Zeppelin vs British Home Defence 1915–18

Zeppelin vs British Home Defence 1915–18 cover

Description

When Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin's rigid airship LZ 1 flew over Lake Constance in 1900, it was the most advanced and impressive flying machine in the world: a colossal, lighter-than-air craft capable of controlled flight. In World War I, Zeppelins were first used in a reconnaissance role, but on January 19, 1915 Kaiser Wilhelm II authorized their use in bombing strategic targets in England.

From then on, "Zeppelin" became synonymous with terror to the British, and indeed the airship's effectiveness was more psychological than material. Still, their raids compelled the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service to embark on a program of modernizing their aerial defenses, accelerating a process that would ultimately make the airplane, rather than the airship, the paramount flying machine of the war. Using specially commissioned artwork, contemporary photographs, and first-hand accounts, this book tells the fascinating story of Britain's first Blitz, from the airships who terrorized the public to the men who sought to defend the skies.

Table of Contents

Introduction /Chronology/ Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Strategic Situation /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Further Reading /Index

Product details

Published Mar 20 2018
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 80
ISBN 9781472820334
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 3 col
Dimensions 248 x 184 mm
Series Duel
Short code DUE 85
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Jon Guttman

Jon Guttman, a resident of Leesburg, Virginia, is…

Illustrator

Jim Laurier

Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives i…

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