Date:	Tuesday 28 November 1916
Time:	night
Type:	Zeppelin LZ.61
Owner/operator:	Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy)
Registration:	L.21
MSN:	LZ61
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	North Sea, 8 miles East of Lowestoft, Suffolk -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Nordholz, Lower Saxony, Germany
Destination airport:	Nordholz, Lower Saxony, Germany
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
LZ-61 participated in 17 reconnaissance missions and ten attacks on England, dropping 14,442 kg of bombs. On the night of November 27-28, 1916, the LZ 61 began its last raid on England in the company of nine other Zeppelins. Crossing the coast north of Atwick, the LZ 61 initially attacked Leeds, but was repelled by anti-aircraft fire.

After bombing Shafton, Dodworth, Kidsgrove, Goldenhill, Tunstall, Chesterton, Fenton and Trentham, it made out into the North Sea near Great Yarmouth. It was intercepted and destroyed by Flight–Lieutenant Egbert Cadbury, flying B.E. 2C, No. 8265, Flight Sub–Lieutenant Gerard William Reginald Fane, flying RAF B.E. 2C No. 8421 and Flight Sub–Lieutenant Edward Laston Pulling, flying B.E. 2C, No. 8626, firing phosphor rounds. L21 fell into the sea about eight miles east of Lowestoft, Suffolk. There were no survivors among the 17 crew:

Kurt Frankenburg (29), Oberleutnant zur See
Alfred Brieger (27), Obermaschinenmaat
Albert Carlsen (28), Obersignaalmaat
Otto Grass (28), Oberbootsmannsmaat
Hans Hintzer (30), Obermaschinenmaat
Christian Jensen (33), Steuermann
Theofil Kaczikowski (26), Obermatrose
Wilhelm Kiel (31), Obermaschinenmaat
Walter Klann (36), Maschinenmaat
Wilhelm Metzger (23), Obermatrose
Paul Petznick (27), Funkentelegraphiemaat
Otto Prinke (28), Signaalmaat
Anton Reischel (34), Maschinenmaat
Hans-Werner Salzbrunn (23), Leutnant zur See
Theodor Schmidt (29), Obermaschinenmaat
Alfred Schwarz (25), Maschinenmaat
Wilhelm Wittkugel (26), Bootsmannsmaat

For unknown reasons, possibly propaganda related, when the SL 11 became the first German airship to be shot down over England, on September 3, 1916, it was described officially and in the press as the Zeppelin L 21 (the LZ 61's tactical number). This misidentification persisted for decades, even though it is clear that the authorities were always aware of its correct identity.

It has been suggested by that the reason for this confusion was a calculation by the authorities that the downing of a hated and feared Zeppelin 'baby killer', would play better with the public than the destruction of an almost unknown Schütte-Lanz type.

Accordingly, the 1918 film The Last Raid of Zeppelin L-21 told the story of the SL 11's destruction and not that of the LZ 61

1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm
2. German Air Raids On Great Britain 1914-1918 / Joseph Morris
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_61_(L_21)#Destruction_of_LZ_61
4. Holdstock, David; Holdstock, Amelia (2000). "Chapter 5 – Edward Laston Pulling: Fengates Hero". In Lewis, Andrew; Lewis, Sarah. A Celebration of Fengate Road. Redhill: FRIEND (Fengate Road Inclusive Entertainment & Neighbourly Development)
5. http://www.fengatesroad.com/chap05.htm
6. http://web.archive.org/web/20170830053141/http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/air/view.php?pid=1090
7. http://aircrashsites.co.uk/history/zeppelin-airship-l21-over-lancashire-2/
8. https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-last-raid-of-zeppelin-l-21-v236688

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Jan-2008 05:00	ASN archive	Added
27-Jan-2008 10:39	JINX	Updated
25-Oct-2011 13:05	harro	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
13-Feb-2017 22:12	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
03-Jan-2019 01:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
03-Jan-2019 02:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]