Condolence telegrams of the Emperor and Empress to the Imperial Navy Office:

Bonn. 1913-10-17

“Once again a terrible blow has taken my Navy. The airship “L2” has fallen victim to an explosion and nearly 30 brave men, including the most competent supporters of the new weapon, had to leave their lives. Their death in service of our country provides them with mine and the whole German nation*s honorable rememberance.

Their families is our most heartfelt condolences for sure. But the sadness about what has happened will, I am convinced of, only spur to renewed efforts to develop the so important airship weapon to a reliable fund of war. Wilhelm I.R.”

Potsdam. New Palais.

“I am deeply shocked by the anewed misfortune that our navy has suffered from the accident of the Naval Airship “L2“. The Lord help the poor bereaved. Would be grateful to you for further news. Viktoria.” 
 

Berlin 1913-10-17

The Chancellor wrote to Admiral von Tirpitz the following telegram:

“Deeply moved by the sad news of the loss of the “L2” I express Your Excellency and the Imperial Navy my heartfelt sympathy. Concurrently I beg Your Excellency to express also to the bereaved of the crew, who in service of the kingdom found an honorable soldier´s death, my condolences. (Signed)Bethmann Hollweg.”

The telegram of Graf Zeppelin:

“Who could be more deeply moved and more deeply grieve with the navy than I do.”

Berlin. 1913-10-18

Other telegrams to the State Grand Admiral v. Tirpitz:

The Empress:

“Deeply shocked by the news of the new catastrophe that has befallen the navy, I ask you to express to the bereaved of those brave men who, in faithful performance of duty, found death, my heartfelt and warmest sympathy. May God console the bereaved in their great pain. Auguste Viktoria.”

The Crown Prince:

“Spreche Euerer Exzellenz mein tiefgefühltes Beileid aus zu dem erneuten erschütternden Verlust, der unsere Marine betroffen hat.”

The Grand Duke of Oldenburg:

“Receive Your Excellency my warmest part in the serious accident that has befallen the navy. Friedrich August.”

The Senat of Bremen to the Emperor:

“Deeply shocked by the destruction of the Naval Airship “L2“, which also the brave crew fell victim, the Senate expresses respectfully Your Majestyits heartfelt sympathy to the heavy loss, that has affected Your Majesty and the Imperial Navy.” 

At the same time the Senate has also the Secretary of the Navy Office expressed his condolences by telegram. 

Frankfurt a.M., 1913-10-17

The leadership of the German Airship-A.-G. has specified, that as a sign of sympathy for the catastrophy of the Naval Airship all trips with passenger airships on saturday shall be cancelled.The people´s trips of the “Viktoria Luise”, that on the occasion of the centennial celebration should have taken place in Frankfurt and for which a very large number of applications existed, are to be moved to one of the next days. The planned celebration at the Frankfurt airport also falls out. All airship ports of the Delag in Germany put their flags at half mast.

The Delag has sent condolence telegrams to the Secretary of State Tirpitz, the Graf Zeppelin and the widow of Captain Gluud.  

The “Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung” wrote about the airship catastrophe:

“Lively sympathy for the victioms of the catastrophe who in loyal devotion to duty in the service of the empire had to lose their lives, will be awakened by the sad news everywhere. The more closely the cheerful participation of our people in the admirable achievements of the airshipment is, the more painful will be the most districts affected by such severe accidents, which the great advantages in technology have not been able yet to prevent.

In gratitude, the country commemorates the brave men who where so suddenly torn from their effectiveness.”

The Protestant garrison church at th Kaiser-Friedrich-Platz filled a large mourners. It was to prove the Officers and the Crew, killed in the Zeppelin Airship “L2“, their last respect. Yesterday the coffins were transferred in solemn procession from the military hospital to the church and have been laid out in two long rows in the sanctuary. In the middle the coffins of the officers, right and left these of the NCOs and other ranks.

War flags of the navy are stretched beneath the colorful glazed window choir, sailors and Marines are keeping the guard of honor. Among the hundreds of wreaths the coffins are completely covered. Dedication belts in all colors adorn them.

