Airship
An airship or dirigible is an aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust types. Unlike other aerodynamic aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, which produce lift by moving a wing, or airfoil, through the air, aerostatic aircraft, such as airships and hot air balloons, stay aloft by filling a large cavity, such as a balloon, with a lifting gas.
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History
The main types of airship are non-rigid (or blimps), semi-rigid and rigid. Blimps are small airships without internal skeletons. Semi-rigid airships are slightly larger and have some form of internal support such as a fixed keel. Rigid airships with full skeletons, such as the huge Zeppelin transoceanic models, all but disappeared after several high-profile catastrophic accidents during the mid-20th century.
Airships were the first aircraft to enable controlled, powered flight, and were widely used before the 1940s, but their use decreased over time as their capabilities were surpassed by those of airplanes. Their decline continued with a series of high-profile accidents, including the 1937 burning of the hydrogen-filled Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg (Luftschiff Zeppelin 129 „Hindenburg“) near Lakehurst, New Jersey.
Airships are still used today in certain niche applications, such as advertising, tourism, camera platforms for sporting events, and aerial observation and interdiction platforms, where the ability to hover in one place for an extended period outweighs the need for speed and maneuverability.
WWI
As the war progressed, many European cities were attacked by the various Zeppelin ports. Both the German and the English side were aware of the danger. The commander of the airship LZ 17 "Sachsen" Ernst Lehmann, stationed in Cologne – who was to die on 7 May 1937 with the airship LZ 127 "Hindenburg" – had a net stretched over the airship hangar in Bickendorf in order to intercept bombs already above the roof. However, it had to be determined by test drops that the test bombs fell through the net. For this reason, active anti-aircraft defense was adopted by stationing anti-aircraft guns around the airship hangar, but also on the roof. Guards with machine guns were stationed on the halls.
On the other side of the Channel in London, the "First Lord of the Admiralty" Winston Churchill was also thinking about repelling and eliminating the German Zeppelins. After the first attacks, he stationed a special squadron in Belgium in a 100 km radius around the Zeppelin ports. Attacks on the airship hangars in Cologne and Düsseldorf were also planned. On 11 September 1914, the first attack should start. However, a storm destroyed the provided aircraft within minutes.
Under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Rumney Samson of the Eastchurch Squadron of the RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service), a second air raid on the two airship hangars in Cologne and Düsseldorf was carried out from Antwerp on 22 September 1914. This air raid was unsuccessful, however, the pilots could not find the targets because of fog.
By early October, German troops had almost captured the city of Antwerp. Heavy artillery (30.5 cm and 42 cm mortars) pounded the outer ring of fortifications around Antwerp and fell. Now the Imperial German Army units attacked the inner ring of fortresses. Squadron Commander D. A. Spenser Gray and Flight Lieutenant L. G. Marix were to launch a third attack before Antwerp airfield became inoperable due to capture. Great haste was required. Although almost all troops had already left the city, some mechanics and getaway vehicles were left behind for this purpose to bring the pilots to safety when they returned. The ready-to-run machines were almost severely damaged or even destroyed by the heavy artillery fire.
On 8 October 1914, Great Britain's Royal Naval Air Service flew for the first time an attack on Cologne. The attack planned for the early morning had to be postponed because of heavy fog in the Antwerp area. At around 1:30 p.m., Commander Spenser Gray took off against Cologne. On 18 May 1918 (Pentecost Saturday), British bombers of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) bombed the city; 41 people died, including 19 children, c. 100 people were injured.[1]
