Zeppelin LZ72 L 31
First flight 12 July 1916; one important reconnaissance mission in fleet operation against Sunderland; 6 attacks on England dropping a total of 19,411 kilograms (42,794 lb) of bombs;
24 aug 1916 bereikt Mathy Londen met de L31 en richt voor 130.000 pond aan schade aan in Deptford, Plumstead en Eltham (www063)
With LZ 74, LZ 76 and LZ 78 it took part in the Zeppelin raid on the night of 23 September 1916; L31 carried a 4196 kg bomb load > the highest weight in any attack in WOI.
23 September 1916 12 zep raid on London, L31 aimed ten bombs at the Dungeness lighthouse to lighten the zep.(www064). Beyond Tunbridge Wells Mathy followed the railway from Eastbourne into Croydon. It was caught by searchlight but cleverly dropped parachute flares blinded the defenders on the ground. L31 dropped it load of bombs on Brixton and Streatham. Crossing the heart of London, Mathy dropped his last bombs on Lea Bridge road and Leyton, and above a blanket of mist in the Lea Valley got away unscathed. How he missed bombing the City remains a mystery.
25 September 1916 new raid at UK , due to clear sky Mathy didn’t attack London but bombed Portsmouth instead. Dropping 8000 lb of bombs, but must have been prematurely because no damage was reported by the British
In the night of 01 October 1916 L31 again raided London. Searchlights prevented a direct attack, Mathy diverged to the north to make a high-speed passing with a stiff north tail wind. But enemy planes were converging in on him. He dropped his bombs over Cheshunt and climbed away to the west. But then 2nd-Lt Wulstan J.Tempest flying a BE2 dived on him and set the zep L 31 afire at 12700 ft. The wreckage fell at Potters Bar, North of London. Kapitan Leutnant Heinrich Mathy jumped to his death from the flaming zeppelin. It was the end for the boldest and most successful zep-commanders. The entire crew died in the crash. The crew were originally buried at Potters Bar but were later exhumed and reburied at Cannock Chase.
Wreckage of L 31 and the “Zeppelin Oak”
Kapitan Leutnant Heinrich Mathy, commander of L31 who jumped to his death from the flaming Zeppelin
The crew of L 31
Literature :
Warplanes WOI page 63,64,65,66
Armament of British Aircraft 1909-1939 page 284