A History of Dirigible Airships 1874–1895

By Lady Mia Opic, FRAS

(This article first appeared in The Strand magazine, February 1895)

The first dirigible airships originated from Count von Zeppelin’s observations while attached to the US army 1863 during the American Civil War. Clearly their use for observation was limited by being tethered, but he saw a role for free flying machines that could both observe and attack the enemy. On his return in 1865, he petitioned the German army to sponsor a project to investigate if such a craft could be produced. Still basking in the glory of the war of 1861 however, the army was not interested.

In 1877 however, he took his ideas to the Imperial Navy who were interested. Working slowly and in great secret, they produced the first Lenkbarer Luftfahrzug (Steerable airship-train) in June 1878. The LL1 was 126m long with a gas capacity of 10,370 m³ and a carrying capacity of over 3500 kg. Its top speed of just over 21 knots and range of only 600 miles limited its military use, but a series of experimental craft followed, culminating in LL10 which was the first of a series to go into production for the Imperial Navy.

The LL10 had a maximum speed of 43 knots a carrying capacity of about 2000kg, and from its base at Cuxhaven could reach London or Stockholm and return. It’s appearance over Dover on St George’s day 1880 was perceived as a major threat to the Royal Navy. Britain’s response characteristically was quick and effective, and by 1885 they had operational craft flying in support of the Khartoum relief expedition.

By the end of the 1880’s all the major powers had small numbers of dirigibles, and during the 2nd Russo-Turkish war (1888-1889) both sides employed them as bombers. Aerial bombs had not yet been developed, so these early raids dropped artillery shells instead.

These early offensive operations demonstrated that they were extremely vulnerable to ground fire unless flown at high altitude, and several were lost. On 5^thAugust 1888 the Turkish dirigible ‘Ottoman Fire’ bombed the Russian fortress at Kars. Flying at a relatively low altitude because of cloud cover, the craft was damaged by small-arms fire and was destroyed in a forced landing not far from its base. On 21^st August the Russian craft ‘Oleg’ and ‘Svetlana’ were damaged by ground fire while supporting army operations in defence of Yerevan.

On the night of 24/25^th August the Russian dirigible ‘Borodino’ attacked Constantinople, dropping bombs near the royal palace and killing five people, and it returned on the night of 1/2^nd September. A third raid was mounted on 7^th October but this time the Turks were prepared and the Borodino was brought down by ground fire and most of the crew were captured. Their public trial and execution as 'Air Pirates' horrified public opinion, but it did mark the end of bombing operations ahead of the peace treaty which was signed on 15^thJanuary 1889. This random dealing of death from the skies was the caused considerable international disquiet and was a major factor leading to the 1890 Treaty of Berne which outlawed all forms of aerial bombardment.

The limiting of dirigibles to reconnaissance roles has made them much less valuable to the military apart from long range communications and reconnaisance. Great Britain’s Royal Navy has the greatest number of craft based at their coastal airship stations from where they fly long range patrols between their many overseas stations.

In lieu of more aggressive roles, research has concentrated on the development of dirigibles to transport officials or small units of troops to trouble spots around the world. New lighter construction materials and the Armstrong Electric propulsion system has allowed these craft to become smaller and faster while not sacrificing any carrying capacity. As a result all of the major powers operate squadrons of small, fast dirigibles which are capable of operating at higher altitudes and are often disguised to enable them to fly over unfriendly nations unhindered. Even if an overflying craft is spotted, by the time that another has been readied to intercept it, the high altitude and speed at which they travel mean that interception is all but impossible.

Exactly how fast these craft now fly is a closely guarded secret, but based on observations from civilian liners it is believed that speeds in excess of 175 knots are now being regularly achieved. How or if these craft are armed has been a matter of great debate.

 

Civilian dirigible development has continued apace as well. Although slower than railways in good country, dirigibles are able to cross seas and oceans and do not need to stop in order to complete long journeys. The British Dirigible Company operates regular services from London to the major European capitals as well as longer routes to Cairo, Capetown, Delhi and Australia, and all the major powers have similar operating companies. The largest of these craft are now almost 350m in length and are capable of carrying 70 or more passengers up to 6,500 km at speeds approaching 90 knots.

