The Washington herald., 1921-07-03

rapidly hydrogen gas which is largely used at present
While the drgible is known to possess many marked
advantages for commercial flying, its value in oper
aon almost insurmountable There has only been
handicap the certain knowledge that explosive bullet
Or the tinest spark from the electrical equipment would
send the ship the ground in of flames, certain
and horrible death for the passengers Helium removes
this LANCER .. s.-.." .. .E
Commenting on the value of the drgible Chief Chem
ist Moore says: ...... .- &
Before the war the Germans had spent many years
in the development of type of dirgible which received
the name Zeppelin after Count Zeppelin its inventor
With capacity of from 100000 to 100000 cubic feet
of hydrogen vessels able to travel at from Fifty
to miles per hour and to make long journeys
without serious trouble r..s-asg ~ -. e
"a trip of 1000 miles small undertaking, and
even 1000 miles impossible The feat of the R3+
British dirigible in crossing the Atlantic is typical OF
what may be expected. -..''s' Fl.
((YN the early stages of the the Germans used
their dirigibles largely for bombing purposes par
Il tculary over London and the munitions districts
of England Although the damage done was somewhat
mnimzed the time there is no question: from postwar
information that the damage was much greater tah Jus
public was allowed to believe
Another use for the dirigbe recognized by military
and naval probably being more important than the
one already mentioned is the special adapaby OF he
dirgble for scouting purposes. The German heet wod
never venture from port without two three dgibles
floating overhead and these able inform the fleet
below of the near approach of British vessels In this
manner the German feet could, could not as saw nj
accept battle or return its base 1t has been stated ta
at the battle of Jutand dgble circulating above the
grand fleet kept the Germans fully informed OF the posi-
ou of the British battleshp division while they were en-
Oaono the British armored cruisers Col Lucas IN charge
of British dirigbes during the war, informed me that
had NOT been for the German digbs he had no doubt
the British feet would have caught and destroyed he Oe
man feet The British claimed that one dirgiDN was
equivalent for scouting purposes to six fast cruisers
The French and British had no dirigbles at the start
Of the war but later made haste rapidly as possible to
reoar the deficiency They recognized, however, on ac
count Of the experience from the defense OF London ana
other important points of England that the dgibie was
M. only vulnerable but extremely against well organ
;zed attack The Germans realized this also and nvaraoy
mad. their attacks ON England night and operated at
HIGH altitude in order to minimize attacks Dy aIpiAne
for a single ncendiary bullet fired into oirig'o'e
would probably bring. the huge ship down "'n'n
few moments mass OF Hames
C(THE inRammability of the hydrogen was the
one weak spot in this method OF attack and the
British realized this quite carly in the war. In
addition the constant danger of su death had strong
fleet on the nerves of the operating crews so that per-
,ops the drigibcs we're efficient as they oetse
,;ob have beenj = lI.i n"I or Sn7S .r5iJ
. :, tD0Coc A--rGr 80. h. sIrin shI n
o3i. CONTINUED on FACE lAtoG,., sat yusogl
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