Zeppelin LZ 39
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
|name = LZ 39 |image = Imperial German Army Zeppelin LZ 39 under attack.jpg |caption = Imperial German Army Zeppelin LZ 39 under attack. Picture from the 17 May 1915, Night time edition of the Evening Public Ledger {{#tag:ref|Three Zeppelins were spotted 03:15 on 17 May 1915 with the attack happening after that. Then the British military reported it, sent it out on wire services. The time difference between London and Philadelphia is 5 hrs. The Evening Public Ledger got it on the morning 17 May 1915 commissioned the artist to draw the image who then had it ready for the 17 May 1915 Night Time edition.{{sfn|Evening Public Ledger, May 17,|1915|p=1}}|group="A"}} |alt = }}{{Infobox aircraft type |type = O-class reconnaissance-bomber rigid airship |national origin = German Empire |manufacturer = Luftschiffbau Zeppelin |design group = |designer = Ludwig Dürr |builder = |first flight = 24 April 1915 |introduction = |introduced = |retired = |status = |primary user = Imperial German Navy |more users = |produced = |number built =1 |program cost = |unit cost = |developed from = |variants with their own articles = |developed into = }} |
The Imperial German Army Zeppelin LZ 39 was an O-class World War I Zeppelin.
Operational history
Extensively damaged on 17 May 1915 by Flt Commander Bigsworth. Three raids on the western and two on the eastern front, dropping {{cvt|4184|kg}} of bombs.
Bigsworth bombing
Flight Commander Arthur Bigsworth had already experimented with night flying, using two 4 V lamps attached to his aircraft and no doubt called on this experience on 17 May 1915, when he managed to climb his Avro 504 above LZ 39 over Ostend and drop four {{cvt|20|lb|kg|sigfig=1}} bombs on its envelope, causing considerable damage. LZ 39 managed to return to its base, despite damage to five of its gasbags. For this feat Bigsworth was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). This was the first night-time attack on a Zeppelin.{{sfn|Hobbs|2017|p=113}} The attack and damage to the Zeppelin was reported on in the American press the same day it happened, 17 May 1915.{{sfn|Evening Public Ledger, May 17,|1915|p=1}}
Last mission
On 17 December 1915, captained by Dr. Lempertz, LZ 39 was hit by shrapnel during an attack on Rovno. All rear gas cells were punctured and the front engine car was hit and later fell off. The crew abandoned the now-overstressed control cabin, dropped ballast and shifted loads to rebalance the ship and used an emergency control station in the rear to limp back to Germany. After the forced landing the ship collapsed because the material for repair and the supply of gas needed to refill the cells were not available.{{sfn|Lehmann|Rosendahl|1937|p=CH5 }}
Specifications (LZ 39)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Zeppelin : rigid airships 1893-1940{{cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Peter W. |title=Zeppelin : rigid airships 1893-1940 |url=https://archive.org/details/zeppelinrigidair00broo_303 |url-access=limited |date=1992 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=1560982284 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/zeppelinrigidair00broo_303/page/n77 78]-80, 204}}
|prime units?= met
|crew= 16
|capacity={{cvt|11100|kg|0}} typical disposable load
|length m= 161.40
|length note=
|dia m= 16
|dia note=
- Fineness ratio: 10.09
|volume m3= 24900
|volume note= in 15 gas cells
|empty weight kg= 17800
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|fuel capacity=
|lift kg= 28900
|lift note=
|more general=
|eng1 number= 3
|eng1 name= Maybach CX engines
|eng1 type=6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines
|eng1 hp=180
|eng1 note=
|prop blade number= 2
|prop name= fixed-pitch propellers
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=
|max speed kmh= 85
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed note=
|range km= 3300
|range note= maximum
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling note=
}}
See also
Notes
{{Reflist|group="A"}}
References
{{Commons}}
{{reflist|20em}}
- {{cite book |last=Hobbs|first=David | title = The Royal Navy's Air Service in the Great War|year=2017| publisher = Casemate Publishers| isbn=9781848323506|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RxdhDwAAQBAJ&dq=LZ+39+17+may+1915&pg=PT113|access-date=17 May 2020}} - Total pages: 480
- {{cite book |last1=Lehmann|first1=Ernst August|last2=Rosendahl|first2=Charles Emery | author-link = Ernst A. Lehmann| title = Zeppelin: the story of lighter-than-air craft|url=https://archive.org/details/zeppelinstoryofl00lehm|url-access=registration|year=1937| publisher = Longmans, Green and co.|language=en }} - Total pages: 365
- {{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|Evening Public Ledger, May 17,|1915}}|date=1915|title=Zeppelin Raider in Battle With British Aeroplanes|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045211/1915-05-17/ed-1/seq-1/#|newspaper=Evening Public Ledger|publisher=Public Ledger Co. |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |issn=2151-3945|oclc=9355469|pages=1–16|access-date= May 17, 2020 }}
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{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1915}}
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Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1915
Category:Accidents and incidents involving balloons and airships