aeroplanes and dirigibles of war- 第9部分

the　aerial　forces。



The　German　nation　forged　ahead　at　a　great　pace　and　was　able　to

establish　a　distinct　supremacy；　at　least　on　paper。　　In　the　light

of　recent　events　it　is　apparent　that　the　German　military

authorities　realised　that　the　dawn　of　〃The　Day〃　was　approaching

rapidly；　and　that　it　behoved　them　to　be　as　fully　prepared　in　the

air　as　upon　the　land。　　It　was　immaterial　that　the　Zeppelin　was

the　synonym　for　disaster。　　By　standardisation　its　cost　could　be

reduced　while　construction　could　be　expedited。　　Furthermore；　when

the　matter　was　regarded　in　its　broadest　aspect；　the　fact　was

appreciated　that　forty　Zeppelins　could　be　built　at　the　cost　of

one　super…Dreadnought；　so　that　adequate　allowance　could　be　made

for　accidents　now　and　then；　since　a　Zeppelin　catastrophe；　no

matter　how　complete　it　may　be；　is　regarded　by　the　Teuton　as　a

mere　incident　inseparable　from　progressive　development。



At　the　beginning　of　the　year　1914　France　relied　upon　being

strengthened　by　a　round　dozen　new　dirigibles。　　Seven　of　these

were　to　be　of　20；000　cubic　metres'　capacity　and　possessed　of　a

speed　of　47　miles　per　hour。　　While　the　existing　fleet　was

numerically　strong；　this　strength　was　more　apparent　than　real；

for　the　simple　reason　that　a　large　number　of　craft　were　in

dry…dock　undergoing　repair　or　overhaul　while　many　of　the　units

were　merely　under　test　and　could　not　be　regarded　therefore　as　in

the　effective　fleet。　　True；　there　were　a　certain　number　of

private　craft　which　were　liable　to　be　commandeered　when　the

occasion　arose；　but　they　could　not　be　considered　as　decided

acquisitions　for　the　simple　reason　that　many　were　purely

experimental　units。



Aerial　vessels；　like　their　consorts　upon　the　water；　have　been

divided　into　distinctive　classes。　　Thus　there　are　the　aerial

cruisers　comprising　vessels　exceeding　282；000　cubic　feet　in

capacity；　scouts　which　include　those　varying　between　176；600　and

282；000　cubic　feet　capacity；　and　vedettes；　which　take　in　all　the

small　or　mosquito　craft。　　At　the　end　of　1913；　France　possessed

only　four　of　the　first…named　craft　in　actual　commission　and　thus

immediately　available　for　war；　these　being　the　Adjutant　Vincenot；

Adjutant　Reau；　Dupuy　de　Lome；　and　the　Transaerien。　　The　first

three　are　of　197；800　cubic　feet。　　All；　however；　were　privately

owned。



On　the　other　hand；　Germany　had　no　fewer　than　ten　huge　vessels；

ranging　from　353；000　to　776；900　cubic　feet　capacity；　three　of

which；　the　Victoria　Luise；　Suchard；　and　Hansa；　though　owned

privately；　were　immediately　available　for　war。　　Of　these　the

largest　was　the　Zeppelin　naval　vessel　〃L…1〃　525　feet　in　length；

by　50　feet　diameter；　of　776；900　cubic　feet　capacity；　equipped

with　engines　developing　510　horse…power；　and　with　a　speed　of　51。8

miles　per　hour。



At　the　end　of　1913　the　effective　aerial　fleet　of　Germany

comprised　twenty　large　craft；　so　far　in　advance　of　the　French

aerial　cruisers　as　to　be　worthy　of　the　name　bestowed　upon　them

〃Aerial　Dreadnoughts。〃　　This　merely　represented　the　fleet

available　for　immediate　use　and　did　not　include　the　four　gigantic

Suchard…Schutte　craft；　each　of　847；500　cubic　feet；　which　were

under　construction；　and　which　were　being　hurried　forward　to　come

into　commission　early　in　1914。



But　the　most　interesting　factor；　apart　from　the　possession　of

