On the one hand there is helium, a non-inflammable gas which
would render airships almost immune to such attacks. On the other
hand, one opinion of thought is that the rigid airship in the future
will proceed to sea escorted by a squadron of scouting aeroplanes for
its defence, in the same way that the capital ship is escorted at sea
by destroyers and torpedo boats. This latter idea has been even
further developed by those who look into the future, and have conceived
the possibility of a gigantic airship carrying its own aeroplanes for
its protection.

To test the possibility of this innovation, a small aeroplane was
attached to one of our rigid airships beneath the keel. Attachments
were made to the top of the wings and were carried to the main
framework of the hull. The release gear was tested on the ground to
preclude the possibility of any accident, and on the day appointed the
airship was got ready for flight. While the airship was flying, the
pilot of the aeroplane was in his position with his engine just ticking
over. The bows of the airship were then inclined upwards and the
release gear was put into operation. The pilot afterwards said that he
had no notion that anything had been done until he noticed that the
airship was some considerable height above him. The machine made a
circuit of the aerodrome and landed in perfect safety, while no trouble
was experienced in any way in the airship. Whether this satisfactory
experiment will have any practical outcome the future alone can say,
but this achievement would have been considered, beyond all the
possibilities of attainment only a few years ago.

Since the Armistice several notable endurance flights were accomplished
by ships of the North Sea class, several voyages being made to the
coast of Norway, and quite recently a trip was carried out all round
the North Sea.

The weather has ceased to be the deterrent of the early days. Many will
no doubt remember seeing the North Sea airship over London on a day of
squalls and snow showers, and R 34 encountered heavy snow storms on the
occasion of one of her flight trials, which goes to prove that the
airship is scarcely the fair-weather aircraft as maintained by her
opponents.

Throughout the war our airships flew for approximately 89,000 hours and
covered a distance of upwards of two and a quarter million miles. The
Germans attempted to win the war by the wholesale sinking of our
merchant shipping, bringing