List of Zeppelins

This is a complete list of Zeppelins constructed by the original German Zeppelin companies from 1900 until 1938. Other types of rigid airships that are also sometimes referred to as zeppelins are not included.

The Zeppelin companies based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, numbered their aircraft "LZ1/2/...", with "LZ" standing for "Luftschiff [airship] Zeppelin". Additionally, crafts used for civilian purposes usually got a name, while military airships, on the other hand, were given "tactical numbering":

* The "German Army" called its first Zeppelins "Z I/II/.../XI/XII". During World War I they switched to using the "LZ" numbers, later adding 30 to obscure the total production.
* The "German Navy" Zeppelins were labelled "L 1/2/...".

Since 1997, airships of the new type Zeppelin NT have been flying. They are not included here, as they are not Zeppelins in the traditional sense.

Zeppelins Finished Before World War I

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LZ73
LZ103
August 23, 1916
one successful attack on Calais dropping 1530 kg bombs (several other attacks being cancelled or aborted due to poor weather); decommissioned in August 1917
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LZ74
L 32
August 4, 1916
one important reconnaissance mission in fleet operation against Sunderland; three attacks on England dropping 6860 kg bombs; commanded by Kapitan-Leutnant Werner Petersen, with L31, L33, and L34 part of Zeppelin raid on night of 1916-09-23; intercepted and destroyed by British fighter pilot 2/Lt Frederick Sowrey in a BE2c on September 24, 1916 near Great Burstead, Essex, all the crew dying.Martin Lockwood, Essex Police] The crew's bodies buried at Great Burstead, then in 1966 exhumed and reburied at Cannock Chase.
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LZ75
L 37
November 9, 1916
17 reconnaissance missions around the North and Baltic Sea and England; 4 raids dropping 6450 kg bombs; retired on December 24, 1917; transferred to Japan in 1920 (disassembled)
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LZ76
L 33
August 30, 1916
part of the Zeppelin group that bombed London and surrounding counties (L31, L32, L33 and L34); during its first mission, in which 3200 kg bombs had been dropped,Fact|date=June 2008 after an anti-aircraft shell seriously damaged it, commander Kapitan-Leutnant Alois Bocker turned over Essex and was attacked by a squadron of night fighters from Hainault Farm and hit several times, but even after dropping guns and equipment Bocker decided it would not make it back across the North Sea, forced landing near Brentwood, Essex September 24, 1916 with no fatalities, the crew were only partly successful in burning the hull, and British engineers examined the skeleton and later used the plans as a basis for the construction of airships "R33" and "R34"
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LZ77
LZ107
October 16, 1916
one attack on Boulogne, France, dropping 1440 kg bombs (several other raids being cancelled or aborted). Decommissioned in July 1917.
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LZ78
L 34
September 22, 1916
three reconnaissance missions; two attacks on England dropping 3890 kg bombs; intercepted and destroyed by British fighter pilot 2/Lt Ian Pyott in BE2c 2738 off Hartlepool on November 28, 1916."Pyott was so close that his face was scorched"
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LZ79
L 41
January 15, 1917
15 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; four attacks on England dropping 6567 kg bombs; used as a school ship from December 11, 1917 on. Destroyed by its crew on June 23, 1919.
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LZ80
L 35
October 20, 1916
13 reconnaissance missions around the North and Baltic Sea; three attacks on England dropping 4284 kg bombs; decommissioned in September 1918.
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LZ81
LZ111
December 20, 1916
not used in the German Army and transferred to Navy in May 1917; 7 reconnaissance missions around the Baltic Sea. Decommissioned on August 10, 1917.
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LZ82
L 36
November 1, 1916
20 flights around the North Sea and England, including four reconnaissance missions; damaged during landing in fog at Rehben-an-der-Aller on February 7, 1917 and decommissioned.
-