The celebration begins with the  song “Jesus my confidence”.  Then the military Senior Pastor  Goens and the Catholic Garrison  Pastor address the audience.  Vocals close the moving ceremony.

Dull roll the timpani of the Kürassier band. Silently coffin onto coffin will be lifted on the cars by the marines. The impressive cortege leaves in the gold of the October sun, under falling red leaves, to the Garrison Cemetery in Hafenheide.

The six imperial princes in the funeral procession, from left to right: Prince Oskar, Prince August Wilhelm, Prince Adalbert, the Crown Prince, Prince Eitel Friedrich, Prince Joachim. (Quelle: Rhein und Düssel)

Would the closures of the photographers not rattle, no sound would disturb the peace. Only here and there a whimper from a woman´s mouth in front of one of the seven coffins, which are embedded here in a common grave. 

The flags are cut, the heads expose themselves to prayer for the brave, who are now given back to the “earth of their country for which they died”. So the priest says in heart-reaching speech.

Then the three infantry volleys, short as three whips; muffled thunder of twelve gunshots; and now the emperors sons, all six, approach the grave and show their last respect to the dead, while the sobs die away.
 

	The german Crown Prince scatters as first flowers in the grave. He was followed by the other princes and all the generals. (Quelle: Rhein und Düssel)
	Graf Zeppelin at the open grave (Quelle: Die Woche)

In the church the imperial were left with the Crown Princess. Empress and Crown Princess step into the circle of relatives of the deceased, ach adjudging a friendly word of comfort and oppressing the hand to condolence.

Already this morning, before the church was opened to the admission tickets bearing mourners, had Prince Adalbert in order of the imperial couple laid a wreath on each coffin. Of all german princes, the units, associations, clubs of the naval personnel etc. were sent wreaths and palm branches.

On a black velvet cussions are resting the decorations and medals, which the dead had borne. The galleries of the church were filled with marines, delegations of the naval stations that participated on the orders of the Emperor at the funeral. In the front rows of the nave, the relatives were seated, for the mourners some of the benches on the right side of the nave were kept clear.

Soon the sunlit chamber is filled. The entire Admiralty and the in Berlin present Generals were represented at the funeral convention. All officers of the Greater-Berlin garrison had sent delegations. Representatives of the magistracy and the Reichstag President Kaempf were present. Among representatives of foreign states resigns at first the French naval attache a huge wreath with a long ribbon in colors of the tricolor.

Meanwhile the on the funeral parade commanded troops are taking establishment in front of the church. A sqadron of Guard cuirassiers with the regimental band ride on and the Life guards of the 1st Battery Guards Field Artillery Regiment goes on. The bells are committed with swinging bells. Through the masses, who surround in a wide arc  the cordoned-off sqare in front of the church, goes a movement. The yellow and brown imperial cars drive in. With dignified gravity the imperial couple is greeted silently. Emperor and Empress are expected in front of the church from the Crown Prince and Prince Eitel Friedrich, Adalbert, August William, Oscar and Joachim.

The emperor in admiral´s uniformat first welcomed Grand Admiral von Tirpitz and then the old Count Zeppelin, who had appeared in Uhlan uniform. Longer time he spoke with the two gentlemen. Thereafter the Emperor greeted the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince and his other sons. Their Majesties then took place on the right loge of the church.

Then farewell to the imperial family. Indefinite crowds do them again in silence reverent greeting.

It was a deeply moving fatherland ceremony. Involuntarily the gazes address spying the height, wether there would not appear an air cruiser at the top as honorary escort. We are connected precisely with the Zeppelin works already in the closest.

The heroes who have sacrified their lives for the great German cause, no rest in the earth´s lap.

On the way back one encounters a single hearse that takes a dead body to the railway station. How abruptly side by side are proud victory in the air and the shattering death plunge.

It sounds here like an old cavalry song:

“One dreams of victory wreaths, 
one also thinks of death.”

The Protestant garrison church at th Kaiser-Friedrich-Platz filled a large mourners. It was to prove the Officers and the Crew, killed in the Zeppelin Airship “L2“, their last respect. Yesterday the coffins were transferred in solemn procession from the military hospital to the church and have been laid out in two long rows in the sanctuary. In the middle the coffins of the officers, right and left these of the NCOs and other ranks.

