Zeppelin LZ 17

LZ 17 Sachsen

Sachsen over Meißen in 1913
Role	Airship Type of aircraft
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Luftschiffbau Zeppelin
First flight	3 May 1913
Primary users	DELAG (Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft - German Airship Travel Corporation") Imperial German Army Imperial German Navy

LZ 17 Sachsen was the fourth Type H improved Schwaben-class Zeppelin that first flew on 3 May 1913 and operated as a passenger airship with DELAG (Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft) until WWI, when it was commandeered for service with the Imperial German Army. After being transferred to the Imperial German Navy, LZ17 was dismantled in 1916.

History

From its introduction until the beginning of WWI, LZ 17 carried 9837 people in 419 flights,^[1] mainly on sightseeing flights in the service of DELAG, primarily between Dresdsen, Leipzig, Potsdam, Hamburg, Friedrichshafen, Baden-Oos, and Leignitz.

On 1 August 1914 LZ 17 was transferred to the Imperial German Army and equipped with bomb racks capable of carrying up to 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) of bombs as well as machine guns. Peter Strasser, leader of the Imperial German Navy airship service, received his training on board the airship in 1914 and shortly thereafter it took part in several raids against Antwerp.^[2] It quickly became clear that the airship was not suitable for warfare on the western front, and as a result was transferred to Allenstein in early 1915, continuing with smaller raids on Białystok and Ciechanów throughout the year.

Damaged during a landing, LZ17 was shortened to 148 m (486 ft), and its carrying capacity reduced to 7,400 kg (16,300 lb) and the performance of the engines was also increased to 130 kW (180 hp) during repairs. As LZ 17A, the airship was transferred to the Imperial German navy at Königsberg, where it was decommissioned 12 months later, in 1916, as one of Germany's most successful small airships.^[3]^[4]

Specifications (Military Type H Zeppelin)

Data from Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893-1940^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 20
Length: 158 m (518 ft 4 in)
Diameter: 14.6 m (47 ft 11 in)
Volume: 19,500 m³ (690,000 cu ft)
Empty weight: 17,900 kg (39,463 lb)
Useful lift: 26,100 kg (57,500 lb)
Powerplant: 3 × Maybach B-Y 6-cyl water-cooled in-line piston engines, 123 kW (165 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 76.32 km/h (47.42 mph, 41.21 kn)
Range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi) maximum

Armament

Guns: machine guns at front and rear of control cabin and in upper surface position at the rear
Bombs: 3,600 kg (7,900 lb) of bombs

Notable Captains

Several captains commanded LZ 17, they included:^[5]^[6]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LZ 17 „Sachsen“.

^ ^a ^b Brooks, Peter W. (1992). Zeppelin : rigid airships, 1893-1940. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 72–77, 198, 202–203. ISBN 1560982284.
^ "Luftschiffangriff auf Antwerpen". www.koelner-luftfahrt.de. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
^ "Zeppelin LZ 17 - Information and Facts about Sachsen Zeppelin". www.zeppelinhistory.com. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
^ "DELAG: The World's First Airline | Airships.net". Airships.net. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
^ Meyer, Peter (1996). Luftschiffe – Die Geschichte der deutschen Zeppeline. Bonn: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. ISBN 3-7637-5951-4.
^ "Löbau - Zeppelin "Sachsen", Schleife über Löbau". www.loebaufoto.de. Retrieved 12 April 2018.

Zeppelin aircraft

Lighter-than-air
(airships)

Manufacturer
hull
numbers

A Class	LZ 1
B Class	LZ 2 LZ 3
C Class	LZ 4 LZ 5
D Class	LZ 6
E Class	LZ 7 LZ 8
F Class	LZ 9 LZ 10 LZ 12
G Class	LZ 11 LZ 13
H Class	LZ 14 LZ 15 LZ 16 LZ 17 LZ 19 LZ 20
I Class	LZ 18
J Class	skipped
K Class	LZ 21
L Class	LZ 22 LZ 23
M Class	LZ 24 LZ 25 LZ 27 LZ 28 LZ 29 LZ 30 LZ 31 LZ 32 LZ 33 LZ 34 LZ 35 LZ 37
N Class	LZ 26
O Class	LZ 36 LZ 39
P Class	LZ 38 LZ 40 LZ 41 LZ 42 LZ 43 LZ 44 LZ 45 LZ 46 LZ 47 LZ 48 LZ 49 LZ 50 LZ 51 LZ 52 LZ 53 LZ 54 LZ 55 LZ 56 LZ 57 LZ 58 LZ 60 LZ 63
Q Class	LZ 59 LZ 61 LZ 64 LZ 65 LZ 66 LZ 67 LZ 68 LZ 69 LZ 71 LZ 73 LZ 77 LZ 81
R Class	LZ 62 LZ 72 LZ 74 LZ 75 LZ 76 LZ 78 LZ 79 LZ 80 LZ 82 LZ 83 LZ 84 LZ 85 LZ 86 LZ 87 LZ 88 LZ 89 LZ 90
S Class	LZ 91 LZ 92
T Class	LZ 93 LZ 94
U Class	LZ 95 LZ 96 LZ 97 LZ 98 LZ 99
V Class	LZ 100 LZ 101 LZ 103 LZ 105 LZ 106 LZ 107 LZ 108 LZ 109 LZ 110 LZ 111
W Class	LZ 102 LZ 104
X Class	LZ 112 LZ 113 LZ 114
Post-war	LZ 120 LZ 121 LZ 126 LZ 127 LZ 129 LZ 130
Unbuilt	LZ 70 LZ 115–LZ 119 LZ 122–LZ 125 LZ 128 LZ 131–LZ 132

Operator's
identification

Names	Bodensee Deutschland Deutschland II Dixmude Esperia Graf Zeppelin Graf Zeppelin II Hindenburg Hansa USS Los Angeles Méditerranée Nordstern Sachsen Schwaben Viktoria Luise
Army Z designations¹	Z I Ersatz Z I Ersatz Z I (2) Z II Ersatz Z II Z III Z IV Z V Z VI Z VII Z VIII Z IX Z X Z XI Z XII
Army LZ designations²	LZ 34 LZ 35 LZ 37 LZ 38 LZ 39 LZ 72 LZ 74 LZ 77 LZ 79 LZ 81 LZ 85 LZ 86 LZ 87 LZ 88 LZ 90 LZ 93 LZ 95 LZ 97 LZ 98 LZ 101 LZ 103 LZ 107 LZ 111 LZ 113 LZ 120
Navy L designations	L 1 L 2 L 3 L 4 L 5 L 6 L 7 L 8 L 9 L 10 L 11 L 12 L 13 L 14 L 15 L 16 L 17 L 18 L 19 L 20 L 21 L 22 L 23 L 24 L 30 L 31 L 32 L 33 L 34 L 35 L 36 L 37 L 38 L 39 L 40 L 41 L 42 L 43 L 44 L 45 L 46 L 47 L 48 L 49 L 50 L 51 L 52 L 53 L 54 L 55 L 56 L 57 L 58 L 59 L 60 L 61 L 62 L 63 L 64 L 65 L 70 L 71 L 72

Heavier-than-air
(aeroplanes)

Zeppelin-Staaken	L 8301 VGO.I VGO.II VGO.III R.IV R.V R.VI R.VII R.XIV R.XV R.XVI E.4/20
Zeppelin-Lindau	CL.I CL.II CS.I D.I Rs.I Rs.II Rs.III Rs.IV V1
Zeppelin Flugzeugebau	C.I C.II C.IV
Other	L 1 Rammer Fliegende Panzerfaust ZMe 323 ZMe 423 ZSO 523