PL25 (
Parseval-Luftschiff 25) was a non-rigid military airship made in 1914/15 by the
Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft
Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft, also referred to as LFG, was a German aircraft manufacturer during World War I. They are best known for their various "Roland" designs, notably the Roland C.II ''Walfisch'' (whale), Roland D.II ''haifisch'' (Shark) and ...
in
Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld () is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it has been part of the town of Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approximately 25 km south of Dessau, and 30 km northeast of Hall ...
and was the last single-gondola Parseval. It was one of the largest non-rigid airships before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Its
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...
was on 25 February 1915. It had a slim teardrop-shaped hull.
Operational history
PL25 served in the Navy, starting with 10 test flights. After 41 reconnaissance missions over the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
, the ship undertook 34 flights as a
training ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...
based from
Tønder
Tønder (; ) is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark. With a population of 7,477 (as of 1 January 2025), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the Tønder Municipality.
History
The first mention of Tønder might have been in th ...
.
As defence against enemy aircraft, a machine gun stand was fitted to the hull's top.
The ship was stationed from 25 March 1915 to 3 November 1915 at Tønder and from 4 November 1915 to 29 March 1916 in
Fuhlsbüttel
is an urban quarter in the north of Hamburg, Germany in the Hamburg-Nord district. It is known as the site of Hamburg's international airport, and as the location of a prison which served as a concentration camp in the Nazi system of repression. ...
. Hauptmann Stelling and Hauptmann Manger were its commanders.
PL25 was put out of service on 30 March 1916
[ Zeppelin Museum, other sources give 1917] and dismantled in the Siemens-Hangar at Berlin-Biesdorf (in
Marzahn-Hellersdorf
Marzahn-Hellersdorf () is the tenth Boroughs of Berlin, borough of Berlin, formed in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform, 2001 by merging the former boroughs of Marzahn and Hellersdorf.
The borough was formerly part of East Berlin. Geography
It ...
, Berlin). PL 25 made 95 flights.
Specifications
See also
Notes
{{Reflist
References
*
:de:Parseval PL25, German Wikipedia entry
1910s German patrol aircraft
Airships of Germany
Airships of the Imperial German Navy
Aircraft first flown in 1915
Military airships of World War I