Zeppelin LZ 21
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zeppelin LZ 21 was the 21st airship built by Count Zeppelin and the ninth Zeppelin used by the Imperial German Army. It carried the military designation Z VI.
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History
LZ 21 made its first flight on 10 November 1913. It was assigned the military designation Z VI.[1]
At the outbreak of World War I in early August 1914, Z VI was stationed in Cologne at the airship base that later became Cologne Butzweilerhof Airport.[citation needed] During the Battle of Liège, Z VI conducted a nighttime bombing raid on the forts surrounding the city on 6 August. This operation is believed to have been the first aerial bombing attack of World War I.[2][3]
On 5 August 1914 at 10:00 p.m., the Zeppelin took off from Cologne carrying 200 kg of explosives. The bombing occurred at 3:00 a.m. on 6 August, killing nine civilians. Hit by several shrapnel fragments from anti-aircraft fire, the airship suffered severe gas loss and was forced to make an emergency landing in a forest near Bonn. Due to the extent of the damage, Z VI was dismantled on site.[4]