The Emperor (Fuhrer) of Germany was Kaiser Wilhelm II. Germans were called Heinies, Huns, or Swabians, but not Nazis. The term Nazi came along with Hitler, as well as the Swastika for a symbol, while the Kaiser's symbol was a Maltese Cross, but Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II had the same idea as Der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler. "Germany is indeed the master race, so therefore we are destined to rule the world." On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war, so World War I began.

The Count's Zeppelins are monsters, nearly as long as two football fields laid end to end. Two gondolas are hung below, one fore and one aft on both lower sides.

Ladders are used to climb down into the gondolas. Also, fore and aft two 210 HP engines hang, the fifth engine is located in the rear gondola, along with four machine gunners. On the extreme top of the Zeppelins, also fore and aft, a nest for two machine gunners was installed. In the extreme middle of the air ship the bomb racks are located. The bombers began by throwing down artillery shells, with a rag fastened to the back end. This would cause them to hit nose first and explode, but soon, bombs were being manufactured, some weighing as much as 660 lbs. However, this exposes the Zeppelins' crew members to an enemy far worse than any of the allies, for the whole air ship was completely unheated, including the gondolas. Because of the highly flammable 1,126,000 cubic feet of hydrogen gas inside the cells (gas bags). All crew members wore special fur lined flying suits, with several pairs of  "long johns" underneath. Some of them were so bundled up, they resembled big polar bears, but still the extreme cold managed to creep into their flying gear.

Some crew members had their fingers and toes so frost-bitten that sometimes gangrene set in. (Especially the machine gunners up on top of the Zeppelin.) Then the thinner air at 20,000 feet caused another problem; most of the crew had to breathe oxygen. Count Zeppelin had his main factory in Friedrichshafen, Germany. This part of Germany borders Switzerland and Austria. The people in this region are called Swabians and their language in dialect called Swabian German. That is why the Kaiser contemptuously called the Count "The Great Swabian Count Jackass." That is how much he disapproved of him and his dirigible efforts. Gold-beaters skin is used for separating the leaves of gold in gold-beating, which is the process of hammering gold into thin leaves four to five millionths of an inch in thickness. This is used for gilding (gold plating an object). Count Zeppelin discovered that the gold-beaters skin will not rip or accumulate static electricity.

This was before synthetic materials of any kind were available and rubber would accumulate static electricity and cause sparks. So the Count used gold-beaters skin for the inside lining of the the gas cells for his Zeppelins. Each skin was first moistened in brine and carefully scraped clean. The skins were then stuck together and glued to fine linen panels. Once a cell was complete, it was partially inflated so that workers wearing soft slippers could patch any holes. The linen panels then formed the outside of the gas cells. They were filled with hydrogen, the lightest element, which is colorless, odorless, but very flammable. It was a very dangerous gas to use, but no other gas was available. Helium is also a lighter-than-air gas and perfectly safe to use. However, the United States has always been the only source of helium gas. We refused to sell any to Germany, because they could use it against us in case of war.

Many people were benefiting from Count Zeppelin and his dirigible efforts. Several farmers in the Swabian area were required to raise large beef herds. Several large slaughter houses were required to work around the clock. Several meat markets in neighboring towns had a plentiful supply of beef. Count Zeppelins dirigibles needed several gas bags to lift them, depending on how big the air ship being built.

The largest ones needed eighteen gas bags for a lift off. What did all of these herds of cows have to do with Count Zeppelins gold-beater skins? Are you ready for this? It took almost 50,000 gold-beater skins (so called) to line just one gas cell. Where did the gold-beater skins come from? They are the lining of the cow's stomach!

The Count's first Zeppelin, The LZ-1, he first flew on July 2, 1900. (Just six days before his 62nd birthday.) From 1915 through 1917, his factory built two Zeppelins a month. One for the Army and one for the Navy. Late in 1917, plans were made to attack the United States with Zeppelins: New York City as the first target. One huge monster, The L70, is completed and two more are almost ready to leave the assembly line. The three will have the capability to drop bombs on NYC and return nonstop safely to Germany. Bombs weighing 2,200 lbs. had already been developed. This would ruin the city as a seaport and cause havoc in American hearts. Then, praise the Lord, on November 11, 1918 Germany surrenders and World War I is over! Now, you remember the Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, labeled the Count as "The Great Swabian Count Jackass." Yet, just one year later he visits Count Zeppelin and awards him a medal, the Order of the Black Eagle. Then, hails him as "The Greatest Man of the 20th Century." Count Zeppelin was 78 1/2 years old when he caught pneumonia and passed away March 8, 1917. Several years after the war, the United States Navy purchased six of the Count's Zeppelins. However, they never proved very practical and did not last too many years. Today you can travel to the city of Friedrichshafen, Germany where Count Zeppelin's main factory was located. At 22 Seestrasse, a huge museum pays tribute to the fabulous Count. It even contains a replica of the giant and historic Zeppelin, The Hindenburg. Count Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin was indeed a very remarkable person!

Sources:
The Hindenburg, An Illustrated History, By Rick Archbold
The Canvas Falcons: By Stephen Longstreet
Frommer's 2000 Germany: By Darwin Porter and Dan Prince
The Zeppelins: By The History Channel

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