the Navy together with a number of officers and men.



CHAPTER V
EARLY DAYS OF THE NAVAL AIRSHIP SECTION--
PARSEVAL AIRSHIPS, ASTRA-TORRES TYPE, ETC.

The rapid development of the rigid airships in Germany began to
create a considerable amount of interest in official circles. It
was realized that those large airships in the future would be
invaluable to a fleet for scouting purposes. It was manifest
that our fleet, in the event of war, would be gravely handicapped
by the absence of such aerial scouts, and that Germany would hold
an enormous advantage if her fleet went to sea preceded by a
squadron of Zeppelin airships.

The Imperial Committee, therefore, decided that the development
of the rigid airship should be allotted to the Navy, and a design
for Rigid Airship No. 1 was prepared by Messrs. Vickers in
conjunction with certain naval officers in the early part of
1909.

As will be seen later this ship was completed in 1911, but broke
in two in September of that year and nothing more was done with
her. In February, 1912, the construction of rigid airships was
discontinued, and in March the Naval Airship section was
disbanded.

In September, 1912, the Naval Airship section was once more