UTILITY OF AIRSHIPS.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1891, 9 April 1913, Page 2

UTILITY OF AIRSHIPS.

GERMAN COMMENTS. Berlin, March 1. The latest airship storv lends interest, to the careful study of the potentialities of airships published on February 12 by "Technician" in the Naval Supplement of the Deutsche Tageszeitung, edited by Count Reventlow. The article gives a tabulation of the speeds, cost, lift-ing-power, and effective radius of airships and aeroplanes, and after discussion on their relative importance, argues that whilst aeroplanes can be. and now frequently are, armoured over their vital machinery, they are practically safe at 3000 ft. On the other hand, an airship is unprotectable, and, of coiirse, in reasonably clear weather discernable from a great distance. "Balloon guns following on automobiles, and quick-firing guns with a smokemarked trajectory and automatic sighting, make it appear practically impossible that the vessel should escape being hit." M The writer, however, feels sure that the airship will be attacked simultaneously by several much swifter aeroplanes and destroyed; therefore, "an airship must avoid, being seen over the enemy's troops." During the daytime airships are exposed to sudden attack by aeroplanes, and unless protected by bomb-proof sheds they are always at the mercy of an enterprising airman, with his 1001b of explosives. It follows that the proper function of an airship can never be scouting over troops actually in the field; its purpose must be to carry explosives, and "make what would be practically safe night attacks on bridges, forts, military buildings and central offices ammunition lacctories, magazines, ships, docks, and arsenals." This appears also to be the general military view here of the effective utilisation of the Zeppelins, though, frankly, the German Press is, or pretends to be, more amused than surprised over the English Zeppelin stories. The Taegliche Rundschau to-night says the new Zeppelins, with their 26,000 cubic metres, could float for days over England, but the present panic is gilly. This paper adds that it was once proposed" that a Zeppelin should pay a visit to England, but the Admiralty begged the company to drop the proposal, as it would create trouble. No Zeppelin has been near England.