Lighter Than Air

by Guy Warner

  ‘The feature of the ship (Willows No 4) is its small size and remarkable handiness; everything can be packed up and taken to pieces with the utmost care. For pleasure purposes this ship seems to be ideal. It would also be useful to train NCOs and men on handling on the ground and in the air. While both ships (Willows No 3 and No 4) would afford valuable training to officers and men unacquainted with this class of work, they cannot seriously be considered for war purposes except, conceivably, against a savage enemy.’174

  Neville Usborne (in the white covered cap) in the reconstructed Beta II in 1912. (Mays Aldershot via PS Leaman)

  The Willows No 4 was purchased by the Admiralty and renamed HMA No 2.

  HMA No 2 in a natural shelter near Odiham.

  Willows No 4 was a handy little ship with two or three seats, dual control and a 40 hp (30 kW) Renault engine driving a pair of wooden, four-bladed propellers. It had a capacity for sufficient fuel and oil to give an endurance of seven hours flying time. The envelope was made from oiled cotton, which was an experimental material. It had a volume of 20,000 cubic feet (572 cubic metres), was 110 feet (33.5 metres) in length and a diameter of 18 feet 6 inches (5.5 metres), which tapered towards the stern, giving a streamlined appearance. The torpedo-shaped car was constructed of steel tube clad with sheet aluminium. Usborne was appointed to command HMA No 2, ‘and with a few naval ratings was soon intriguing the soldiers with experiments on Cove Pond. The army found him irrepressible.’175 Willows himself had for several years been of the mind that a small dirigible could be useful for naval scouting purposes, housed in the hold of a parent vessel, and being launched and recovered from the deck.

  On the afternoon of 12 August 1912, at just after 2 pm, Gamma began a flight back to Farnborough from Larkhill with Usborne as pilot, Lieutenant Fletcher as course keeper, Sergeant McGrane as steersman and Sergeant Collins as mechanic. She also carried 200lbs (91kg) of ballast, and sufficient fuel and oil for six hours, 100lbs (45kg) of petrol being in tins and therefore available, in emergency, as ballast. Rising to 600 feet (182 metres) there was too much wind to make any progress, so they descended to 100 feet (30 metres) and were able to attain 8mph (5kph), against a wind of 22mph (35kph). They climbed to 900 feet to pass over the ridge of Ashdown Copse. The port engine had to be stopped due to a problem causing pre-ignition, with the result that Gamma could only just make headway and descended with great rapidity to only 50 feet (15 metres). Four bags of ballast were thrown out and an emergency landing was made behind the shelter of some trees. Having moored to the tallest tree, Sergeant Collins carried out repairs to the engine and within forty-five minutes they were ready to take to the air again, though Sergeant McGrane had to be left with the ground party to go home by motor tender in order to reduce the weight carried. The wind strengthened again and the depleted crew had a terrific struggle to negotiate a way around the village of Weyhill. Due to fierce upward air currents Gamma’s progress was somewhat erratic, varying in altitude from 150 to 750 feet (45 to 228 metres), and following a zigzagging route across the countryside. It was decided to land again and, with the ground party not having caught up, the grapnel was thrown out, catching in a hedge at the second attempt. However, mooring proved to be too difficult, with the grapnel dragging through the foliage and the airship once more ascended to 800 feet (243 metres). Further attempts were made to land near Longparish in a large field surrounded by trees, but were to little avail. Fortunately, a crowd of villagers had gathered to watch the spectacle, some of whom caught hold of the trail rope which had been thrown towards them, allowing Gamma to be brought to rest over a wooded hollow on the leeward side of the field, venting gas to descend. The grapnel rope had become tangled and had to be cut away by using borrowed ladders to climb up into the trees to effect this operation. By this time it was 6 pm, the wind had died away, but then it started to rain very heavily. The crew turned the airship broadside on in the hollow, pushed her nose hard into the trees, and picketed her down with sacks of earth and crowbars. It was not until 3.45 the next afternoon, after the rain eventually had ceased, that Gamma took off again for a final leg to Farnborough, taking only thirty-eight minutes at a speed of 50mph (80kph).

