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The Zeppelin LZ 13 Hansa (or simply Hansa) was a German civilian rigid airship first flown in 1912 with a volume of 18,700 cubic metres.^[1] It was first operated by DELAG to carry passengers and post and flew the first scheduled international passenger flights (starting with the visit to Denmark and Sweden in September 1912).^[2] At the outbreak of World War I, the German military requisitioned it for use in attack flights, reconnaissance, and finally as a training airship.^[3]

Civilian flights

The closed passenger cabin was attached to the hull behind the open control cabin and had room for 24 passengers.Count Zeppelin commanded the Hansa on the first commercial airship flight from to Denmark and Sweden in 1912-09-19);^[2]

This was the first time a commercial Zeppelin flew outside Germany. Click on the blue globes to see the route taken:^[2]

• 03:55 53°33′N 9°59′E / 53.55°N 9.983°E / 53.55; 9.983 early morning launch from Hamburg, Germany;
• 07:15 54°35′N 11°31′E / 54.583°N 11.517°E / 54.583; 11.517 over the Hyllekrog spit on Lolland island;
• 07:20 54°34′N 11°56′E / 54.567°N 11.933°E / 54.567; 11.933 over Gedser;
• 08:00 54°46.5′N 11°30.5′E / 54.775°N 11.5083°E / 54.775; 11.5083 over Maribo;
• 08:25 55°0′30″N 11°54′37″E / 55.00833°N 11.91028°E / 55.00833; 11.91028 over Vordingborg;
• 08:40 55°15′N 12°08′E / 55.25°N 12.133°E / 55.25; 12.133 over Faxe;
• 09:10 55°25′N 12°09′E / 55.417°N 12.15°E / 55.417; 12.15 over Herfølge;
• 09:30 55°27′N 12°11′E / 55.45°N 12.183°E / 55.45; 12.183 over Køge;
• 10:00 55°39′N 12°18′E / 55.65°N 12.3°E / 55.65; 12.3 over Taastrup;
• 10:20 55°41′N 12°34′E / 55.683°N 12.567°E / 55.683; 12.567 landed at Copenhagen, where people wrote postcards to family in Germany;
• 11:55 55°35′N 13°2′E / 55.583°N 13.033°E / 55.583; 13.033 launched from Copenhagen and flew over Malmö;
• 13:30 54°46′N 11°53′E / 54.767°N 11.883°E / 54.767; 11.883 over Nykøbing Falster;
• 15:30 53°52′N 10°41′E / 53.867°N 10.683°E / 53.867; 10.683 over Lübeck;
• 16:40 53°33′N 9°59′E / 53.55°N 9.983°E / 53.55; 9.983 landed back in Hamburg.

During two years of commercial DELAG service it carried 6217 passengers on 399 flights,^[3][4] covering 44,437 kilometres.^[1][3]

Military use

• The military added a platform to the top of the hull and installed two machine guns.^[3]
• attack missions on France and reconnaissance missions over the Baltic Sea (involved in the taking of Liepāja)^[3]
• From early 1915 used as a training airship, making over 500 flights over Berlin.^[3]
• Dismantled in August 1916.^[3]

See also

• Timeline of hydrogen technologies

Notes

References

Further reading

• silhoeuttes of important Zeppelins from 1900 to 1919, Lueger 1904-1920, shows LZ: 1,3,5,6,8,10,13,14,18,21,23,25,26,36,40,59,62,91,94,95,100,104,113,120
• photograph of Hansa landed at Copenhagen 1912-09-19
• photograph of Count Zeppelin talking from Hansa's gondola at Copenhagen 1912-09-19
• photograph of Count Zeppelin shaking hands from Hansa at Copenhagen 1912-09-19
• photograph of Hansa leaving Copenhagen 1912-09-19