ARMISTICE SAVED NEW YORK FROM GERMANS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3546, 6 August 1920, Page 5

ARMISTICE SAVED NEW YORK FROM GERMANS.

R WA-.SH.II\’GTOr\", June 16. _ Lv'e:'many was prepared to send the [ hxtest super-rigid airship to bomb New E York on November 11, 1915, when the i:rl‘nlisticc intervened, according ,to a. ~:=t.at~enlent issued to-day by the XV“ Department, pleading for errarged up-]n'c»pl-iations fur the Zeppeiiu ‘Type of air-<:l'aft. . "For months prior 10 {he date,” - says the statement, “experiments were 0 conducted, meteorological data compiled, and other sciexxtffic data gathered. To cap xhe climax, an “L" type of :11pC1'-I‘igid airship was sr.-nt from the inferi-_-1' of Germany to Khartoum, in ‘Centra.l Africa, with supplies ‘for ha.rd~, pressed German troops. Arriving there they found the ‘troops had surrendered, and were recalled by wireless. The air ship made the trip back to.'G'rerma.ny without alighting during the enrtire journey. This trip surpassed the performance of the British dirigible which made the trip to New York and 'back_ Last. year, by about 2800 kilometres. The craft designed to bomb New York was named the L 72, and she was built -to surpass the performance‘ of her sister ship on the African trip. “This airship,” the statement -goes .‘ on, “when completed, surpassed anything‘ built heretofore. It was equipped with sixAMay-bach ‘engines of 240 horsepower each, giving 3 total of 1440 horse-power. 'l‘he_lellgth of ':his lev’ia- ‘ than is 7'7oft—capable of making 62 miles per hour under load. It. carrier}: 11,000 gallons of gasoline, and covrll«ii"“‘“=¢

cruise a distance of 9500 miles with its load of 5% tons of bombs. ‘ “By the grace of Dame Fvorrtune, the armistice saved New York City from destruogion. It is terrifying 'fo even think of it, ‘yet it is an ab‘solute fact that this would have hafi'{ened,” is the Department ’s conclusion. There is an even more formidabéc airship now building in Germany, ‘the I)epa.rtment points out, capable of greater feats than the L 72. This airship, known asthe LZI2S, although only five feet longer than the one intended to bomb New York, has a lift of 69 tons, a cruising radius of 10,000 miles, carries 12 Mayhach 300 horsepower engines, has an avcfiage speed under load. of 91 miles an hour, and can carry three times the a‘incrunt of bombsthat its predecessor could, or 2163: tons.

“The superiority of ‘the Zeppelin type of aircraft to-day cannot be doubted by anyone,” the statement resumes. “We must develop aeronautics faster :than ever. Money must be spent in large sums to bring us up to the pinnacle of perfection. No longer can we retain that feeling of national securi*l:y which has governed the pulse of Americans that through our isolation we are removed from all danger of first-hand Contact with War. The airship loaded with bombs travels 100 ‘miles per hour in .a direct line. The crew has a View on a clear day, at an altitude of 10,000 feet, of at least 75 miles on all four side? and can attack either land or sea f<‘~ is at will, as well as bomb the ent-...;,~-‘s cities and desitroy his railroads and shipping facilities. "