  Illustration from Fletcher’s report. (Via Nigel Caley)

  Another illustration from Fletcher’s report. (Via Nigel Caley)

  Third illustration from Fletcher’s report. (Via Nigel Caley)

  In September 1912 the Admiralty set up an Air Department to administer the Naval Wing. Captain Murray Sueter was tasked with overseeing all aspects of naval aviation. He had visited France, Germany and Austria three months earlier, while still on half pay, in the company of Mervyn O’Gorman, to inspect and report upon airship progress there. While in Austria they flew in a Parseval non-rigid airship from Aspern to Fischamend and inspected a kite-balloon and operating equipment (then regarded as on the secret list). The kite balloon, or drachen, was invented by Major von Parseval of airship fame in 1894. A spherical tethered balloon has the tendency to rotate about its vertical axis, thus making observation difficult and also possibly affecting the observers in the basket with nausea. The drachen overcame this effect by elongating and streamlining the hydrogen-filled balloon envelope, and adding a vertical lobe to the rear, containing air collected by a forward facing scoop. The nose was thereby kept head-on to the wind and the balloon was much more stable; in the same fashion as a weathercock. Despite repeated refusals from the German authorities, they made a voyage of some six hours duration in the Zeppelin airship Viktoria Luise, by the subterfuge of posing as Americans. On board were some twenty passengers, a civilian crew and a naval crew under training. The conditions were reasonably convivial, as apparently the German passengers spent most of the flight eating an enormous quantity of sausages and drinking champagne.176 During the flight over Hamburg, Lubeck and Kiel, they made conversation with a German naval officer, who told them that he was to be the captain of the first German naval airship, then under construction. Sueter also noted the excellent visibility gained from the airship of the shoal water when cruising over the Bay of Lubeck at a height of 3000 feet (910 metres) and overland, of deer running through corn from a height of 2000 feet (609 metres). In the course of their stay they uncovered the existence of thirty-three large airship sheds and half a dozen airship factories, and were particularly impressed by achievements in Germany, stating in their report, which was fully illustrated with photographs and sketches:

  ‘We were struck with the popular reception given to the airship. On passing over villages, isolated farms, etc, everybody turned out and cheered and waved to us. In many hundreds of miles on our small English ships, including trips to London, Farnham, Guildford, Salisbury, and down south to near Portsmouth, no such interest is evoked.’177

  LZ11 Viktoria Luise of DELAG.

  The successful results of German endeavours were contrasted unfavourably with the attitude of the British authorities over the previous five years:

  ‘German airships have, by repeated voyages, proved their ability to reconnoitre the whole of the German coastline on the North Sea. In any future war with Germany, except in foggy or stormy weather, it is possible that no British war vessel or torpedo craft will be able to approach within many miles of the German coast without their presence being discovered and reported. In short, every one of the tactical and strategic advantages which the Committee of Imperial Defence anticipated in 1909 when recommending the construction of a rigid airship for the Royal Navy, has been, or is in a fair way of being, realized by the German airships. These results have only been attained by perseverance under the most discouraging conditions of disaster and loss.’178

  They also noted that they had been informed that for experimental purposes, loads of up to 1000lbs (453 kilograms) had been dropped from airships:

  ‘While on the subject it may be remarked that for any nation to have a ton of explosives dropped above their admiralty, War Office or administrative buildings would, to say the least of it, be inconvenient,
unless proper alternative underground offices have been foreseen.’179

  The two authors may have resorted to irony and perhaps a certain amount of judicious exaggeration, but they made their case well and it was one of the contributory factors to the revival of the Naval Airships Section. It certainly encouraged Seely’s technical sub-committee to action, as in its report of July 1912 it stated that the government’s policy should move away from merely monitoring and keeping in touch with developments in aerial navigation, to hastening its progress. It was felt that the previous policy, which did not want to encourage a type of warfare which could directly threaten Britain’s insular security, had been overtaken by events and was dangerously out of date. Sticking one’s head in the sand and hoping that it would all turn out for the best would not suffice. The comparative merits of heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air craft had not yet been sufficiently proven to abandon one totally in favour of the other. Whilst it may have been thought that the fixed-wing aircraft had greater future potential, there was no effective anti-aircraft gun in existence which could guarantee the destruction of an enemy airship, nor were aeroplanes capable of so doing.