LZ83

LZ113
February 22, 1917
15 reconnaissance missions around the Eastern Front and the Baltic Sea; three attacks dropping 6000 kg bombs. In 1920 ordered to be transferred to France in the context of war reparations.
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LZ84
L 38
November 22, 1916
damaged beyond repair in a forced landing (due to heavy snowfall) during an attempted raid on Reval and Saint Petersburg on December 29, 1916
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LZ85
L 45
April 12, 1917
12 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; 3 attacks on England dropping 4700 kg bombs. Ran out of fuel on October 20, 1917; destroyed in forced landing near Sisteron, France, the crew being taken captive.
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LZ86
L 39
December 11, 1916
two reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; one attack on England dropping 300 kg bombs, and on return destroyed by French flak fire near Compiègne on March 17, 1917.
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LZ87
L 47
May 11, 1917
18 reconnaissance missions and three attacks dropping 3240 kg bombs around the North Sea and England. On January 5, 1918, a giant explosion in the air base in Ahlhorn destroyed four Zeppelins (including "L 47") and one non-Zeppelin-type airship, stabled in three adjacent hangars. This is supposed to have been an accident, though sabotage could not be ruled out.
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LZ88
L 40
January 3, 1917
6 reconnaissance missions; 2 attacks on England, dropping 3105 kg bombs (large parts of which missed their targets). Damaged beyond repair in a failed landing on June 16, 1917 in Nordholz.
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LZ89
L 50
June 9, 1917
5 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; two attacks on England dropping 4135 kg bombs. Ran out of fuel on October 20, 1917 and was driven to the Mediterranean Sea after a forced landing near Dammartin, France.
-

LZ90

LZ120
January 31, 1917
17 reconnaissance missions and 3 attacks dropping 11,250 kg bombs around the Eastern Front and the Baltic Sea. Retired on October 8, 1917; in 1920 ordered to be transferred to Italy in the context of war reparations, where it broke apart one year later while gas was removed.
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LZ91
L 42
February 21, 1917
First of the "Height-Climber" class, which had a lightened structure to improve altitude. The strength of the structure was therefore compromised, which proved disastrous when unwittingly copied, as with the British "R38 (ZR-2)", and USS|Shenandoah|ZR-1|6. 20 reconnaissance missions; 4 attacks on England dropping 6030 kg bombs; used as a school ship from June 6, 1918 on. Destroyed by its crew on June 23, 1919.
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LZ92
L 43
March 6, 1917
6 reconnaissance missions; one attack on English docks, dropping 1850 kg bombs. Shot down by British fighter aircraft on June 14, 1917 during reconnaissance mission.
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LZ93
L 44
April 1, 1917
8 reconnaissance missions; 4 attacks on England and British Royal Navy units. Driven south to France by a heavy storm, it was shot down over Lunéville on October 20, 1917.
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LZ94
L 46
April 24, 1917
19 reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; 3 raids on England dropping 5700 kg bombs. Destroyed in the Ahlhorn explosion (see "LZ87 "L 47").
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LZ95
L 48
May 22, 1917
Several of the L 11 crew transferred to the L 48; one reconnaissance mission successful. As part of an attempted attack on London with 3 others became lost and was then intercepted and destroyed by British fighters over sea near Great Yarmouth on 17 June 1917 crashing near Leiston. Three survivors; crew buried at Theberton, Suffolk. [redkitebooks.co.uk] [redkitebooks.co.uk, post-excavation report] [www.theberton.info]
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LZ96
L 49
June 13, 1917
two reconnaissance missions around the North Sea; one raid on England dropping 2100 kg bombs; while returning, forced to land near Bourbonne-les-Bains on October 20, 1917 and captured almost undamaged by French forces. Plans derived from "LZ96" were later used in the United States for construction of the first US "zeppelin", the "USS|Shenandoah|ZR-1".
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LZ97
L 51
June 6, 1917
3 reconnaissance missions; one raid on the English coast, dropping 280 kg bombs. Destroyed in the Ahlhorn explosion (see "LZ87 "L 47").
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LZ98
L 52
July 14, 1917
20 reconnaissance missions; accidentally placed above London by an unexpected storm during a raid, it dropped 2020 kg bombs there. Destroyed by its crew on June 23, 1919.
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LZ99
L 54
August 13, 1917
14 reconnaissance missions; two attacks on England dropping 5840 kg bombs; destroyed together with "L 60" when seven British Sopwith Camel fighters from the first aircraft carrier, HMS|Furious|47|6, bombed the halls in Tondern. (Only two fighters returned to the "Furious", though three of the others landed in Denmark after running low on fuel.)
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LZ100
L 53
August 8, 1917
19 reconnaissance missions; 4 attacks on England, dropping 11,930 kg bombs. Intercepted and destroyed by British Sopwith Camel N6812 flown by Lt Culley RAF, who took off from a lighter towed by the destroyer HMS "Redoubt", on August 11, 1918
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LZ101
L 55
September 1, 1917
Two attacks dropping 5450 kg bombs. Heavily damaged in the second one on October 19, 1917, it drifted behind western front and rose to Zeppelin all-time world record altitude of 7600 m to escape; then dismantled upon forced landing.
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LZ102
L 57
September 26, 1917
not used in combat; foreseen for engagement in Africa. Damaged beyond repair by heavy wind on October 8, 1917.
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LZ103
L 56
September 24, 1917
17 reconnaissance missions; participated in the last raid on England on August 6, 1918. Destroyed by its crew on June 23, 1919.
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LZ104
L 59
October 30, 1917
known as "das Afrika-Schiff", stationed in Yambol (Bulgaria); L 59 started out on a mission to resupply German troops in German East Africa, but turned back upon (false) reports of a German surrender; nevertheless, the ship broke a long-distance flight record (6757 km in 95 hours and 5 minutes). One attack on Naples, Italy dropped 6400 kg of bombs. Crashed during a raid on Malta on April 7, 1918 for unknown reasons.
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LZ105
L 58
October 29, 1917
two reconnaissance missions; destroyed in the Ahlhorn explosion (see "LZ87 "L 47")
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LZ106
L 61
December 12, 1917
9 reconnaissance missions; two attacks on England dropping 4500 kg bombs; in 1920 ordered to be transferred to Italy in the context of war reparations.
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LZ107
L 62
January 19, 1918
two reconnaissance missions; two attacks on England dropping 5923 kg bombs; on the raid on 12/13 April 1918 her gunners managed to damage and drive away an attacking airplane, the only known instance of this happening. Crashed north of Helgoland on May 10, 1918: shot down by Felixstowe F2A flying-boat N4291, Capt TC Pattinson and Capt TH Munday.Thetford 1978, p.193-194.]
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LZ108
L 60
December 18, 1917
11 reconnaissance missions; one attack on England dropping 3,120 kg of bombs; destroyed together with "L 54" when British Soptwith Camel fighters launched from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious bombed the halls.
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LZ109
L 64
March 11, 1918
13 reconnaissance missions over the North Sea; with L60,L61,L62, and L63 raided north England dropping 2800 kg in bombs. In 1920 transferred to England as war reparations. Scrapped at short notice when hangar required for the damaged British R36.Airship Heritage Trust - L64]
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LZ110
L 63
March 4, 1918
dropped 8915 kg bombs in three attacks on England, including participation in the last raid on England on August 6, 1918. Destroyed by its crew on June 23, 1919.
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LZ111
L 65
April 17, 1918
participated in last raid on England on August 6, 1918. Destroyed by its crew on June 23, 1919.
-

