Lz 61

The airship made 10 bombing raids over Britain during 1916.

West Midland Bombing January 31st, 1916

The airship was entrusted with the bombing of the Liverpool port and the ships in it. During the raid, the airship was commanded by Lieutenant Captain Max Dietrich.

In foggy weather, the airship could not reach Liverpool, so the bombs were dropped on the territory of West Mindled , located 80 kilometers southeast of the target. During the raid, 31 Englishmen died due to the bombing. ^[2]

Soon the airship reached Tipton , the city on which part of the bomb load was dropped. As a result of the bombing, two houses were destroyed and the gas pipeline was damaged. Killed 14 people. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Then the ship carried out a bombing of the city of Bradley . During the bombing, one person died, another was seriously injured, and then died in a hospital. ^[6]

After that, Zeppelin bombarded Vidsbury during which one of the bombs was dropped at the Russells Crown Tube Works . The bombing claimed the lives of 13 people. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Then the ship bombarded the city of Walsall . Bombs hit some buildings in the city, including the Road Congregational Church . 5 people were killed. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]}

L 19 also bombarded the cities mentioned above without causing severe damage, but on the way back made an emergency landing on the water, as a result of which the entire crew of the ship drowned.

York Bombing May 2, 1916

May 2-3, 1916 7 airships (including L 21) launched a bombing of York . The bombing lasted 10 minutes, and nine people died at its entrance. ^{[17] [18]} The bombing began on the southwestern outskirts of the city: 18 bombs were dropped on a suburb from Bishoptrof to Dringhauses, as a result of which two soldiers died. Bombs hit the Red Cross hospital. A bomb blast destroyed another house, killing two people. ^{[19] [20]}

Bombs were also dropped on Karolinskaya Street, Newton Terrace, Kaim Street and Peasholme Green. The bombing raids killed several people at St Savior's Place . A few more bombs were dropped on the north-eastern part of the city. ^{[21] [22] [23]}

Raid on Bolton September 25, 1916

The crews of the seven zeppelins (among these airships were L 21) were attributed to attack Derby and Nottingham .

But the Zeppelin L 21 failed to achieve the indicated goal, he moved much north.

On the way to Bolton, the ship dropped 16 bombs on settlements and other objects. ^{[24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]}

That day 23 bombs were dropped on Bolton . ^{[34] [35] [36] [37] [38]}

L 21 in a group of ten zeppelins carried out a bombing raid on the territory of Great Britain . After crossing the coast, the zeppelin attacked Leeds , but was repelled by anti-aircraft fire.

After conducting a series of attacks on the cities of Great Britain , the L 21 made the return trip through the North Sea , but was intercepted by three Russian RNAS pilots : Lt. Edward Lallon , Lt. Egbert Cadbury and Lt. Gerard William and Reginald Fine on BE2 . The airship was fired from aircraft, caught fire and landed in the sea near Lowoft . All members of the zeppelin crew died. ^[40]