Despite the obvious safety concerns, Hydrogen remains the principle lifting agent for 90% of the worlds’ dirigibles. Only the United States of America has access to sufficient quantities of non-flammable Helium and their reliance on this less powerful lifting medium means that US craft are generally larger than elsewhere. However, use of Helium also means that the US Army is unique in maintaining a number of rocket-firing ‘Gunship’ dirigibles which have been used to great effect against native tribes and border incursions from Mexico. Reports that Great Britain has begun using a similarly equipped, Helium lifted craft on the North-West frontier of India remain unconfirmed.

All the major powers continue to develop their dirigibles in order to achieve greater range or speed, and one is left wondering what wonders may yet be achieved.

Another Day At the Office.

As his steam hansom turned towards the Hounslow Heath Airship station gates, Captain Forsythe turned his head to look towards the mooring towers and their enormous adjacent hangars. A scene empty of activity now, but within the hour the HMD Devonshire would be lifting away, set on the heading he had only been given verbally by the Admiral. Once over the open sea he could open his sealed orders and start to plan his route.

 As usual, the Marine guards refused to let the Hansom inside the gates, so he dismounted in order to present his papers to the officer who stood waiting. Having confirmed his identity, he was escorted into the Incendiary Room where another officer asked the usual questions about lucifers, pipes and firearms. It was of course nonsense to suggest he of all people would risk taking such items on board a Hydrogen Dirigible, but these questions had to be asked. His next destination was the base armoury. There he was issued with the standard Lee-Armstrong .40 calibre Pneumatic Pistol. Although lethal at up to 50 paces, this low powered weapon was incapable of penetrating the thin metal skin of the Gondola. This made it the ideal weapon for dirigible crew as its use presented no threat to the gas bags.

Finally he walked out onto the vast open space where the HMD Devonshire now floated at anchor. Moored by the nose and secured by cables, it swayed gently in the wind. The hydrogen umbilical was still attached, allowing a final top up before departure. As he arrived at the base of the steps leading up to the control cabin, he noticed a dozen or so red-coated faces looking down at him from the passenger compartment. Once they were airborne he would visit them and find out who or what he was carrying this time.

He stepped onto the Bridge to the sound of a rating piping the usual greeting and the other three officers present turned and saluted him. Lieutenant Commander Smith and 1^st Lieutenant Jones he knew well, but the young 2^nd Lieutenant standing there was a new face. He stepped forward nervously and said “2^nd Lieutenant Atkinson reporting for duty as ordered, Sir.”
He offered a sheaf of official looking papers that Forsythe took before passing them to Smith.
“Welcome aboard Atkinson, is this your first commission?”
“Y-yes Sir” the young Lieutenant stammered.
“Well young man, let us suppose I tell you we are ordered to travel to Helsinki with all haste, what method of propulsion would you use and why?”
The young Lieutenant coughed nervously and said, “Well sir, I would fly out over the North Sea using the steam boilers, timing our arrival over Danish coast for about 20 minutes after dawn. I would then engage the Ether Engine and proceed at flank speed until we were over open sea again, or the standard 20 minutes before dusk and at that point I would return to steam engine power. The Ether Engine gives us a significant speed increase which allows us to cross other countries airspace unhindered or in an emergency, but it is also a drain on our batteries and leaves a luminous trail which is clearly visible from the ground at night. During daylight the trail isn’t visible from the ground, so our progress would not observed”.

“Very good” said the Captain, “In that case Atkinson, you can take the first watch as navigation officer. Set course 180 magnetic until further notice. Number 1, assuming our passengers are all aboard, you can lift immediately.”

Out over the Channel, with Brighton just a smudge on the horizon, Captain Forsythe sat in his cabin and opened his sealed orders. Inside was another sealed envelope and a single sheet of paper with the Admiralty crest at the top, and on it the handwritten order - “RND Devonshire is to proceed to the Malta station at best speed. Once there you will refuel and open the second envelope for further orders. Signed, Admiral J.P Pettigrew. Imperial Service Department”.

Obviously it was going to be one of those missions, so maybe now would be a good time to see just who these passengers were ……