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.
| World | A colossal lighterthanair craft capable of controlled flight |
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Osprey Publishing (uk) Zeppelin vs british home defence 1915-18, paperback/jon guttman
