§ 82. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state, in view of the vulnerability of airships to attack, whether the Army can make any use of them for the transport of troops; whether he is aware that the estimated capacity of the new airship is 100 passengers; and whether, in these circumstances, he can state how many troops one of them would carry, allowing for the regular equipment that they must take with them?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Captain King)The potential use of airships for the transport of troops is being closely watched, but it would be premature at this stage of airship development to express any definite opinion on their utility for this purpose. As regards the second part of the question, the number of troops which could be transported would vary so considerably with circumstances, such as the nature of the operations and the distance involved, that it is impossible to give a figure which would not be misleading.