Olham 164 Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) For Wels/Catfish, and other Zeppelin fans. Sometimes, life shows unexpected coincidences. Now, that I am interested in WW1 aircraft, I find an article in my native hometown paper, about a look-out post on the island of Norderney. A photograph showed a heavy machine gun and a telescope on a platform, on top of a huge sand dune. I read, this guard had to observe the sky above the north sea, to look out for English "Zeppelins" and so to guard the Luftschiffhafen Hage. I hadn't even known, England had such airships. And I hadn't known, there was a "Zeppelin" base in Ostfriesland. After some research, I found something about the base. I saw, that the hospital, where I was born, had been a part of this former airship base. Peculiar feeling... During WW1, Hage was an important Luftschiffhafen (airship base) of the Kaiserliche Marine. Two such bases where built in Ostfriesland; the other was in Wittmundhafen. Altogether, the Deutsche Marine (German Navy) built 15 such bases. The base at Hage had 4 big Luftschiffhallen (airship hangars); each was 184 m long, 34 m wide and 28 m high. The base was built from November 1913 to April 1914. After the war, in the 1920s, they got destructed again. Up to 9 Luftschiffe where based in Hage. The "Zeppelins" where used for long range reconnaissance of enemy fleet movements, and also for bombing raids of land based and Naval targets. For start and landing of a "Zeppelin", many hands where needed. The tail end was held by 25 men, port and starbord side both needed 25 men again; the remaining cables and ropes got handled by 45 more men. It needed almost 200 men to start and land a Luftschiff safely. Hage had about 660 groundcrew men; also, there where 30 fighter aircraft with pilots for defense of the base. One picture shows a Luftschiff over my hometown Norden; the windmill still exists there. http://www.pilotundluftschiff.de/Hallehage.htm Edited June 21, 2009 by Olham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hauksbee 103 Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) What wonderful things we find when we start poking around in our parents past. Good to have you back, Olham. Edited June 21, 2009 by Hauksbee Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UK_Widowmaker 571 Posted June 21, 2009 Amazing coincidence! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 21, 2009 Do you know anything about English kinda Zeps, Widowmaker? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hasse Wind 46 Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) Fascinating stuff. You never know what you may find when you dig into history - places and areas you thought you knew like your own pockets may well hold secrets and little-known stories like in this case. Edit: Wikipedia has some info about Entente airships: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airship#World_War_I Edited June 21, 2009 by Hasse Wind Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted June 21, 2009 Very interesting stuff Olham. If they were flying the Zeps today maybe you and I could find work handling the lines. For start and landing of a "Zeppelin", many hands where needed. The tail end was held by 25 men, port and starbord side both needed 25 men again; the remaining cables and ropes got handled by 45 more men. It needed almost 200 men to start and land a Luftschiff safely. Hage had about 660 groundcrew men; also, there where 30 fighter aircraft with pilots for defense of the base. Would beat what I'm doing now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 21, 2009 Yep, tough times, Rickity! I'm earning very little recently; but so are many colleagues. But we will come out the other end! And until then, we find comfort in our crates. (Well - maybe comfort isn't really the right word - Lol!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted June 21, 2009 well now I don't know about you but I got a wicker ass goin on over here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 21, 2009 What is a "wicker ass" ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted June 21, 2009 It's the pattern in my backside after sitting long hours in my crate. The seat is made from wicker. Historically speaking that is. So you might say my virtual ass. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 21, 2009 Oh me oh my - I looked up "wicker" - what crate are you flying? Perhaps you want to change to an Albatros? Surface of the seat: padded leather - very comfortable! So, I can't complain. Make about three or four sorties per day; sometimes they are tough enough to make me tired really. Maybe I'm getting old? No - I won't get old! Lol!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Check Six 2 Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) The seating might have been more comfortable if you were sitting on a parachute. Pity the brass hats didn't think it quite the right thing to do. Abandon my aircraft!!!! Not unless she was on fire Sir!!! Nice Pics by the way Olham. You're quite lucky that the RNAS didn't hop over and level your airship sheds, and damage your beautiful hometown. Nice to hear the windmill is still there. Hope they keep looking after it. Edited June 23, 2009 by Steve Drew Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 24, 2009 Two pictures of soldiers on the above mentioned watchpost dune on the island of Norderney. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted June 24, 2009 I wonder my friend if in discovering the info in this thread you now feel even closer to the events in our wonderful sim? I would wonder if you have a relative that was a pilot or mechanic or soldier in the trenches during the Great War. You are not so far removed from the history. Even I have made minor attempts to look for my family names in Squadron rosters and so forth. My people came from Britain and Germany, the midwest and east coast of U.S.. So far no luck but I am kind of excited for you to maybe identify even more with interest and love of BH&H. I know I would. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hasse Wind 46 Posted June 24, 2009 I would wonder if you have a relative that was a pilot or mechanic or soldier in the trenches during the Great War. You are not so far removed from the history. I believe many forum members here are related at least to some people who served either in WW1 or WW2 or both. They were such huge conflicts that it was practically impossible not to have some part in them if you were a young (or not so young) man back then. I know my family had plenty of war veterans, though none of them are alive today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 24, 2009 Yes, my dad's father had been an infantery soldier, but I don't know where exactly. He was sent home after a forward attack, in which both his arms had been shot through by machine gun fire. There was also a far away relative, a pilot named Jeschonnek, but I don't know more about him, except that he was a high ranking officer in WW 2. My mother's dad was too young for WW 1, and too old for WW 2 - lucky man! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hasse Wind 46 Posted June 24, 2009 My mother's dad was too young for WW 1, and too old for WW 2 - lucky man! He was indeed lucky, because during the last months of the Third Reich the Volkssturm was recruiting men who could be over 60 years old at worst. I guess he was able to stay under their radar, so to speak. All of the vets that I know about in my family served in the army during WW2, most of them in infantry, but one was a medic and another an artilleryman. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 24, 2009 I guess he was able to stay under their radar, so to speak. No, he died from cancer in 1942. Maybe, "lucky man" wasn't really the right word... Which nationality are you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rickitycrate 10 Posted June 24, 2009 Some how it seems my family have not been engaged in combat. My father sufferred polio when 18 and was a farmer. I do remember my uncle Bill flying off to Germany in the early 60's for U.S. Army service. I was at the airport for his departure and I was impressed by the large transport that he was on. I was 4 or 5 at the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hasse Wind 46 Posted June 24, 2009 Which nationality are you? I'm a hodgepodge of nationalities actually. I was born in Estonia into a family who are descendants of Germans who migrated to the Baltic area centuries ago. There are also Russians and 'original' Estonians in the family tree. But I'm now living in Finland where I went in the 90s and have been a citizen for 11 years now. I've also lived in Germany for a couple of years, but decided to stay in Finland mostly for cultural and language reasons. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted June 24, 2009 Finland - land of thousand lakes. Must be beautiful in summer. I hope you'll keep on flying my side, at least with one of your pilots. I feel like a minority here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
