LZ 12 Sachsen
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LZ 12, also known as Z III in military service, was a German Zeppelin built in 1912. It was destroyed on the airfield at Metz-Frescaty on Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". in one of the first aerial bombings of World War I.
Historical background
Zeppelins were used as bombers during World War I, although their effectiveness proved limited. At the beginning of the war, the German high command had high hopes for these airships, which were seen as superior to contemporary airplanes. While slightly slower, zeppelins could carry more armament, had greater bomb load capacity, and boasted superior range and endurance.
As of Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., the German Empire possessed the most advanced fleet of rigid airships, including twelve military airships—nine of which were giant rigid zeppelins—primarily used by the Luftstreitkräfte. Additionally, around a dozen civilian zeppelins were in the process of being militarized. However, these theoretical technological and strategic advantages did not translate into practical success.[1]
Technical specifications
The LZ 12 was a rigid airship of German design, built under the supervision of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1912. Its military designation in the Imperial German Army was Z III, and it should not be confused with LZ 3, whose operational name was Z I and which entered service in 1906.
The LZ 12 measured Script error: No such module "convert". in length, Script error: No such module "convert". in width, with a gas volume of Script error: No such module "convert"..[2]
Operational history
The LZ 12 made its first flight on Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".. It was decommissioned on Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and subsequently destroyed at Metz-Frescaty Air Base during one of the first aerial bombardments of World War I.[3]
In August 1914, French aviators flying out of Nancy and Verdun began bombing raids against the Metz-Frescaty airfield. On Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., hangars housing the zeppelins Ersatz Z II and Z III were bombed. The resulting fire destroyed both airships, which had just been decommissioned due to obsolescence.[4][3]
References
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Sources
- Robinson, Douglas H., Giants in the Sky, Henley-on-Thames: Foulis, 1973.
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