such　a　huge　fleet　of　dirigible　air…craft；　was　their　distribution

at　strategical　points　throughout　the　Empire　as　if　in　readiness

for　the　coming　combat。　　They　were　literally　dotted　about　the

country。　　Adequate　harbouring　facilities　had　been　provided　at

Konigsberg；　Berlin；　Posen；　Breslau；　Kiel；　Hamburg；　Wilhelmshaven；

Dusseldorf；　Cologne；　Frankfort；　Metz；　Mannheim；　Strasburg；　and

other　places；　with　elaborate　headquarters；　of　course；　at

Friedrichshafen　upon　Lake　Constance。　　The　Zeppelin　workshops；

harbouring　facilities；　and　testing　grounds　at　the　latter　point

had　undergone　complete　remodelling；　while　tools　of　the　latest

type　had　been　provided　to　facilitate　the　rapid　construction　and

overhaul　of　the　monster　Zeppelin　dirigibles。　　Nothing　had　been

left　to　chance；　not　an　item　was　perfunctorily　completed。　　The

whole　organisation　was　perfect；　both　in　equipment　and

operation。　　Each　of　the　above　stations　possessed　provision　for　　　

an　aerial　Dreadnought　as　well　as　one　or　more　aerial　cruisers；

in　addition　to　scouts　or　vedettes。



Upon　the　outbreak　of　hostilities　Germany's　dirigible　fleet　was　in

a　condition　of　complete　preparedness；　was　better　organised；　and

better　equipped　than　that　of　any　of　her　rivals。　　At　the　same　time

it　constituted　more　of　a　paper　than　a　fighting　array　for　reasons

which　I　will　explain　later。　　But　there　was　another　point　which

had　escaped　general　observation。　　Standardisation　of　parts　and

the　installation　of　the　desired　machinery　had　accomplished　one

greatly　desired　endthe　construction　of　new　craft　had　been

accelerated。　　Before　the　war　an　interesting　experiment　was

carried　out　to　determine　how　speedily　a　vessel　could　be　built。　

The　result　proved　that　a　dirigible　of　the　most　powerful　type

could　be　completed　within　eight　weeks　and　forthwith　the　various

constructional　establishments　were　brought　into　line　so　as　to

maintain　this　rate　of　building。



The　growth　of　the　Zeppelin；　although　built　upon　disaster；　has

been　amazing。　　The　craft　of　1906　had　a　capacity　of　430；000　cubic

feet　and　a　speed　of　36　miles　per　hour。　　In　1911　the　creator　of

this　type　launched　a　huge　craft　having　a　capacity　of　627；000

cubic　feet。　　In　the　meantime　speed　had　likewise　been　augmented　by

the　use　of　more　powerful　motors　until　52　miles　an　hour　was

attained。　　But　this　by　no　means　represented　the　limit。　　The

foregoing　vessels　had　been　designed　for　land　service　purely　and

simply；　but　now　the　German　authorities　demanded　similar　craft　for

naval　use；　possessed　of　high　speed　and　greater　radius　of　action。　

Count　Zeppelin　rose　to　the　occasion；　and　on　October　7th；　1912；

launched　at　Friedrichshafen　the　monster　craft　〃L…I；〃　525　feet　in

length；　50　feet　in　diameter；　of　776；900　cubic　feet　capacity；　a

displacement　of　22　tons　and　equipped　with　three　sets　of　motors

aggregating　more　than　500　horse…power；　and　capable　of　imparting　a

speed　of　52　miles　per　hour。



The　appearance　of　this　craft　was　hailed　with　intense　delight　by

the　German　nation；　while　the　naval　department　considered　her　to

be　a　wonderful　acquisition；　especially　after　the　searching

reliability　trial。　　In　charge　of　Count　Zeppelin　and　manned　by　a

crew　of　22　officers　and　men　together　with　nearly　three　tons　of

fuelthe　fuel　capacity　conveys　some　idea　of　her　possible　radius

