The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-10

Commission In Air Service of Germany
10 Considered More Honorable Than
Even Crack Regiment-SeIdom Fail
TO Pass Hard Test Because of inter
est Taken.
Geneva, Switzerland - When the
English took Zeppelin crew recently
the two officers included among the
prisoners were referred to In London
dispatches as Germans tof quite a su-
perior type"
They ought to have been If social and
educational superiority" was meant
The kaiser has chosen his Zeppelin
commanders as far as possible from
the eldest sons of the noblest families
In Germany.
That the pair on the airshfp which
fell In the Thames estuary were Of this
class is not necessarily indicated by
the names they gaye-Ca Captain ieuten-
ant Breithaupt and Ober- Lieutenant
Kuhne. It Is surmlsed here. however.
that they did not give their real names
Selections are usually made of men
between the ages of eighteen and TWEEN
ty-one, and from the fact that Brett
haupt Is described as thirty three
years old it is guessed that he has
been I'm the German aerial service for
long time, his earlier experience prob
ably antedating the war and reaching
back to the time when the Zeppelin
was In only its experimental stage
This is thought to accord with the
story that he was decorated with the
lie merite, implying that he has had a
brilliant career and much experience
as an airship commander.
Kuhne, his subordinate, is supposed
to be younger and less thoroughly
tried man.
A commission in the air service is
considered In Germany more honorable
than even one in the crack regiments.
Training for the service begins on
one of the huge RATS, each surmount-
ed by Zeppelin shed, on the German
| side of Lake Constance.
The course begins with a detailed
mechanical course. Meteorological and
navigation studies follow.
After three or four months of this
| party of five candidates is allowed to
make fight under an experienced
| pilot, who explains the use of rudder
| propellers, elevators and the best meth.
DDS of rising and descending.
Several such trips take place, and
| then the most promising cadet is given
command for trial voyage under
strict orders not to venture out of sight
Of his home shed.
Little by little these trips are ex-
tended to Berlin, Leipzig. Brussels and
finally Helgoland.
| By this time the student is supposed
/ to have gained full knowledge oil
handling Zeppelin. working its en-
gines and OF the principles Of aerostat
les, wireless telegraphy, gunnery and
the theory of fight.
In the meantime instruction in bomt
dropping has not been forgotten.
The young pilot is trained always t.
have the wind astern, with his air
ships bow pointing at his target.
Formulas have been worked out mi
nutely. allowing both for the Zeppe
Inns speed and the strength OF the
/ wind.
/ Altitude also figures Importantly Ii
the calculations.
i Practice is obtained by bomb drop
ping upon miniature dummy warships
on Lake Constance.
At length the student is allowed tx
make a trial flight or two across th.
fighting lines and. If he acQuits him
self creditably, Is considered ready Ii
take. part In real raid as second IL
command.
A little later, IL he acquits himself
creditably. he Is given a Zeppelin o
his own.
Examinations during the period O
instruction are monthly and OF grea
severity.
i In the final examination a percent
age OF 10 must be reached. Tic he fail
he Is dropped from the service.
So carefully are selections original.
made, however; so stringent is the sub
sequent wedding out process and 8,
anxious is the average young German
to succeed as an airship skipper tina
there are said to be few failures.