Semi-weekly herald., 1914-10-22
(By Carl H. Won wiegand)

an aerial attack or invasion OF Eng
land with the fleet of Zeppelins is
the general impression among the
officers hre, so far as / could get
any of them to express an opinion.
That same impression is in the pub
lie mind in Berlin and elsewhere.
"Where are all the Zeppelins and
what are they doing?" l asked a
member of the flying corps.
"Just wait and see," he replied.
England gave US little surprise
off Heligoland. We will give her
little surprise before long"
There appear to be but few Yep
pelins with the armies in the field.
1t is dangerous to ask questions or
seek information but indications are,
and l have been told from various
sources, that the Zeppelins are being
concentrated close to the North sea.
1t is said that the completion of
several new Zeppelins is being await
ed.
Just how many Zeppeiins Germany
has, no one outside of the govern
ment knows. Before the war, the
official record was less than Is.
There are reasons for believing that
Germany has more, in fact many
more. The Zeppelins and the AZ
centimeter mortar, are the two mys-
teries of the war so far. You can
take your choice from the stories
that are afloat about these weapons.
Among these are, that the manu-
factured parts of large number of
Zeppelins had been made at the Yep
pelin works in Friederichshafen and
stored ready to be put together when
the emergency arose. The Zeppelin
works are said to be working day
and night. Both in Berlin and here
have been told that Germany has
a fleet of Ga aerial cruisers. From
other sources | was told that as soon
as fleet of 80 Zeppelins could be
oCilL dSloSo IlG CildIllcl lIle deTldl dL-
tack on England will begin.
That the Germans will make some
daring coup with their aerial fleet
and that in the near future, there
is some reason for believing. 1t is
quite possible they are merely wait
ing for a suitable base, Antwerp,
Ostend or Calais. The stories of the
number of Zeppelins Germany now
has must be taken for what they
are worth. Aside from the undoubted
fact that Zeppelins are being turned
out as fast as possible, no one knows
Anything about the size of the fleet
except the government officials and
they won't tell
In some quarters the opinion pre-
walls that the English fleet will be
attacked by the Zeppelin fleet or
simultaneously by the German fleet
and the Zeppelins. In other words,
the big battle will be fought in the
air, on the sea, under the sea, all at
lHc same tlfne.
Although it is somewhat early to
draw conclusions, the Zeppelins have
shown in Liege and Antwerp, that
as weapon of offense they far sur
pass the aeroplanes. This also has
been stated to me by members of the
flying corps, who have declared that
the scouting and reconnoitering of
the German Cavalry Of the air." has
contributed largely to the German
successes, but that as offensive wea-
pons the Zeppelins are far superior.
The German aeroplanes carry IL
one and four pound bombs hung in
racks on the sides of the machine
The dropping Of these bombs thru
the air sets a little propeller into
motion which screws in the contact
point or "primer" SO that the bomb
will explode upon hitting any OBJ
ject. Until the primer or contact is
screwed in by the propeller the
bombs is safe Thus forced land
ing VI ohidSHn up VI the deTOpldHt
would not explode the bombs carried
The Zeppelin artillery, as explained
to me, consists of bombs or shells
from "a to 36 inches in length and
about ten inches in diameter. They
are filled with a high explosive.
Dropped on the thinly protected
deck of battleship it is said they
would go through the ship. The
American press, so far as could
judge from the first papers received
in many weeks just before l left
Berlin, has practically destroyed the
entire German fleet of Zeppelins. It
seems to have been a poor day when
not more than one Zeppelin was shot
down by the French or Belgians. II
is quite possible that we are less
informed in Germany, but there is
every reason for doubling this whole
sale destruction of the Zeppelins. Sc
far as l have watched events, there
is possibility that two may have