Most of the Zeppelins launched into the air before the war came to grief, thus leaving in the service of the German Army and Navy a fleet of less than a dozen when fighting began. Since then nearly all the dirigibles, old and new, have been handed over to the German Navy, which has used them for many kinds of work, such as bombing expeditions, protection of mine layers and small torpedo boats at sea, chasing submarines, searching for mine fields, and, last and most important, reconnoitring for the High Seas Fleet. Disaster has attended the flight of an overwhelming majority of these air monsters, no fewer than thirty of which are known to have been destroyed in one way or another, as is shown by the following list: L-1--Destroyed just before the war, when it fell in the North Sea near Heligoland. L-2--Burned at Buhlsbuettel just before the war. L-3--Descended at Famoe in Denmark at beginning of the war, and was burned by its crew. L-4--Descended at Blaavands Huk, Denmark, at beginning of the war, and was burned by its crew. L-5--Brought down on the Belgian front in 1915; part of crew saved. L-6--Burned at Buhlsbuettel in its hangar in September, 1916. L-7--Brought down by British destroyers off Portland, crew being drowned, in 1915. L-8--Brought down by machine guns in Belgium, part of crew being killed, in 1915. L-9--Burned at Buhlfriettel in its hangar at same time as L-6. L-10--Struck by lightning near Cuxhaven during its initial flights, and lost with its crew. L-12--Destroyed at Ostend in 1915 when returning from a raid on England. L-15--Brought down in the Thames, England, in 1916. L-16--Destroyed on Oct. 19, 1917. L-18--Burned in a hangar at Tondern in 1916. L-19--Fell in the Baltic while returning from a raid on England. L-22--Burned accidentally while coming out of its hangar at Tondern. L-23--Fell on the English coast. L-25--Destroyed while being employed as a training balloon at Wildpark. L-31--Fell in London in 1916. L-32--Brought down in London in 1916, (Sept. 23-24.) L-33--Brought down in England, Sept. 23, 1916, and crew interned. L-35--Brought down in England. L-39--Brought down at Compiègne, France, March, 1917. L-40--Fell in the woods near Emden. L-43--Brought down in July, 1917, at Terscheling. L-44--Brought down afire at Saint-Clement, Oct. 20, 1917. L-45--Brought down and burned at Silteron, Oct. 20, 1917. L-48--Brought down in England, June, 1917. L-49--Brought down at Bourbonne-les-Bains, Oct. 20, 1917. L-50--Fell at Dommartin, Oct. 20, 1917. L-57--Broke up on its first voyage. The last named is the highest number believed to have been in the service. Missing numbers in the list given above are accounted for as follows: L-11--Put out of service in 1917 and believed to be in shed at Hage.