Postcard image of London under an airship raid. In the distance, a fire burns near Tower Bridge, another to the east, south of the Thames. The Schütte-Lanz was a competitor to the Zeppelin, and used a wooden rather than metal frame. After an original painting, 'Schütte-Lanz' over London by Jo. Ruep.

Reverse:

Luftfahrerdank o.m.b.h. Charlottenburg 2. "Schütte-Lanz" über London

Nach einem Original-Gemälde von Jos. Ruep.



Thanks to Airmen o.m.b.h. Charlottenburg 2.

"Schütte-Lanz" over London

After an original painting by Jo. Ruep.

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Sunday, September 3, 1916

". . . At about 1:50 A.M. I noticed a red glow in the northeast of London. Taking it to be an outbreak of fire I went in that direction. At about 2:05 A.M. a Zeppelin was picked up over N.N.E. London (as far as I could judge). Remembering my last failure, I sacrificed height (I was still at 12,100 feet) for speed and made nose-down for the Zeppelin. I saw shells bursting and night-tracer shells flying around it. When I drew closer I noticed that the anti-aircraft fire was too high or too low, also a good many rose 800 feet behind—a few tracers went right over. I could hear the burst about 3,000 feet from the Zeppelin.

I flew to about 800 feet below it from bow to stern and distributed one drum along it (alternate new Brock and Pomeroy). It seemed to have no effect. I therefore moved to one side and gave it another drum along its side—without much apparent effect. I then got behind it (by this time I was very close—500 feet or less below—[)]and concentrated one drum on one part underneath. I was then at a height of 11,500 feet when attacking the Zeppelin. I had hardly finished the drum when I saw the part fired at glow. In a few seconds the whole rear part was blazing. When the third drum was fired there were no searchlights on the Zeppelin and no A.A. was firing. I quickly got out of the way of the falling Zeppelin and, being very excited, fired off a few red Very lights and dropped a parachute flare."

Quotation Context

Excerpt from the account of Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson of Number 39 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps of his bringing down SL.11 on the night of September 2–3, 1916 from Arch Whitehouse's The Zeppelin Fighters. This night London was the primary target of the greatest airship attack yet, one of 16 craft, primarily Zeppelins, carrying 32 tons of bombs. SL.11 was a Schütte-Lanz rather than a Zeppelin; the former had a wooden frame, the latter one of metal. Hauptmann Wilhelm Schramm piloted SL.11 which fell on the village of Cuffley, 25 north of London. Four civilians were killed in the raid, and twelve injured. 'Brock' and 'Pomeroy' were types of explosive machine gun bullets, sensitive enough to explode on striking fabric.

Source

The Zeppelin Fighters by Arch Whitehouse, page 128, copyright © 1966 by Arch Whitehouse, publisher: New English Library, publication date: 1978

Tags

1916-09-03, 1916, September, Zeppelin, Zeppelin downed, London, London bombed, Schütte-Lanz, Schutte-Lanz