L.15 headed away from the guns then, between Brentwood and Ingatestone, she survived a dramatic encounter with 2nd Lieutenant Alfred de Bathe Brandon of No.19 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron. Losing height now through loss of hydrogen, in a desperate attempt to keep L.15 airborne Breithaupt ordered all unessential equipment overboard but at 11.00pm, with her structure severely weakened and flying at just 2,000ft, her back broke and she fell into the sea about 15 miles north of Margate. One of the crew drowned but the rest were rescued and taken back to England as prisoners of war.
