The Indianapolis times., 1929-09-26

n.l,1,, ms snta 6 1nAp1en n, OF tne
ner. navigator Of the Graf Zeppelin.
With all his commercial pilots
of to war, DR.. Eckener found his
task Of training other men for
service becoming more and more
pressing. He had TO man new ships
which the navy was ordering in
constantly increasing numbers, and
which were being built at Fried
richshafen at ever increasing speed.
He would have liked two or three
years to train personnel. But in
the latter years Of the war when the
great works at Friedrichshafen, ex-
panded again and again by military
necessities, we're turning out COM
plete ships within six to eight weeks.
there was no time for such training
DR.. Eckener sent out some fifty
ship commanders during the war.
requirements we're heavy as the
allies built up their anti-aircraft de-
lenses.
The first Zeppelins were used
largely over land. Losses we're
heavy. The ships we're slow and
had low ceiling. Some were shot
down. Some ran out Of fuel be-
fore they could get back to a han
gar, and had either to land in the
open, or drifted into mountain
ranges in the fog, where they we're
destroyed.
Larger Ships Needed
Larger and stronger ships were
called for. Karl Arnstein, a bril-
liant young Bohemian mathemati-
clan, joined the company shortly
after the war opened and soon was
to be chief engineer and constructor
of some seventy full rigid ships.
Part of DR.. Eckener's work was
to maintain liaison between the fac
tory and the combat forces, to sug-
gest alterations necessitated by
changing conditions of warfare.
There were plenty of changes to be
made.
At one time the demand was for
speed, at another for increased
carrying capacity, whether of fuel
or munitions, and at another for
greater altitude. All these affected
pilot training.
While the bombing raids attracted
most attention, they constituted in
act only a small part of the work
Of the Zeppelins. whose main task
rom 1917 on was in reconnaissance
and patrol work with the fleet.
Protect German Fleets
A fast, ARRANGING Zeppelin could
light an allied fleet long before the
fastest surface cruiser dreamed of
its presence. On more than one oc-
oasion a Zeppelin ship saved Ger
man feet from being cut off by su-
perior numbers.
That there we're no surprise at
tacks on the German coast was in
part due to the Zeppelins.
Z The airships came to be widely
used, too, in spotting mine areas
and supervising the work of the
mine Sweepers. The Zeppelins
helped keep the lanes open for scout
ships and underseas vessels.
AS the air fleet expanded. DR..
Eckener's duties grew heavier and
more diversified. The training work
that had been carried on at inland
hangers was moved to the seaboard,
with cruising trips over the North
sea. The study of naval strategy,
cooperation with surface and un-
derseas ships. navigation, night fly
ing, and defense against anti-air-
craft added to the curriculum.
Work Greatly Expanded
The threat offered by the Zeppe-
Inns had been met by the allies with
long-range guns, high-arching
searchlights, faster and higher
ceilinged airplanes and finally with
inflammable bullets. Each new
phase of warfare affected the type
and kind of training to be given ship
commanders.
The handling of an airship was
no longer the simple one of gas
presSures, engines and control sur
faces. that it had been in peace
times.
The most spectacular Zeppelin
fight made during the war was
that of the LZ-59 from Jambol. Bull
garia, to German East Africa, plans
for which were made under DR..
Eckener's personal direction.
When the World war broke out,