2 c ▁aircraft ▁( the ▁inf am ous ▁" F ok ker ▁F od der ") ▁were ▁modified ▁into ▁the ▁first ▁night ▁f igh ters . ▁After ▁lack ▁of ▁success ▁while ▁using ▁d arts ▁and ▁small ▁inc endi ary ▁bomb s ▁to ▁attack ▁Ze ppel ins ▁from ▁above , ▁ultimately ▁a ▁Lewis ▁gun ▁loaded ▁with ▁novel ▁inc endi ary ▁am mun ition , ▁was ▁mounted ▁at ▁an ▁angle ▁of ▁ 4 5 ° ▁to ▁fire ▁up wards , ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁enemy ▁from ▁below . ▁This ▁technique ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁very ▁effective . ▁ ▁After ▁over ▁a ▁year ▁of ▁night ▁Ze ppel in ▁ra ids , ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 2 – 3 ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁a ▁BE 2 c ▁flow n ▁by ▁Captain ▁William ▁Le efe ▁Robinson ▁down ed ▁the ▁SL ▁ 1 1 , ▁the ▁first ▁German ▁air ship ▁to ▁be ▁shot ▁down ▁over ▁Britain . ▁This ▁action ▁won ▁the ▁pilot ▁a ▁Victoria ▁Cross ▁and ▁c ash ▁pri zes ▁total ing ▁£ 3 , 5 0 0 ▁put ▁up ▁by ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁individuals . ▁This ▁down ing ▁was ▁not ▁an ▁isolated ▁victory ; ▁five ▁more ▁German ▁air ships ▁were ▁similarly ▁destroyed ▁between ▁October ▁and ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁and ▁caused ▁the ▁air ship ▁campaign ▁to ▁gradually ▁be ▁dimin ished ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁with ▁fewer ▁ra ids ▁mounted . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁air ships ' ▁limitations , ▁the ▁Luft stre it k rä fte ▁began ▁to ▁introduce ▁long - range ▁heavy ▁bom