§ 27. Sir M. Sueterasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what recorded opinion there is in his office as to the value of small airships in the last war as escorts for ships carrying food and raw materials to our home ports and if there is any recorded case of a merchant ship being sunk by a submarine when under small airship escort; what was the number of small airships and airship stations built in the late war; and whether the Admiralty now possess any small airships or intend to develop airshipsthat can hover for helping to combat submarines?
§ Mr. ChurchillDuring the last war the Admiralty built over 200 airships, including a large fleet of Zeppelins and 10 airship stations. Except for the useful patrolling work of the little Blimps around the harbours they were not otherwise of much military value. To-day the Admiralty possess no airships, but in view of their small offensive value against submarines, and their extreme vulnerability to attacks from enemy aircraft and from the anti-aircraft armament of U-boats, there is no need to deplore our deficiency in this respect.