aeroplanes and dirigibles of war-第6部分

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Powers　had　approached　the　Count　for　the　acquisition　of　his　idea

became　known　far　and　wide；　together　with　the　circumstance　that

he　had　unequivocally　refused　all　offers。　　He　was　striving　for　the

Fatherland；　and　his　unselfish　patriotism　appealed　to　one　and　all。

Such　an　attitude　deserved　hearty　national　appreciation；　and　the

members　of　the　great　German　public　emptied　their　pockets　to　such

a　degree　that　within　a　few　weeks　a　sum　of　L300；000　or　1；500；000

was　voluntarily　subscribed。



All　financial　embarrassments　and　distresses　were　now　completely

removed　from　the　Count's　mind。　　He　could　forge　ahead　untrammelled

by　anxiety　and　worry。　　Another　Zeppelin　was　built　and　it　created

a　world's　record。　　It　remained　aloft　for　38　hours；　during　which

time　it　covered　690　miles；　and；　although　it　came　to　grief　upon

alighting；　by　colliding　with　a　tree；　the　final　incident　passed

unnoticed。　　Germany　was　in　advance　of　the　world。　　It　had　an

airship　which　could　go　anywhere；　irrespective　of　climatic

conditions；　and　in　true　Teuton　perspective　the　craft　was　viewed

from　the　military　standpoint。　　Here　was　a　means　of　obtaining　the

mastery　of　the　air：　a　formidable　engine　of　invasion　and　aerial

attack　had　been　perfected。　　Consequently　the　Grand　Idea　must　be

supported　with　unbounded　enthusiasm。　　The　Count　was　hailed　by　his

august　master　as　〃The　greatest　German　of　the　twentieth　century；〃

and　in　this　appreciation　the　populace　wholeheartedly　concurred。

Whether　such　a　panegyric　from　such　an　auspicious　quarter　is　praise

indeed　or　the　equivalent　of　complete　condemnation；　history　alone

will　be　able　to　judge；　but　when　one　reflects；　at　this　moment；　upon

the　achievements　of　this　aircraft　during　the　present　conflagration；

the　unprejudiced　will　be　rather　inclined　to　hazard　the　opinion

that　Imperial　Teuton　praise　is　a　synonym　for　damnation。



Although　the　Zeppelin　was　accepted　as　a　perfect　machine　it　has

never　been　possible　to　disperse　the　atmosphere　of　disaster　with

which　it　has　been　enveloped　from　the　first。　　Vessel　after　vessel

has　gone　up　in　smoke　and　flame：　few　craft　of　this　type　have

enjoyed　more　than　an　evanescent　existence；　and　each　successive

catastrophe　has　proved　more　terrible　than　its　predecessor。　　But

the　Teutonic　nation　has　been　induced　to　pin　its　whole　faith　on

this　airship；　notwithstanding　that　the　more　levelheaded　engineers

of　other　countries　have　always　maintained　the　craft　to　be　a

〃mechanical　monstrosity〃　condemned　from　its　design　and　principles

of　construction　to　disaster。　　Unshaken　by　this　adverse　criticism；

Germany　rests　assured　that　by　means　of　its　Zeppelins　it　will

achieve　that　universal　supremacy　which　it　is　convinced　is　its

Destiny。



This　blind　child…like　faith　has　been　responsible　for　the

establishment　and　development　of　the　Zeppelin　factories。　　At

Friedrichshafen　the　facilities　are　adequate　to　produce　two　of

these　vessels　per　month；　while　another　factory　of　a　similar

capacity　has　been　established　at　Berlin。　　Unfortunately　such　big

craft　demand　large　docks　to　accommodate　them；　and　in　turn　a　large

structure　of　this　character　constitutes　an　easy　mark　for　hostile

attack；　as　the　raiding　airmen　of　the　Allies　have　proved　very

convincingly。



But　the　Zeppelin　must　not　be　under…rated。　　Magnificent

