs were then dropped in rapid succession over Streatham, killing seven and wounding 27. More bombs were dropped on Brixton before crossing the river and dropping 10 bombs on Leyton, killing another eight people and injuring 30. L 31 then headed home.
Also coming in from the south was L 32, delayed by engine problems, it dropped a few bombs on Sevenoaks and Swanley before crossing Purfleet at about 0100. The Zeppelin then came under anti-aircraft fire as it dropped bombs on Aveley and South Ockendon. Shortly thereafter, at 0110, a BE2c piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey engaged L 32. He fired three drums of incendiaries and succeeded in starting a fire which quickly spread to the entire airship. The Zeppelin came down at Snail's Hall Farm, Great Burstead. The entire crew was killed, with some, including the commander Oberleutnant-zur-See Werner Peterson, choosing to jump rather than burn to death.
L 33 dropped a few incendiaries over Upminster before losing its way and making several turns, heading over London and dropping bombs on Bromley at around midnight. As the bombs began to explode, the Zeppelin was hit by an anti-aircraft shell fired from the guns at either Beckton, Wanstead, or Victoria Park despite being at 13,000 feet (4,000 m). Dropping bombs now to shed weight, a large number fell on homes in Botolph Road and Bow Road. As the airship headed towards Chelmsford it continued to lose height, coming under fire at Kelvedon Hatch and briefly exchanging fire with a BE2c. Despite the efforts of the crew, L 33 was forced to the ground at around 0115 in a field close to New Hall Cottages, Little Wigborough. The airship was set alight and the crew headed south before being arrested at Peldon by the police. 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 airships. One 250 hp (190 kW) engine recovered from the wreck was subsequently substituted for two (of four) 180 hp (130 kW) engines on a Vickers-built machine, the hitherto underpowered R.9.
John Doran

1st Oct 1916 Zeppelin raid on London

1st October 1916 Zeppelin raid on London  The next raid came on the 1st of October 1916. Eleven Zeppelins were launched at targets in the Midlands and at London. As usual weather played a major role and only L 31 under the experienced Heinrich Mathy, on his 15th raid, reached London. Approaching from Suffolk, L 31 was picked up by the searchlights at Kelvedon Hatch around 2145, turning away, the airship detoured over Harlow, Stevenage and Hatfield. As the airship neared Cheshunt at about 2320 the airship was quickly picked up by six searchlights. Three aircraft of No. 39 Squadron were in the air and closed in on L 31. A BE2c piloted by 2nd lieutenant Wulstan Tempest engaged the Zeppelin at around 2350. Three bursts were sufficient to set fire to L 31, and it crashed near Potters Bar with all 19 crew dying, Mathy jumping from the burning airship. His body was found near the wreckage, embedded some four inches in the ground. Tempest had had to dive out of the way of the stricken airship and, possibly suffering from anoxia, crashed without injury on landing.
"The Zeppelin was now nearly 15,000 feet high and mounting rapidly….[I] dived straight at her, firing a burst straight into her as I came. I let her have another burst as I passed under her and then banking my machine over, sat under her tail, and flying along underneath her, pumped lead into her …As I was firing, I noticed her begin to go red inside like an enormous Chinese lantern and then a flame shot out of the front part of her and I realized she was on fire. She then shot up about 200 feet, paused, and came roaring down straight on to me before I had time to get out of the way. I nose-dived for all I was worth… and just managed to corkscrew out of the way as she shot past me, roaring like a furnace." Second Lieutenant W. Tempest.
"The Zeppelin drifted perpendicularly in the darkened sky. A gigantic pyramid of flames, red and orange, like a ruined star falling slowly to earth. Its glare lit up the streets and gave a ruddy tint even to the waters of the Thames. The spectacle lasted two or three minutes. It was so horribly fascinating that I felt spellbound , almost suffocated with emotion, ready hysterically to laugh or dry. When at last the doomed airship vanished from sight there arose a shout the like of which I never heard in London before — a hoarse shout of mingled execration, triumph and joy. It was London’s Te Deum for another crowning deliverance. Four Zeppelins destroyed in a month!" Journalist, Michael MacDonagh, who watched the spectacle from Blackfriars Bridge. The next morning, MacDonagh’s editor sent him to Potters Bar, where in heavy rain, he located the crash site: "One body was found in the field some distance from the wreckage. He must have jumped from the doomed airship from a considerable height. So great was the force with which he struck the ground that I saw the imprint of his body clearly defined in the stubbly grass. There was around hole for the head, then deep impressions of the trunk, with outstretched arms, and finally the widely separated legs. Life was in him when he was picked up, but the spark soon went out. He was, in fact, the Commander, who had been in one of the gondolas hanging from the airship."
John Doran

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.

Want to know more about Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)?

There are:5 items tagged Zeppelin LZ72 (L31) available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have served with
Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)
during the Great War 1914-1918.

This page is new, as yet no names have been submitted.

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.

Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.

Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please see Family History FAQ's

Please note: We are unable to provide individual research.

Can you help?
The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors.
If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

27th April 2024
Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264001 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit.

Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.

We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates, add a comment or ask a question.

If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page.

World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.

Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.

The Wartime Memories Project
- Zeppelin LZ72 (L31) during the Great War -

Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)

Want to know more about Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)?

Those known to have served with
Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - Zeppelin LZ72 (L31) during the Great War -

Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)

Want to know more about Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)?

Those known to have served withZeppelin LZ72 (L31)during the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- Zeppelin LZ72 (L31) during the Great War -

Those known to have served with
Zeppelin LZ72 (L31)
during the Great War 1914-1918.