of　actionshe　travelled　from　Friedrichshafen　to　Johannisthal　in

32　hours。　　On　this　remarkable　journey　another　point　was

established　which　was　of　far…reaching　significance。　　The　vessel

was　equipped　with　wireless　telegraphy　and　therewith　she　kept　in

touch　with　the　earth　below　throughout　the　journey；　dropping　and

picking　up　wireless　stations　as　she　progressed　with　complete

facility。　　This　was　a　distinct　achievement；　inasmuch　as　the　vessel

having　been　constructed　especially　for　naval　operations　she　would

be　able　to　keep　in　touch　with　the　warships　below；　guiding　them

unerringly　during　their　movement。



The　cross…country　trip　having　proved　so　completely　successful　the

authorities　were　induced　to　believe　that　travelling　over　water

would　be　equally　satisfactory。　　Accordingly　the　〃L…I〃　was

dispatched　to　the　island　of　Heligoland；　the　intention　being　to

participate　in　naval　manoeuvres　in　order　to　provide　some　reliable

data　as　to　the　value　of　these　craft　operating　in　conjunction　with

warships。　　But　in　these　tests　German　ambition　and　pride　received

a　check。　　The　huge　Zeppelin　was　manoeuvring　over　the　North　Sea

within　easy　reach　of　Heligoland；　when　she　was　caught　by　one　of

those　sudden　storms　peculiar　to　that　stretch　of　salt　water。　　In　a

moment　she　was　stricken　helpless；　her　motive　power　was

overwhelmed　by　the　blind　forces　of　Nature。　　The　wind　caught　her

as　it　would　a　soap…bubble　and　hurled　her　into　the　sea；

precipitating　the　most　disastrous　calamity　in　the　annals　of

aeronautics；　since　not　only　was　the　ship　lost；　but　fifteen　of　her

crew　of　22　officers　and　men　were　drowned。



The　catastrophe　created　consternation　in　German　aeronautical

circles。　　A　searching　inquiry　was　held　to　explain　the　disaster；

but　as　usual　it　failed　to　yield　much　material　information。　　It　is

a　curious　circumstance；　but　every　successive　Zeppelin　disaster；

and　their　number　is　legion；　has　been　attributable　to　a　new　cause。　

In　this　instance　the　accident　was　additionally　disturbing；

inasmuch　as　the　ship　had　been　flying　across　country　continuously

for　about　twelve　months　and　had　covered　more　miles　than　any

preceding　craft　of　her　type。　　No　scientific　explanation　for　the

disaster　was　forthcoming；　but　the　commander　of　the　vessel；　who

sank　with　his　ship；　had　previously　ventured　his　personal　opinion

that　the　vessel　was　over…loaded　to　meet　the　calls　of　ambition；

was　by　no　means　seaworthy；　and　that　sooner　or　later　she　would　be

caught　by　a　heavy　broadside　wind　and　rendered　helpless；　or　that

she　would　make　a　headlong　dive　to　destruction。　　It　is　a

significant　fact　that　he　never　had　any　faith　in　the　airship；　at

least　for　sea　duty；　though　in　response　to　official　command　he

carried　out　his　duties　faithfully　and　with　a　blind　resignation　to

Fate。



Meantime；　owing　to　the　success　of　the　〃L…I〃　in　cross…country

operations；　another　and　more　powerful　craft；　the　〃L…II〃　had　been

taken　in　hand；　and　this　was　constructed　also　for　naval　use。　

While　shorter　than　her　consort；　being　only　487　feet　over　all；

thisvessel　had　a　greater　beam55　feet。　　This　latter　increase　was

decided　because　it　was　conceded　to　be　an　easier　matter　to　provide

for　greater　beam　than　enhanced　length　in　the　existing　air…ship

harbours。　　The　〃L…II〃　displaced　27　tonsfive　tons　in　excess　of

her　predecessor。　　In　this　vessel　many　innovations　were

introduced；　such　a