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
reconstituted and was stationed at Farnborough. The first
requirements were airships, and owing to the fact that airship
construction was so behindhand in this country, in comparison
with the Continent, it was determined that purchases should be
made abroad until sufficient experience had been gained by
British firms to enable them to compete with any chance of
success against foreign rivals.
First a small non-rigid, built by Messrs.
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