Burn or jump - what will you do?In that era before standard parachutes, every flier must have pondered this dilemma whenever called to combat. Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Mathy of the
Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) was forced to choose at 15,000 ft. over England on the first midnight of October 1916. Mathy, veteran of more dirigible missions than any other airman, has been described as the 'most daring and audacious of all the Zeppelin raiders'. Yet over time even he became understandably apprehensive. "It is only a question of time before we join the rest", he once wrote. "Everyone admits that they feel it. Our nerves are ruined by mistreatment. If anyone should say that he was not haunted by visions of burning airships, then he would be a braggart."
Mathy was commanding R-Class 'Super Zeppelin' LZ 72 (navy designation L 31) following a London incursion when he was spotted by Major Wulstan Joseph Tempest of the Royal Flying Corps. Tempest was patrolling in his BE.2c as searchlights revealed Mathy's position fifteen miles away. Tempest immediately pursued. More on their fateful meeting (via wikipedia):
"
As he [Tempest] approached his fuel tank pressure pump failed, and he was forced to use the hand pump to keep his engine operating. He eventually closed with the airship, running the gauntlet of [British] anti-aircraft fire. Approaching from the bows he fired a burst into her, then dived underneath firing another burst, seeing his incendiary bullets ripping through the airship's fabric skin, before turning to make another pass from the tail. He momentarily saw a red glow illuminate the Zeppelin from within "like an enormous Chinese lantern" before flames erupted from the bows. Tempest spun away to avoid being hit by flames and debris as the airship plunged to the ground, crashing at Potters Bar. Exhausted by his exertions and the bitter cold Tempest crashed his aircraft on landing, cracking his skull against the butt of his machine gun. The next day he travelled to Potters Bar to survey the wreck of L.31, but the area was cordoned off by the Army, and he was obliged to pay a shilling to see the wreckage from an adjoining farm."
Their encounter was reportedly witnessed by tens of thousands of Englanders. As for Mathy's ultimate decision (via gwpd.org): "
...his last act had been to leap clear of the falling inferno rather than wait for the crash. His body was found some way from the wreckage of the ship, half-embedded in the corner of a field". For further narrative, read this thrilling account (and inspiration for today's tagline) by Tom Morgan at hellfirecorner:
http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/pottersbar/pottersbar.htmToday's news records the King of England's honoring of Tempest's achievement; plus a front page featuring the wreckage of R-class Zeppelin LZ 76, which was downed over Essex a few days earlier (respectively from the Evening Star and the Pensacola Journal, 14 & 16 October 1916):
Bonus (above): an unknown artist's depiction of the moment of Mathy's dilemma while Tempest, simultaneously facing the same predicament, desperately evades the collapsing carnage.
Extra bonus: original film footage of both Zeppelin wrecks can be seen here:
https://youtu.be/QjpfHOf2Fu0.