  The army manoeuvres of September 1912 saw the debut of the new airship Delta, which was the largest British non-rigid so far, with a capacity of 175,000 cubic feet (4952 cubic metres). She had a pair of 110 hp White and Poppe engines, driving swivelling propellers, which allowed a top speed of 42mph (67kph). Her gestation period (since 1910) had been long because it had been the intention to construct Delta as a semi-rigid with an envelope made from waterproofed silk – both these ideas proved impractical and were abandoned. The manoeuvres were held in Cambridgeshire, with the opposing Red and Blue Armies commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Douglas Haig, KCVO, CB, KCIE and the ‘portly but gifted’180 Lieutenant General J.M. Grierson, CVO, CB, CMG respectively. The General Staff issued a preliminary memorandum which stated:

  ‘There can no longer be any doubt as to the value of airships and aeroplanes in locating an enemy on land, and obtaining information which could only otherwise be obtained by force. In this year’s army manoeuvres each force will be provided with a detachment of the Royal Flying Corps, consisting of one aeroplane squadron and one airship detachment. The detachment with each force will be under the immediate orders of the commander, who will employ it in co-operation with the other arms and more particularly with the cavalry, for obtaining information as to the movements of the hostile force. The work of cavalry will undoubtedly be aided greatly by a well-trained aeronautical service, but, except to a certain extent in longdistance reconnaissance, aircraft can in no way replace or revolutionize its action.’181

  Beta II & Delta on manoeuvres.

  A cache of hydrogen cylinders being stacked for the airships taking part in the Army manoeuvres of 1912. (Via Nigel Caley)

  After the army manoeuvres in 1912, Beta, HMA No2 and Delta. (via Nigel Caley)

  The Red Army was the theoretical invasion force marching on London, with the Blue Army intent upon halting its progress.

  On Friday, 13 September, Gamma (Captain Maitland) and Delta (Captain Waterlow) departed from Farnborough en route for Kneesworth and Thetford. Unfortunately the newer airship, Delta, suffered engine trouble over Hampstead, but was able to use her wireless to send word of her non-arrival – this first aerial distress message was also received as far away as the Royal Navy’s shore establishment in Portsmouth, HMS Vernon, giving further proof of its effectiveness. Accordingly, Beta, flown by Lieutenant Fletcher, was dispatched to take her place. The only difficulty was that Beta was not equipped with a wireless set, so depriving the Red Army of this facility – the fixed-wing aircraft did not have wireless sets. On Monday, the first day of action, the utility of Gamma and her wireless, which was driven by a generator powered by air from the engine’s slipstream, rapidly became evident, with full details of the enemy’s dispositions being supplied very early in the proceedings from a height of 4000 feet (1200 metres) to the ground station several miles away. It was shown during these early experiments that wireless messages could be received up to 35 miles (56 kilometres) away. The Blue Army was adjudged to have won the exercise, somewhat against the odds, as it was something of a scratch force in comparison to the Red Army, with Gamma’s assistance being regarded as being more than helpful to the successful outcome. One night flight was made with the object of gaining experience in reconnaissance and bomb-dropping. The exercise was judged a success and the inherent flexibility of airships was shown when Gamma, being unable to recover to her field base, rather than risk landing at an unknown spot in the dark, simply remained in the air until after dawn. Grierson out manoeuvred Haig and also concealed his troops from aerial observation much more efficiently. Both airships departed back to base at the conclusion of the manoeuvres a few days later. The chief umpire for the manoeuvres was no less a person than the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir J.D.P. French, GCB, GCVO, KCMG, ADC. It is to be hoped that Douglas Haig was moved to amend his views as previously expressed: ‘Tell Sykes [Major Frederick Sykes, the CO of the Military Wing RFC] he is wasting his time; flying can never be of any use to the Army.’182

  Haig was not instinctively opposed to change; it was more a question of being convinced of its practicality and utility. He regarded the reforming Secretary of State for War, R.B. Haldane with some favour, writing in his diary that he was: ‘A big fat man, but with a kind, genial face. One seemed to like the man at once – a most clear-headed and practical man – very ready to listen and weigh carefully all that is said to him.’183

  In fairness, it must be noted that Haig did indeed in time take heed of the lessons of one of the most embarrassing episodes of his professional career and in due course came to appreciate the efforts of the RFC in France.

