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.

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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...

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First Zeppelin bomb of WW1, correct - 1

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

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First Zeppelin bomb of WW1, correct - 2

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

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First Zeppelin bomb of WW1 - incorrect

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

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Zeppelin

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

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Other Subjects

Lieutenant Edmund William Baldwyn Childe-Pemberton

Lieutenant Edmund William Baldwyn Childe-Pemberton

Edmund William Baldwyn Childe-Pemberton was born on 21 July 1895 in London, the elder son of William Shakespeare Childe Pemberton (1857-1924) and Lady Constance Lucy Violet Childe-Pemberton née Bli...

Person, Armed Forces, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
L. Smythson

L. Smythson

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
W. Wood

W. Wood

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
8th Volunteer, The Queen's Fusiliers

8th Volunteer, The Queen's Fusiliers

The battalion is unique, in that although officially part of The Queens Regiment (the 8th Territorial Battalion), it contains rifle companies that were part of either the Queen’s Regiment or the Ro...

Group, Armed Forces

1 memorial
P. W. Donovan

P. W. Donovan

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Donald Sykes
War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Lorne House

Lorne House

Early-mid 19th century pair of terraced houses, now Grade II Listed. From 1945 on this property has had a chequered career. Lome House was approved for the education and training of girls sent the...

Building, Medicine, Property

1 memorial
Argyll Rooms Concert Hall

Argyll Rooms Concert Hall

The 'Argyll Rooms' venue opened in 1806.  A new building was designed, as part of the Regent Street redevelopment, by John Nash himself, to provide a concert hall, other public rooms and shop space...

Building, Music / songs

1 memorial
Southwark Council

Southwark Council

The London Borough of Southwark was created as an amalgamation of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Southwark, Camberwell and Bermondsey. Southwark council annually invites proposals for new plaques fro...

Group, Politics & Administration

91 memorials
Festival of Britain

Festival of Britain

'A tonic for the Nation', The Festival was intended to cheer us all up after WW2, and incidentally to celebrate the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition. The symbol for the Festival was designed ...

Event, Art, Cinema, Science, Tourism / Traditions

20 memorials