LZ85

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The LZ85 - built at Potsdam, Germany - made it's first test flight on the 12.9.1915. For this flight the Zeppelin went under it's builder number LZ55, later to be changed to LZ85 under the Army registration system. The LZ85 was commanded by Captain Scherzer - a young keen officer who had previously been assigned to the Sachsen Zeppelin against Russia.

After being transferred to the Allenstein base, it took part in it's first raid against Dunaburg on the 12.10.1915 with 3522kg of bombs. On the 14.10.1915 it raided Minsk with 1766kg of bombs. The 22.10.1915 saw LZ85 over Riga with 1766kg of bombs.

The LZ85 was transferred to the newly built airship complex at Temesvar in southern Hungary on the 27.1.1916. The base was built to provide air support for the German army's offensive against Serbia in 1915. The base was equipped with a radio station, hydrogen generating plant and all aspects of repair and maintenance facilities. By November of 1915 the base was complete. The first Zeppelin to use the base and indeed the first to attempt a raid on Salonika was the LZ81. The Serbs were being resupplied and re-enforced via the port of Salonika. The LZ81 under Captain Jacobi was to disrupt the activities at Salonika and generally hinder the Serbs. The LZ81 made several attempts to bomb Salonika, but was let down by her poor engines that were constantly breaking down, forcing the airship to return to base each time. The LZ85 had been sent to Temesvar to replace the unreliable LZ81. The LZ85 had more reliable engines if a little bit outdated and less powerful then that of the LZ81.

On the 31.1.1916, Scherzer started his first bombing run on Salonika. With 2 tons of bombs loaded he navigated the baron mountainous terrain towards Salonika. The Mountains caused tremendous turbulence that must have been extremely frightening in such a flimsy craft. Whilst over the port of Salonika, he placed his bombs well causing significant damage to property including a warehouse belonging to the Bank of Salonika - which caught fire. Scherzer returned within 18 hours without a scratch.

Scherzer had realised before completing his second raid on the 17.3.1916, that he could refuel at Sofia in Bulgaria on the return leg, and so he would only need sufficient fuel to reach Salonika and to get back to Sofia. But on this raid he would be severely hampered by the weather. The dense clouds forced the LZ85 to fly low, and this allowed the AA guns to splatter the Zeppelin with Shrapnel. The LZ85 lost hydrogen and although Scherzer got the airship back to Sofia, he could not get enough hydrogen there to complete his journey back to Temesvar. He removed 2 engines allowing him and a few members of the crew to reach sufficient bouyancy to make the journey back. The crew remaining in Sofia and the engines arrived at Temesvar soon after by train.

Despite several valiant efforts to bomb Salonika again, Scherzer was forced to return on each occasion due to bad weather. Finally the weather cleared and Scherzer made his third and final raid on Salonika. On May 5th 1916, the LZ85 was brought down by enemy fire. Scherzer had come under intense AA fire over Salonika harbour, from the now wary Allies. The first hit came from a 12 pounder gun from the forward bridge of HMS Agamemnon and a similar score was made by the torpedo boat TB18. For all his efforts he could not get the Zeppelin back to the German lines. The LZ85 floundered in the swampy marshes at the mouth of the Vardar river. All 12 hands survived and not wishing for the information of the construction of the Zeppelin to fall into enemy hands, they promptly set light to the deflated LZ85. Despite trying to hide and escape as best they could, they were soon picked up by French cavalry.

The ensign at the stern of the Zeppelin was rescued from the wreck at the crash site. This flag would later end up at the War Museum in Paris. The wreck soon attracted many souvenir collectors, despite the hazardous journey through the shallow waters leading to the site. A Canadian Medical officer drowned whilst trying to reach the Zeppelin on horse back.

One curious artifact obtained from the wreck, was that of a charred hand. The gossip at the time, told of two men of the Zeppelin crew that had perished in the crash and subsequent inferno. The hand was found by a midshipman who cherished it by keeping it preserved in spirits. After being persuaded to allow a finger to be removed for a friend, he allowed a ship's surgeon to slice off a burnt finger. After the knife had cut through with little effort, it was found that the hand was nothing more than an incinerated glove filled with mud!

The charred skeleton of the Zeppelin was transported from the marshes to Salonika via barges. The jigsaw of parts were reconstructed beside the famous White Tower at the harbour, so that the Allies could analyse the framework. The framework quickly became a tourist attraction and a trophy for the Allies. The structure was later taken apart, and the remains were shipped to Barrow-in Furness in the UK by the observation balloon ship HMS Canning. A propeller from the Zeppelin was presented to the HMS Agamemnon, in recognition of their efforts in destroying the airship. This Propeller had pride of place - hung in the Captain's quarters.

The crew of the LZ85 were first taken to a French POW camp at Salonika. They were then handed over to the British who interrogated the crew from the 15.12.1916 until 20.12.1916. It is not clear where the crew ended up, but it was possibly a French POW camp.

Known crew members