LZ112

L 70
July 1, 1918
directed last raid on England on August 6, 1918, with KK Peter Strasser, Commander of the Navy Airship Department on board; intercepted and destroyed over North Sea by British DeHavilland DH-4 flown by Major Egbert Cadbury with Captain Robert Leckie (later Air Vice-Marshal) as gunner.Thetford 1978, p. 86.] Both these men shot down two Zeppelins: prior to L70, Cadbury had downed L21 and Leckie, L22.
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LZ113

L 71
July 29, 1918
not used in war; in 1920 ordered to be transferred to England in the context of war reparations. Scrapped at short notice when hangar required for the damaged British R36.
-

LZ114

L 72; in France: "Dixmude"
February 9, 1920
not delivered because war ended; in 1920 ordered to be transferred to France in the context of war reparations. Made then world record duration flight of 118 hours. [Lehmann Chapter II] Vanished over Mediterranean, 1921.
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LZ115
align="center" colspan="3" | "not constructed"
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LZ116
align="center" colspan="3" | "not constructed"
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LZ117
align="center" colspan="3" | "not constructed"
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LZ118
align="center" colspan="3" | "not constructed"
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LZ119
align="center" colspan="3" | "not constructed"

Zeppelins Constructed After World War I

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LZ122
align="center" colspan="4" | "not realized"
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LZ123
align="center" colspan="4" | "not realized"
-
LZ124
align="center" colspan="4" | "not realized (construction forbidden by World War I Allied Powers)"
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LZ125
align="center" colspan="4" | "not realized"
-
LZ126
ZR-3, USS "Los Angeles" (in the United States)
experimental, military
August 27, 1924|
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LZ130
"Graf Zeppelin II"
civilian
September 14, 1938|
-
LZ131
align="center" colspan="4" | "not finished"

