Vehicle    From 1900 

Zeppelin airships

Categories: Armed Forces, Aviation

Invented by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1900. London was first targeted with airships in May 1915 and initially found defence very difficult. Searchlights and incendiary ammunition helped to defeat the Zeppelins and the last raid was in August 1918. Londonist has a great post about the Zeppelin raids over London, with a map! And Flickering Lamps has a good post on airships over London in war and peace.

But to get a really good idea of how they were used (the bombs, the water ballast, the observer basket) you have to see the 1930 film Hell's Angels. Forget the plot and the acting, just watch the stunning aerial scenes. Howard Hughes produced it so money was no object.

2018: Londonist have a post about the first Zeppelin raid on London, 31 May 1915, with maps showing the damage sites.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Zeppelin airships

Commemorated ati

Camberwell WW1 victims - Chumleigh Gardens

This memorial commemorates all 22 Camberwell citizens killed in WW1. We don't...

Read More

First Zeppelin bomb of WW1, correct - 1

First bomb of World War One, dropped on London by Zeppelin LZ 38 fell on this...

Read More

First Zeppelin bomb of WW1, correct - 2

First bomb of World War One, to be dropped on London by Zeppelin LZ38, fell o...

Read More

First Zeppelin bomb of WW1 - incorrect

This plaque was, according to the Council, a mistake and was removed by Hackney.

Read More

Zeppelin

We are familiar with the "pensioner crosses road" syndrome in local newspaper...

Read More

Show all 7

Other Subjects

Lt-Col Samuel Richards

Lt-Col Samuel Richards

Commanding officer of the Bloomsbury Rifles 1880–98.

Person, Armed Forces

1 memorial
John Arthur Andrews

John Arthur Andrews

John Arthur Andrews was born on 29 June 1886 in Deptford, Kent (now Greater London), the son of George Ambrose Charles Andrews (1861-1907) and Eliza Frances Andrews née Atkins (b.1862). His birth w...

Person, Armed Forces

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
W. A. Carreck

W. A. Carreck

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Sir Ralph Turner

Sir Ralph Turner

Professor of Indian languages. Born Charlton, London. Officer in the 3rd Gurkha Rifles. Won Military Cross in Palestine. Died at home, Bishop's Stortford.

Person, Armed Forces, Education, India, Nepal, Pakistan

1 memorial
H. W. F. Morris

H. W. F. Morris

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial