On the night of October 1, 1916, the German Navy Zeppelin L-21 was pushing her way through the high, thin air over Central England near Norfolk. As the airship cleared a bank of clouds, her commander, Captain Kurt Franken berg, saw 70 miles to the south, another zeppelin held in the bright glare of the London searchlights. Strands of clouds drifted by, obscuring his view, and then with wondrous clarity he again saw the other airship. She was in flames, glowing in the evening sky, falling quickly to the earth. L-21’s captain and the few other crew members who saw this dreadful sign hanging in the sky were sure what they had witnessed.
Another German airship was out there this night, and it had just plummeted to the ground in fiery ruin. They did not know it at the time, but the blazing ship they had seen was the German Navy Zeppelin L-31, commanded by airship ace Heinrich Math. His death and the loss of his crew had far-reaching repercussions for the German airship service. .”.. you know that I’m no coward. Out in eastern Asia we made many hair-raising voyages through typhoons.
But I dream constantly of falling zeppelins. There is something in me that I can’t describe. It’s as if I saw a strange darkness before me, into which I must go.” Chief Machinist Mate, German Navy Airship L-31 Introduction At the start of World War One, lighter-than-air technology was older than other aviation technologies and showed much promise. The airships being built by the Zeppelin Company in Germany were gigantic machines by the standards of the day, and they were seen as tangible fruits of the inevitable march of progress. An airship had graceful lines, enormous size, and a characteristic sound, the drone of their great multiple propellers beating the air. People seeing them were caught in a spell, so impressive was the very sight of a zeppelin.
The Term Paper on Airships Rigid Air
... gas contracts upon descent, air is pumped back into the ballonet's. HISTORY OF RIGID AIRSHIPS The German company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin had the most ... the development of rigid airships was undertaken by the navy, and only five were operated. The navy-built ZR-1 SHENANDOAH ... the United States was the only power to use airships. The navy used them for mine sweeping and antisubmarine patrols. Its ...
The heavier-than-air aircraft of the day were still very flimsy affairs, barely strong enough to carry one or two people. It is no surprise then, that these lighter-than-air vessels capable of lifting several tons were seen as the wave of the future for aviation.
