Part 5 (2/2)

The Hydrogen Plant

The original hydrogen plant was enlarged to a capacity output of 353,100 cubic feet (10,000 cubic meters) daily, with storage facilities for 2,118,600 cubic feet (60,000 cubic meters). Since the war, the storage facilities have been reduced to 706,200 cubic feet (20,000 cubic meters) by order of the Allied Commission.

Powerful Radio Station

The Zeppelin wireless plant, started in 1910, has continued to develop with the science of radio and is now able to communicate with the United States.

The duralumin factory is capable of meeting all Zeppelin requirements.

The Great Zeppelin Hangars

The original shed, built in 1908-09 and first used in 1910, is now the ring building factory, where the great transverse frames for the Zeppelins are made. It is 603 feet (184 meters) long, 150.8 feet (46 meters) wide and stands 65.6 feet (20 meters) high-huge dimensions in the early days but utterly dwarfed by the great sheds which have since appeared alongside. There are double doors at each end, one set operated on the turning, the other on the sliding principle. They are opened and closed by electricity in a few minutes.

In this shed twenty-eight Zeppelins were a.s.sembled, the last being LZ-39 after which it was devoted to the transverse ring frames.

[PLATE 31: The ”DELAG” Pa.s.senger Zeppelin ”Victoria Louise”, 1912.

The ”DELAG” Pa.s.senger Zeppelin ”Victoria Louise”, 1912.]

Twenty Zeppelins were built in the new shed, number one (Plate 16), which is 629.8 feet (192 meters) long, 129.23 feet (39.4 meters) wide and 91.8 feet (28 meters) high. Its double sliding doors are electrically operated.

Six of the larger Zeppelins were either built or reconstructed in another new shed, number two, erected to accommodate s.h.i.+ps of 1,942,050 cubic feet (55,000 cubic meters) and more. It is 787.2 feet (240 meters) long, 150.8 feet (46 meters) wide and 114.8 feet (35 meters) high. Its sliding doors can be opened or closed within fifteen minutes. Both of the large sheds have long docking rails at each end which enables the Zeppelins to leave or return to shelter within a few minutes.

Another shed near the works at Loewental was turned over to Zeppelin by the Government. The Navy Zeppelin L-11 was built there in 1915. The last one was the navy s.h.i.+p L-72 which was completed as the armistice was signed. It was not inflated for delivery; and, therefore, remained the property of the Zeppelin Company.

In the spring of 1919 the L-72 was outfitted for a demonstration flight from Berlin to the United States and return; but it was prevented by the Allied Commissions which ordered it to be kept in the shed until delivered to France. All the Zeppelins a.s.sembled at Loewental were fabricated at the main plant and taken there only for final a.s.sembling of the parts.

The Potsdam Plant

[PLATE 32: The ”DELAG” Pa.s.senger Zeppelin ”Victoria Louise”.

The s.h.i.+p's 1000th trip, totaling 40,000 miles in 1292 hours and during which 22,039 pa.s.sengers were carried without injury of any kind.

The ”DELAG” Pa.s.senger Zeppelin ”Victoria Louise”.

Count Zeppelin and Doctor Eckener beneath the s.h.i.+p.]

The Zeppelin plant at Potsdam was erected in 1912 as an airs.h.i.+p harbor and the following winter became one of the main construction centers with shed, workshops, and other necessary equipment. Here the pa.s.senger Zeppelin ”=Sachsen=” was lengthened early in 1914. The last of the sixteen s.h.i.+ps built there was the army Zeppelin LZ-81 late in 1916, after which, because the shed was too small for the larger s.h.i.+ps, it was used for building giant seaplanes. Later on it was converted into a special repair factory of all the airs.h.i.+p motors. The airs.h.i.+p personnel was transferred to the Staaken plant near Berlin.

The Colossal Staaken Plant

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