SUPER-ZEPPELIN BUILDING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 105, 6 January 1915, Page 7

SUPER-ZEPPELIN BUILDING.

ARTILLERY MOUNTED ON AIR MONSTER. HOW THE KAISER HOPES TO ATTACK LONDON. (By Alan Bott in the Daily Chronicle). Something- extraordinary is Lapp earing at Friedrichshafen. From my window I can see the little white and red town nestling at, the foot of a low hlli that slopes down to the lake. It looks pretty and peaceful enough, but I know that in the long floating hail, whose sides are now gilded by tne sun’s rays as it stands out on .he grey waters of the lake, some hundreds of yards in front of the tiny harbour, scores of skilled mechanics are working night and day to build an air monster unparalleled for its powers of. destruction. It is to be ready early in November, and the constructors have boasted that its first serious work will be a raid on London. When this happens, they say, Londoners will have to reckon with more than a few bombs such as these dropped by the Taubes over Paris and other French lawns. When —and if—'the( raid happens, their prophecy will probably prove true. The new Zeppelin is to have special platforms round the sides for machine guns and light pieces of artillery. DETAILS OF THE SUPER. ZEPPELIN. All the plans of the designers aro apparently based on calculations o! the muck-talked-of dasli for London. One of the greatest difficulties for an air captain in charge of such a venture would he the length of time it would be necessary for the vessel to remain aloft. To lessen the risk ot attacks a circuitous route would have to be taken both from and back to Antwerp or whatever base were be in;; used. It is claimed that the new super-Zeppelin will meet this obstacle by being able to remain in the air ‘•indefinitely'’ owing to the large number of balloons in the huge envelope. By means of a special apparatus the crew will be able to re-fill these, one by one, without descending. Another ad vantage cf having many balloons i - that if cne section only of the airship is struck there is enough gas in the other bags to keep it afloat. SPECIAL WEAPONS. There are all sorts of rumours circulating in the neighbourhood regarding other details of the air monster. One is that It is to be fitted with a newly-invented “silencer” which will enable it to travel unnoticed if it remains sufficiently high. Another is that the envelope is being painted very dark grey ,so that At will be difficult to detect at night time. There is talk of a special light gun for firing special shells containing special explosives. It is even said that one of the mechanics has mounted- a “projector” consisting of an iron tube, through which, by means of a complex sighting apparatus that allows for wind and velocity, projectiles can be. dropped ’accurteSy from high attitudes. GUARDED BY SOLDIERS. It is impossible to verify all these rumours, unless one is German. This much, however, is certain —something extraordinary is happening at Fried - richshafen. Besides the super-Zeppe-lin in the famous floating shed another one is being built in the hangar on shore. This is always surrounded by a large detachment of soldiers, and the entrance to the harbour from the town is also strongly guarded. On the lake motor boat patrols are ready to see that steamers and fishermen's keep .away* All foreigners, including even dwellers on the Swiss sid eof the lake, whose sentiments are very pro-Germna, are arrested if they go near either of the sheds.

I went as near as possible to-day in a small rowing boat. Waiting until the sun’s rays entered the shed from one of the ends, which are left open, I saw a mass of girders, curved at the ends nearest me, where they met and formed what looked like a huge cone when seen from where I was watching. Towards the centre the girders were covered. There was a scaffolding on cither side of the vessel, wtih three platforms ,on which were many workmen. Near a small steamer was unloading something into a large beat. COUNT ZEPPELIN’S VISITS. On my way back there was a strong adverse wind, and the captain of ona cf the passenger steamers plying between Constance and , seeing that 1 was in difficulties .invited me on \ board and took my boat in tow. About twice a week Count Zeppelin himself —still a flue-looking old man, despite the fact that he is midway between 70 and 80 —pays a flying visit to Freidrichshafen and superintends the construction. The “Herr Graff” is very popular among the soldiers, and sometimes ho takes groups of wounded over the works. He is one of the busiest men in Europe at the present moment, for besides-the two Zeppelins being guilt at Fieidrlchshafen there are others in course of • construction at Dusseldorfr Potsdam, and Hamburg. Up to the present the-Zeppelins have done nothing brilliant in the war. The I more manageable and less expensive j a err plane:: have prevofl themselves of i greater use for securing purposes, while airships are much more easily destroyed. It is Relieved that at least

five of the Zeppelins forming par' of Germany’s aerial fleet before the war aro no more, including two destroyed by British aviators in ilioir rail on Dnsseldorf. One of [ho remarkable things in the v.ar has boon the failure o' aif croft ft r destructive purpose:'.. The Hermans hope that lire improved Zeppelins now being completed wi'l turn tne tables.