Zeppelin LZ 95

Zeppelin LZ 95 was a U-class zeppelin of the Imperial German Military.

Career

One successful reconnaissance mission. L 48 and its U-class sister Airships were designed to fly as high as.

L 48 joined an attempted attack on London with 4 other Zeppelins, L 42, L 44, L 45 and L 47. Commanded by George Eichler, on his thirteenth raid, it became lost and was intercepted and destroyed by Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12, serial No. 6110, flown by Canadian pilot Second Lieutenant Loudon Pierce Watkins. He was attached to No. 37 Squadron of British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) fighters. Watkins had enlisted with his three brothers. He had been based in the UK, as home defence, since 11 December 1916. Watkins shot down L 48 over water near Great Yarmouth on 17 June 1917 but it crashed near Theberton, Suffolk, a village near the town of Leiston. There were three survivors; the remainder of the crew were buried at St Peter's Church, Theberton, later to be exhumed and reburied at Cannock Chase [German Military Cemetery|Cannock Chase].
Of the seven Zeppelins lost over England that were shot down in 1917 during the First World War, L 48 was the only one shot down by the RFC's Home defense.