WWI Zeppelins & Airships

While France was the first European country to use military observation balloons in the Franco-Prussian War, Germany soon surpassed it on its way to becoming the first nation to employ airships as offensive aerial platforms in combat.

Prior to WWI, Germany took a commanding lead in Luftschiff (Airship) military operations using hydrogen-filled airships.   An accompanying robust airship support organization was formed, consisting of ground troops, airbases, hangars, weather stations, schools, and other elements.

Just before the outbreak of WWI, Germany had eight prominent manufacturers of various Luftschiff designs competing to equip the German military for the coming conflict. The most prominent manufacturer was the Zeppelin Company.  Their cigar-shaped “rigid airships” had a stiff aluminum exterior skeleton and grey covering skin, enclosing bags not visible from the outside that were filled with flammable hydrogen.

German propaganda and mobilization planning prior to hostilities emphasized that the airship's cutting-edge technology provided strategic and tactical advantages. To realize this perceived advantage, the German Army and Navy selected four (4) of the eight competing firms to manufacture and deliver military airships for combat use: Zeppelin; Schütte-Lanz; Parseval; Gross-Basenach.