  It was not only British generals who doubted the value of military aviation; the future Allied Commander-in-Chief of 1918, Généralissimo Ferdinand Foch, apparently stated in 1913, ‘aviation is fine as sport. I even wish officers would practise the sport, as it accustoms them to risk. But, as an instrument of war, it is worthless (c’est zéro).’184 He changed his mind just two years later:

  Groupe des Armées du Nord

  PC le 21 Juin, 1915

  Etat-Major

  Le Général Foch

  Commandant le Groupe des Armées du Nord

  À Son Excellence le Premier Lord de l’Amirauté,

  Whitehall,

  London, SW

  Depuis les débuts de la campagne, une escadrille d’aviation maritime Anglaise est stationnée a St Pol-sur-Mer. Commandée successivement par le Commandant Samson, puis par le Commandant Longmore, elle a toujours prêté son concours aux aviateurs francais pour l’accomplissement de la tâche commune, sollicitant même les missions les plus périlleuses.

  Le General Foch est très heureux d’adresser à tout le personnel de L’escadrille ses remerciements pour cette collaboration; il le félicite chaudement des exploits qu’il a mis à son actif, dûs autant à son initiative qu’à son audace.

  Le Général Foch serait très reconnaissant à Son Excellence le Premier Lord de l’Amirauté de bien vouloir transmettre ses felicitations aux intéressés.

  (Signed) F. Foch185

  There is also the possibly apocryphal story that one of the generals complained that the aircraft had completely spoiled the war, which was rather missing the point. Certainly General Grierson was in no doubt as to Gamma’s contribution to the successful outcome:

  ‘The impression left on my mind is that their use has revolutionized the art of war. So long as hostile aircraft are hovering over one’s troops, all movements are liable to be seen and reported, and therefore the first step in war will be to get rid of the hostile aircraft. He who does this first, or who keeps the last aeroplane afloat will win, other things being approximately equal. The airship, as long as she remained afloat, was of more use to me for strategical reconnaissance than the aeroplanes, as, being fitted with wireless telegraphy, I
received her messages in a continuous stream and immediately after the observations had been made. It is a pity that the airship cannot receive messages by wireless, but doubtless modern science will soon remedy this defect.’186

  Gamma had a few adventures on the way back to Farnborough with five officers on board, passing over Cambridge, to which it subjected a fusillade of celebratory Very lights, refuelling in Wiltshire, making a night stop at Chirton Manor and then colliding with a hayrick at Devizes, causing the envelope to heel over. In order to prevent any further damage, Major Maitland, who was in command, decided to deflate the envelope. The airship was then packed up and returned on a lorry to Farnborough for minor repairs.

  In a report from the War Office by the Director of Military Operations the following points were made:

  ‘65. The airships Beta and Gamma, both renovated and considerably improved, were also employed, one on each side, continually cruising over the battle area on Monday and Tuesday, a proportion of the naval crews under training being used. It should be noted that the airships employed have been constructed with a view to the training of personnel, and not for war.

  ‘69. The following points brought out during the manoeuvres are of interest:-

  Night work – No night work was carried out by aeroplanes. The airship Gamma made one night flight with the object of gaining experience in reconnaissance and bomb dropping. After carrying out the exercise successfully she failed to land at her field base on her return, and rather than risk a landing at an unknown spot, she remained in the air until after dawn. Method of Communication – the great advantage of fitting a wireless telegraphy apparatus in aircraft was shown by the work accomplished by the airship Gamma.’187