Schutte-Lanz S.L.11

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. It was based at Spich. First flight : 01 August 1916

Tonnage : 21 tonnes

Displacement : 38780 [m^3]

Length : 174 [m]

Diameter : 20.1 [m]

Engines : 4 Maybach HS-Lu 6-cyl inline 240 [hp] (179 KW)

Speed : 92 [km/hr]

Crew : 16

SL11 control car

03 September 1916 : S.L. 11 under command of Hauptmann Wilhelm Schramm raided the UK. It came inland via the River Crouch and attempted to attack London from the north. At Finsbury Park, however, Schramm turned back in the face of very heavy gunfire from the centre of London. It was caught by the searchlights with enabled Leefe Robinson flying a BE-2c solo to approach the airship. Robinson fired the new Brock & Pomeroy ammunition along the airship’s hull , without results. Then he concentrated all his shots at one spot and this set the SL.11 on fire.

It crashed at Cuffley, with the loss of the entire crew, who were buried at Potters Bar Cemetery and re-interred at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery during 1962.^[1] Leefe Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Wreckage of SL 11. The frame of the SL11 was made of wood zo little remained after the fire.

Literature : Warplanes WOI page 63,64,66