See also

* List of Parseval semi-rigid and non-rigid airships
* List of Schütte-Lanz rigid airships
* List of airships of the United States Navy
* Rigid airship

Notes

References

* The Airship Heritage Trust. [http://www.aht.ndirect.co.uk/airships/l64/index.htm L64 - LZ 109 "V" Class Super Zeppelin]
* Bruce, J.M. " [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%200016.html|The Sopwith Pup: Historic Military Aircraft No 6] ". "Flight". 1 January 1954. p. 8-12.
* Dooley, Sean C., " [http://biblion.epfl.ch/EPFL/theses/2004/2986/EPFL_TH2986_screen.pdf The Development of Material-Adapted Structural Form] " - " [http://biblion.epfl.ch/EPFL/theses/2004/2986/EPFL_TH2986_app_screen.pdf Part II: Appendices] ". THÈSE NO 2986 (2004), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
* Eckener, Hugo. 1938. _en. "Count Zeppelin: The Man and His Work", translated by Leigh Fanell, London -- Massie Publishing Company, Ltd. -- (ASIN: B00085KPWK) ( [http://spot.colorado.edu/~dziadeck/airship/schwartz.htm online extract pages 155-157, 210-211] )
* Lehmann, Ernst A.; Mingos, Howard. 1927. _en. "The Zeppelins. The Development of the Airship, with the Story of the Zepplins Air Raids in the World War." Published by I. H. SEARS & COMPANY, Inc. New York [http://www.hydrogencommerce.com/zepplins/zepplins.htm#The%20Zeppelins International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Based Commerce - Zepplins] (online chapters I to VII)
* Martin Lockwood, [http://www.essex.police.uk/offbeat/o_mu_20.php Young People - Somewhere over Essex] , Essex Police Museum
* Lueger, Otto: _de. "Lexikon der gesamten Technik und ihrer Hilfswissenschaften", Bd. 1 Stuttgart, Leipzig 1920., S. 404-412. [http://www.zeno.org/Lueger-1904/A/Luftschiff Luftschiff] (German) Retrieved 2008-07-27
* [http://www.postogtelemuseet.dk/zeppex/en/routes/luftskib.html Post & Tele Museum - Luftskibet Kommer!] (requires Flash and Javascript)
* redkitebooks.co.uk. [http://www.redkitebooks.co.uk/AA/ex06_L48_Theberton.html Aviation Archaeology] , Zeppelin L48 excavation carried out for BBC television
* redkitebooks.co.uk. [http://www.redkitebooks.co.uk/AA/ex06_L48_Post%20ExcavationReport.html The excavation of L48 the “Theberton Zeppelin”] . post-excavation report
* Rimmell, Ray; Preston, Tony. PAST ZEPPELIN L48 PHOTO OF THE MONTH. Theberton and Eastbridge Parish Council. 2008-07-27. URL:http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4EA8A481-F0DE-429A-B9AB-C0A0480FC99A/152695/Z1.doc. Accessed: 2008-07-27. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ZdBiUBed) (Word document) from The Last Flight of the L48, linked from [http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/ThebertonPC/History/ Theberton and Eastbridge Parish Council History] .
* Thetford, Owen. "British Naval Aircraft since 1912". London: Putnam, Fourth edition, 1978. ISBN 0-370-30021-1.
* www.theberton.info/timewatch.htm, [http://web.archive.org/web/20070704150613/www.theberton.info/timewatch.htm Zeppelin, German zeppelin pictures, L48, LZ95, zeppelin crash ...]

Further Reading

* [http://www.ezep.de/index.html eZEP.de] — The webportal for Zeppelin mail and airship memorabilia
* [http://www.ezep.de/zsg/zsg.html Zeppelin Study Group] — Research group for airship memorabilia and Zeppelin mail
* [http://www.zeno.org/Lueger-1904.images/I/TL100565.jpgsilhoeuttes of important Zeppelins from 1900 to 1919] , Lueger 1904-1920, shows LZ: 1,3,5,6,8,10,13,14,18,21,23,25,26,36,40,59,62,91,94,95,100,104,113,120
* [http://www.zeno.org/Lueger-1904.images/I/TL100564.jpgImportant airship types] , Lueger 1904-1920, Table 1 lists data on selected Zeppelins