War flags of the navy are stretched beneath the colorful glazed window choir, sailors and Marines are keeping the guard of honor. Among the hundreds of wreaths the coffins are completely covered. Dedication belts in all colors adorn them.

The celebration begins with the  song “Jesus my confidence”.  Then the military Senior Pastor  Goens and the Catholic Garrison  Pastor address the audience.  Vocals close the moving ceremony.

Dull roll the timpani of the Kürassier band. Silently coffin onto coffin will be lifted on the cars by the marines. The impressive cortege leaves in the gold of the October sun, under falling red leaves, to the Garrison Cemetery in Hafenheide.

The six imperial princes in the funeral procession, from left to right: Prince Oskar, Prince August Wilhelm, Prince Adalbert, the Crown Prince, Prince Eitel Friedrich, Prince Joachim. (Quelle: Rhein und Düssel)

Would the closures of the photographers not rattle, no sound would disturb the peace. Only here and there a whimper from a woman´s mouth in front of one of the seven coffins, which are embedded here in a common grave. 

The flags are cut, the heads expose themselves to prayer for the brave, who are now given back to the “earth of their country for which they died”. So the priest says in heart-reaching speech.

Then the three infantry volleys, short as three whips; muffled thunder of twelve gunshots; and now the emperors sons, all six, approach the grave and show their last respect to the dead, while the sobs die away.
 

	The german Crown Prince scatters as first flowers in the grave. He was followed by the other princes and all the generals. (Quelle: Rhein und Düssel)
	Graf Zeppelin at the open grave (Quelle: Die Woche)

In the church the imperial were left with the Crown Princess. Empress and Crown Princess step into the circle of relatives of the deceased, ach adjudging a friendly word of comfort and oppressing the hand to condolence.

Then farewell to the imperial family. Indefinite crowds do them again in silence reverent greeting.

It was a deeply moving fatherland ceremony. Involuntarily the gazes address spying the height, wether there would not appear an air cruiser at the top as honorary escort. We are connected precisely with the Zeppelin works already in the closest.

The heroes who have sacrified their lives for the great German cause, no rest in the earth´s lap.

On the way back one encounters a single hearse that takes a dead body to the railway station. How abruptly side by side are proud victory in the air and the shattering death plunge.

It sounds here like an old cavalry song:

“One dreams of victory wreaths, 
one also thinks of death.”

Already this morning, before the church was opened to the admission tickets bearing mourners, had Prince Adalbert in order of the imperial couple laid a wreath on each coffin. Of all german princes, the units, associations, clubs of the naval personnel etc. were sent wreaths and palm branches.

On a black velvet cussions are resting the decorations and medals, which the dead had borne. The galleries of the church were filled with marines, delegations of the naval stations that participated on the orders of the Emperor at the funeral. In the front rows of the nave, the relatives were seated, for the mourners some of the benches on the right side of the nave were kept clear.

Soon the sunlit chamber is filled. The entire Admiralty and the in Berlin present Generals were represented at the funeral convention. All officers of the Greater-Berlin garrison had sent delegations. Representatives of the magistracy and the Reichstag President Kaempf were present. Among representatives of foreign states resigns at first the French naval attache a huge wreath with a long ribbon in colors of the tricolor.

Meanwhile the on the funeral parade commanded troops are taking establishment in front of the church. A sqadron of Guard cuirassiers with the regimental band ride on and the Life guards of the 1st Battery Guards Field Artillery Regiment goes on. The bells are committed with swinging bells. Through the masses, who surround in a wide arc  the cordoned-off sqare in front of the church, goes a movement. The yellow and brown imperial cars drive in. With dignified gravity the imperial couple is greeted silently. Emperor and Empress are expected in front of the church from the Crown Prince and Prince Eitel Friedrich, Adalbert, August William, Oscar and Joachim.

