IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1916, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

THE ZEPPELIN MENACE, , HINT AT GERMANY'S STBENaTBi HOW TO FIGHT ZEPPELIS&. (Received March 26, fj.a" p.«i"\ London, March 25. Afr. George Pride, the well-k»o\*« aeronautical expert, states that Jle inspected the Zeppelin destroyed at De. vigny. Its number sliowed that at least fifty-two Zeppelins have teen construct ed in tlie last eighteen months, find the Germans are now completing tone everj; ten days. This machine had five May.* bach motors, and the metal of the pro* pellers was aluminium strengthened with, a alight alloy of copper and zinc, While the machine tapered towards the stern, giving less resistance. Several corpse! were carbonised, but apparently the crew numbered twenty-three.. The Bepi pelin carried 1500 kilogrammes of bombs, composed of twenty projectiles, each placed in a special bomb-thrower, flreej by an electric current and controltod by a push button. The cabin carr.-ed sis machine-guns, but no cannon. There was no trace of a powerful searchlight. He adds: Three forms of attack on Zeppelins arc possible. Firstly, with gum planes, before they Teach London o? Paris; secondly, anti-aircraft guns while they are over cities; thirdly, light chasing aeroplanes, armed with machine-guns; and incendiary rockets, which could at« tack on the return journey at a high altitude. Germany liaß forty of these Zeppelins to-day, and they are mostly employed as patrols in the North Sea. The Zeppelins' principal task ia keeping up communication with the fleet of sutM marines.