Rui’s Renditions
Defensive machine gun position on P-class Zeppelin ‘LZ 77’ (LZ 47), 1915-16
LZ 77 took part in 6 air raids against targets in the UK and France until its destruction by enemy ground fire on February 21st, 1916 during the Battle of Verdun.
Quoting the caption from an article on the February 26, 1916 edition of the British newspaper ‘Daily Sketch’:
“…destroyed near Verdun* by a well-aimed shot from a French gun mounted on a motor-car**. The airship came down a blazing mass, and everyone of its crew burnt to death. (…) Adjutant Gramling (…) directed the fire, and Private Pennetier, laid and fired the shot that brought down the first Zeppelin to attempt to engage in actual warfare.”
*crashed near Revigny
**The gun in question is said to have been a 75 mm motorised anti-aircraft gun.
Original: Zeppelin Museum
Sources:
Charles Stephenson; “Zeppelins: German Airships 1900-40”; New Vanguard 101
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