performances　have　been　recorded　by　these　vessels；　such　as　the

round　1；000　miles'　trip　in　1909；　and　several　other　equally

brilliant　feats　since　that　date。　　It　is　quite　true　that　each

astounding　achievement　has　been　attended　by　an　equally　stupendous

accident；　but　that　is　accepted　as　a　mere　incidental　detail　by　the

faithful　Teutonic　nation。　　Many　vivid　prophecies　of　the

forthcoming　flights　by　Zeppelin　have　been　uttered；　and　it　is

quite　probable　that　more　than　one　will　be　fulfilled；　but　success

will　be　attributable　rather　to　accident　than　design。



Although　the　Zeppelin　is　the　main　stake　of　the　German　people　in

matters　pertaining　to　aerial　conquest；　other　types　of　airships

have　not　been　ignored；　as　related　in　another　chapter。　　They　have

been　fostered　upon　a　smaller　but　equally　effective　scale。　　The

semi…rigid　Parseval　and　Gross　craft　have　met　with　whole…hearted

support；　since　they　have　established　their　value　as　vessels　of

the　air；　which　is　tantamount　to　the　acceptance　of　their　military

value。



The　Parseval　is　pronounced　by　experts　to　be　the　finest　expression

of　aeronautical　engineering　so　far　as　Teuton　effort　is　concerned。　

Certainly　it　has　placed　many　notable　flights　to　its　credit。　　The

Gross　airship　is　an　equally　serviceable　craft；　its　lines　of

design　and　construction　closely　following　those　of　the　early

French　supple　airships。　　There　are　several　other　craft　which　have

become　more　or　less　recognised　by　the　German　nation　as

substantial　units　of　war；　such　as　the　Ruthemberg；

Siemens…Schukert；　and　so　forth；　all　of　which　have　proved　their

serviceability　more　or　less　conclusively。　　But　in　the　somewhat

constricted　Teuton　mind　the　Zeppelin　and　the　Zeppelin　only

represents　the　ultima　Thule　of　aerial　navigation　and　the　means

for　asserting　the　universal　character　of　Pan…Germanism　as　well　as

〃Kultur。〃







CHAPTER　IV

AIRSHIPS　OF　WAR



So　much　has　been　said　and　written　concerning　the　Zeppelin

airship；　particularly　in　its　military　aspect；　that　all　other

developments　in　this　field　have　sunk　into　insignificance　so　far

as　the　general　public　is　concerned。　　The　Zeppelin　dirigible　has

come　to　be　generally　regarded　as　the　one　and　only　form　of

practical　lighter…than…air　type　of　aircraft。　　Moreover；　the　name

has　been　driven　home　with　such　effect　that　it　is　regarded　as　the

generic　term　for　all　German　airships。



These　are　grievous　fallacies。　　The　Zeppelin　is　merely　one　of　a

variety　of　types；　even　in　Germany；　although　at　the　moment　it

probably　ranks　as　the　solitary　survivor　of　the　rigid　system　of

construction。　　At　one　time；　owing　to　the　earnestness　with　which

the　advantages　of　this　form　of　design　were　discussed；　and　in　view

of　the　fact　that　the　Zeppelin　certainly　appeared　to　triumph　when

all　other　designs　failed；　Great　Britain　was　tempted　to　embrace

the　rigid　form　of　construction。　　The　building　of　an　immense

vessel　of　this　class　was　actively　supported　and　it　was　aptly

christened　the　〃May…fly。〃　　Opponents　of　the　movement　tempered

their　emphatic　condemnatory　criticism　so　far　as　to　remark　that　it

MAY　FLY；　but　as　events　proved　it　never　did。　　The　colossal　craft

broke　its　back　before　it　ever　ventured　into　the　air；　and　this

solitary　experience　proving　so　disastrous；　the　rigid　form　of

construction　was　abandoned　once　and　for　all。　　The　venture　was　not