The emperor in admiral´s uniformat first welcomed Grand Admiral von Tirpitz and then the old Count Zeppelin, who had appeared in Uhlan uniform. Longer time he spoke with the two gentlemen. Thereafter the Emperor greeted the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince and his other sons. Their Majesties then took place on the right loge of the church.

The rescue work turned out to be extremely difficult:

The cleanup work was startet yesterday afternoon at 5 ‘o clock by pioneers. The teams advanced with saws, axes, spades and other tools and to do extremely difficult work. The debris were partly wedged together and often had to be sawed apart with saws. The single pieces were thrown onto a big pile and will be removed this morning.

At the clean-up the completely charred corpses of Sailmaker Petty Officer Müller and Engineer Schüler from Friedrichhafen were found. The men of the Marine Detachment, despite the injuries that they acquired from the pointed and sharp wreckage, entered couregeously the tangle of metal and wires. With strong ropes they pulled apart the skeleton and tried to reach the corpses.

Apart of the military experts from the Imperial Navy and numerous officers of any type of weapon also appeared Fire Chief Reichel from the Berlin Fire Department with the Fire Inspectors Hammer and Mende and several Fire Chiefs at the accident scene. Furthermore many well-known exprts, including Professor von Parseval, Major Gross, Captain von Jena and Colonel Messing. At about 7 p.m. the clean-up works where cancelled. The accident scene was encircled by the men of the 3rd Guards regiment, who arrived at 7 p.m., the whole night through.

The brave mechanics and officers have died as they stood at their posts. In the front guide gondola the found the bodies of Captain Lieutenant Freyer, Lieutenant Commander Behnisch and the other two officers and Captain Gluud. Captain Lieutenant Freyer had clung to a wire and pulled leather jacket over his head, apparently to protect himself to the last against the flames. Gluud was completely charred on the upper body. Also the body of Lieutenant Commander presented a terrible sight. The mechanics where found mostly stretched out along the engines at their posts, which they had occupied at the moment when death overtook them.

The worst seem to have had suffered the teams at the rear gondola. Here, the explosion acted less strong and the fire destroyed the rear end only on the ground completely. Here the Marine Chief Engineers Busch and Haussmann were found.

The remains of the airship let clearly see that the balloon rushed vertically into the deep after the fire. The gondolas along with the heavy, weighing several hundredweight engines have deeply imbedded in the earth, and the short grass, that covers the field, is burned in a radius of about 10 to 15 meters.

A sharp, all-pervading smell of burnt linen, rubber and of corpses pervades the air, so that in the immediate vicinity of the pile of rubble it is hardly to endure.  

The propeller of the front engine gondola are still almost intact. Similarly the drive shafts, which have linked the bolts to the engine. The two powerful engines have deeply imbedded in the ground. They were still hot after an hour. Anything special, however, could not be determined. although they have just been the cause of the terrible disaster. 

The guide gondola, which was placed in the forefront of the “Zeppelin“, right before the first engine gondola, is completely folded and collapsed into itself. The strong aluminum walls are crushed like thin sheet of metal. The central corridor, that linked all three gondolas, can at least still be seen in its outer contours. The thin ribs, that at some spots are barely an inch thick, are lying around completely deformed and bent.

How big the explosion was can already be seen from that such ribs as well as parts of the gondolas, pieces of wood and so on were thrown around 600 meters up to the airport. Here the remains have been piled up to a height of 4 to 5 meter. They buried the gondola in which in the opinion of the experts have yet to find corpses.

The rear has suffered the least. The control cells still show some of their covering and charred linen rag hang around everywhere. The huge fuel tanks are lying around completely empty. Their content has been emptied on the gondolas and inot the interior at the time of the explosion. The massive aluminum barrels but still clearly show their form. 

Here and there lie the clothes of the men who lost their lives. Waistcoats, leather pants and jackets, often completly charred, are offered to the eyes of the terrified observer. The most terrible sight but offered the corpses. Almost all of them burned beyond recognition and difficult to be reconnoitre. Ambulance automobiles and -cars drove constantly over the place and took away the human remains. 

In the pocket of the guide, captain lieutenant Freiyer, they found a list of those persons who have participated in the accident driving.