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Zeppelin LZ78 L34
First flight: 22 September 1916
Class : R
Designer : Ludwig Durr
Three reconnaissance missions; two attacks on England dropping a total of 3,890 kg (8,580 lb) of bombs; took part in the Zeppelin raid which also involved the L 31, L 32 and L 33 on the night of 23 September 1916, and was the only Zeppelin that survived the raid; intercepted and destroyed by British fighter pilot 2nd Lt Ian Pyott in BE2c no. 2738 off Hartlepool on 27 November 1916.
Lt.Cap.Max Dietrich
Kapitanleutnant Max Konrad Dietrich and all his crew killed when Zeppelin LZ 78 was shot down off Hartlepool, County Durham on 27 November 1916.
The airship was shot down by 2nd Lt Ian Vernon Jeffrey Pyott DSO of 36 Sqn RFC operating from Seaton Carew and flying B.E.2c s/n 2783. The L34 was on only its second raid when it was destroyed and was one of the new R Class super Zeppelins. The airship crashed in flames into the sea in Tees Bay off Hartlepool 23:40 hrs. All 20 crew were killed.
Two groups of airships set out for England, with the first group of five ships coming in between Scarborough and the Humber while the second group of four flew toward the area of the Tyne River mouth.
It was Pyott’s second sortie for the night from Seaton Carew airfield, the first being at 7.00 pm.
He took off again at 10.30 pm and although his BE 2C normally carried an observer he flew solo this time to allow more fuel to be carried to increase his flying time.
The Zeppelin was seen to cross the coast from the sea in the neighbourhood of Blackhalls, about five miles north of Hartlepool.
It then turned southwards and was travelling in the direction of Tees when it was picked up by the searchlights.
It immediately commenced to drop bombs and coming round in a half-circle, steered back seawards.
In all 13 bombs were dropped near Elwick – a little village three miles west of West Hartlepool – the intention evidently being to put out of action a searchlight situated in the neighbourhood of the village – the second searchlight to bring its beam to bear on the airship.
Twenty-nine bombs were dropped in the Hartley Street, Lowthian Road and Poplar Grove area of Hartlepool. Accounts of the number of casualties differ but between two and four people were killed and 34 injured.
2nd Lt Ian Vernon Jeffrey Pyott DSO of 36 Sqn RFC
Data from Wikipedia :
Performance
Armament
Both Pyott and the airship turned sharply eastwards and flew next to each other for about five miles during which stage he fired 71 rounds at the airship.
"I was aiming at his port quarter and noticed first a small patch become incandescent where I had seen tracers entering his envelope.
“I first took it for a machine-gun firing at me, but this patch rapidly spread and the next thing the whole Zepp was in flames,” he said.
The last bomb had barely exploded on the ground when the airship was completely engulfed with flames.
The engines could still be heard and the doomed airship continued on its easterly course, passing almost directly over St Hilda’s Church tower in Hartlepool.
L-34 plunged into the sea a 915 metres from the shore and sank where the water was in 40 fathoms deep.
During its decent it assumed a perpendicular position, falling nose first, and breaking in two with the largest section falling faster and burning much more fiercely.
Hollander, watching from the Zeppelin L 22, described the scene.
“There appeared a crimson ball of fire, which rapidly increased in size.
"A minute later we recognised the glowing skeleton of an airship falling in flames,” he said.
Literature :
Warplanes WOI page 66
Armament of British aircraft 1909-1939 page 284
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