in　vain；　it　brought　home　to　the　British　authorities　more

convincingly　than　anything　else　that　the　Zeppelin　was　a

mechanical　monstrosity。　　The　French　never　even　contemplated　the

construction　of　such　a　craft　at　that　time；　estimating　it　at　its

true　value；　and　the　British　failure　certainly　served　to　support

French　antagonism　to　the　idea。　　Subsequently；　however；　an　attempt

at　rigid　construction　was　made　in　France　with　the　〃Spiess〃

airship；　mainly　as　a　concession　to　public　clamour。



Even　in　Germany　itself　the　defects　of　the　Zeppelin　were

recognised　and　a　decided　effort　to　eliminate　them　was　made　by

Professor　Schutte　in　co…operation　with　a　manufacturer　of

Mannheim　named　Lanz。　　The　joint　product　of　their　ambitions；　the

Schutte…Lanz；　is　declared　to　be　superior　to　the　Zeppelin；　but　so

far　it　has　failed　to　justify　any　of　the　claims　of　its　designers。　

This　vessel；　which　also　favours　the　colossal；　is　likewise　of　the

rigid　type；　but　realising　the　inherent　dangers　accruing　from　the

employment　of　metal　for　the　framework；　its　constructors　have　used

wood；　reinforced　and　strengthened　where　necessary　by　metallic

angle…iron；　plates；　and　bracing；　this　utilisation　of　metal　is；

however；　carried　out　very　sparingly。　　The　first　vessel　of　this

class　was　a　huge　failure；　while　subsequent　craft　have　not　proved

much　more　successful。



In　fact；　one　of　the　largest　German　airships　ever　designed；　L4；

is；　or　rather　was；　a　Schutte…Lanz；　with　a　capacity　of　918；000

cubic　feet；　but　over　6；000　pounds　lighter　than　a　Zeppelin　of

almost　similar　dimensions。　　I　say　〃was〃　since　L4　is　no　more。　　The

pride　of　its　creators　evinced　a　stronger　preference　for　Davy

Jones'　Locker　than　its　designed　realm。　　Yet　several　craft　of　this

type　have　been　built　and　have　been　mistaken　for　Zeppelins　owing

to　the　similarity　of　the　broad　principles　of　design　and　their

huge　dimensions。　　In　one　vital　respect　they　are　decidedly

inferior　to　their　contemporarythey　are　not　so　speedy。



The　most　successful　of　the　German　lighter…than…air　machines　are

those　known　respectively　as　the　semi　rigid　and　non…rigid　types；

the　best　examples　of　which　are　the　Gross　and　Parseval　craft。　

Virtually　they　are　Teutonic　editions　of　the　successful　French

craft　of　identical　design　by　which　they　were　anticipated。　　The

Lebaudy　is　possibly　the　most　famous　of　the　French　efforts　in　this

direction。　　The　gas…bag　has　an　asymmetrical　shape；　and　is　pointed

at　both　ends；　although　the　prow　is　blunter　or　rounder　than　the

stem。　　The　gas…bag　comprises　a　single　chamber　for　the　inflating

agent；　the　distended　shape　of　the　envelope　being　sustained　by

means　of　an　air…ballonet。　　By　varying　the　contents　of　the　latter

through　the　agency　of　a　pump　the　tension　of　the　gas　in　the

lifting　envelope　can　be　maintained；　and　the　shape　of　the　inflated

balloon　preserved　under　all　conditions。



Beneath　the　gas…bag　is　a　long　strengthened　girder；　and　from　this

in　turn　the　car　is　suspended。　　It　is　the　introduction　of　this

rigid　girder　which　is　responsible　for　the　descriptive　generic

term　of　〃semi…rigid。〃　　On　the　other　hand　the　〃non…rigid〃　type　may

be　roughly　described　as　a　pisciform　balloon　fitted　with

propelling　machinery；　inasmuch　as　the　car　containing　the　driving

machinery　is　suspended　from　the　balloon　in　the　manner　of　the　car

in　the　ordinary　drifting　vessel。　　So　far　as　the　French　effort　i