Short Rounds

The Kaiser’s Airshipmen Volunteer for Extra-Hazardous Duty

From January of 1915 through July of 1917, Germany conducted numerous air raids on British cities using rigid airships – Zeppelins. 

This was hazardous duty, for Zeppelins full of hydrogen were liable to burn at the slightest spark, which could be provided by British fighters or anti-aircraft guns or just friction, and the airships were often at the mercy of the winds as well. So casualties were high. In the course of the war Germany deployed 117 Zeppelins, including ships that were not used to raid Britain. Of these, 39 were shot down by Allied ground fire or airplanes and another 42 lost to due to the weather or to accidents, or were just never heard from again. 

A raid on England on October 19, 1917 was perhaps typical. The eleven attacking zeppelins dropped 275 bombs, which caused the deaths of 36 people. But five of the airships failed to return, though only one was lost to enemy action. 

Despite these heavy losses, the morale of the Kaiser’s airshipmen remained high throughout the war. Indeed, it was so high that many of the men, already volunteers for hazardous duty, would eagerly volunteer for the even more hazardous duty of serving as observers.

Since navigation was often uncertain when Zeppelins were flying above clouds, some were equipped with an observation basket that could be lowered through the cloud layers. In that way one or two men in the basket would have a good view of the earth’s surface. From this position, they could keep the ship informed by telephone of the landmarks below, helping it navigate to and from its target.

Of course this was particularly hazardous, as the men were without parachutes in a flimsy basket dangling at the end of a 750 meter tether, in freezing cold. Yet there never seems to have been a shortage of volunteers for this duty. In part this was due to the very high morale of the airshipmen. But volunteers also gained a privilege denied to everyone else on the ship; the little basket dangling at the end of nearly a half-mile of cable was the only place on the airship where a man was allowed to have a cigarette.

Generals’ Threads

OOne way to endure in living memory is to get something named after yourself. A surprising number of commanders have managed to achieve that distinction, which, for some of them, is about the only reason anyone might possibly recognize their name any longer. Forthwith, some articles of attire named after military or national leaders, whether they are still in common use or not.

• Bismarck Boots. High topped cavalry-type boots, rising above the knee that sometime German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck liked to wear. Otto has a number of other articles of clothing named after him, and one of his descendants was a prominent fashionista in the late twentieth century. There are also a large number of places named after Otto, and many other things that one would normally not wear, such as Bismarck herring, Bismarck pastry (similar to the popular German fat-pill known as a Berliner), and even a stout-and-champagne concoction that he favored more commonly known in the U.S. as a Black Velvet (among the many things Otto left to his heirs were thousands of empty booze bottles, which had never been thrown away) .
• Cardigan Sweater. A sweater that buttons down the front, designed by James Thomas Brudenell, the Seventh Earl of Cardigan, based on his experiences in the Russian winter in the Crimean War, during which he commanded the Light Brigade on its famous, if disastrous, charge.
• Jeff Davis Bonnet. A calico and gingham bonnet reportedly designed by Varina Davis, the Confederate president’s wife. They were adopted by Southern women in territories controlled by Union forces because they were inexpensive, durable, and could be worn in such a way as to conceal the face, so that a woman could not be looked upon by Yankee soldiers. Supposedly, the bonnets were banned by some Union commanders.
• Eisenhower Jacket. A cut-down version of the standard “Pinks and Greens” era U.S. Army officer’s service jacket, designed by – or for – Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. It permitted an officer to be properly uniformed yet still able to drive and work more comfortably than if he were in the standard military blouse of the times. The “Ike Jacket,” as it is also called, has been adopted in modified form by all the services.
• Franco Pants. Designed by Francisco Franco Bahamonde, later the Caudillo of Spain, based on the native dress of the Rif tribesmen of Morocco, for use by the Spanish Foreign Legion, with ample pockets and baggy knees, so that the troops could sit comfortably on the ground without stretching the cloth, which is still worn in the Legion and by many campers.
• Garibaldi Shirt. A bright red woolen overshirt, modelled on the work smocks that Italian nationalist leader Giuseppe Garibaldi issued to his troops, which became popular with some fashionable women during the 1860s. There was also a “Garibaldi Hat,” a rather large, floppy beret-like affair that saw some popularity, being sometimes worn by genteel ladies. During the Civil War, both the shirt and hat were sported by the 39^th New York, the “Garibaldi Guard,” a regiment made up of foreign volunteers.  While the shirt and hat are long out of fashion, Garibaldi is still commemorated in the “Garibaldi biscuit,” a kind of “currant sandwich” popular in Britain which was named in his honor.
• Havelocks. The small square of canvas or cotton seen hanging from the back of the kepis worn by many mid-nineteenth century soldiers. They were designed by Major-General Sir Henry Havelock to help keep the sun off the troops’ necks during the Indian Mutiny. The things were much despised by the troops, as they soiled very easily, but did prove useful for cleaning weapons, and they passed out of use in American service early in the Civil War (when they were distributed in the thousands by women, North and South, wishing to do their bit for the war effort), but lasted in the French Foreign Legion into the twentieth century.
• Jefferson Booties. Shoes that are closed with laces. Although wealthy enough to afford the customary fashionable buckled shoes of the day, while president Thomas Jefferson wore laced shoes as a symbol of republican simplicity.  As they were also cheaper, during his administration laced shoes began to be issued to the army and were commonly nicknamed “Jefferson Booties.”
• Mao Jacket. Designed by Chinese national hero Sun Yat-Sen during the early years of the Chinese Republic, as a “modern” alternative to traditional Chinese dress, and looking rather like a military tunic, this garment was popularized by the Chinese Communist dictator Mao Zedong.
• McClellan Cap. The common term for the French kepi unofficially worn of many Union troops – especially officers – in preference to the standard issue forage cap, which was actually similar, but more like a “soft” shako, named, of course, after George B. “Little Napoleon” McClellan, who also invented a a saddle that bears his name.
• Nehru Jacket. A shortened version of a traditional Indian men’s jacket made popular by Indian nationalist leader Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Raglan Sleeve. A sleeve that has a more ample shoulder opening, so that it can pulled on more readily with only one hand. It was designed for Lord Raglan, who had lost an arm at Waterloo, and later went on to command the British expedition to the Crimea. 
• Sam Brown Belt. A belt with a strap that goes over the right shoulder, making the carrying of a pistol, ammunition, and various other officer-necessities, including a sword, easier. It was designed by British Indian Army General Sir Sam Browne VC, GCB, KCSI (1849-1898) while still a captain, having lost an arm in the course of winning a V.C. during the Indian Mutiny. The belt became popular in many armies during World War I, including the U.S. Army, and was in common usage into the mid-twentieth century.
• Wellington Boots. Introduced by the Duke of Wellington, who modified the standard Hessian military footwear so that he could have a soft calfskin boot reaching only to mid-calf, cut closely around the leg, with one-inch heels, that could serve either in the field or for social wear. The Duke had several other articles of clothing named after him, including the “Wellington coat,” described as “a kind of a half-and-half great coat and undercoat . . . meeting close and square below the knees,” “Wellington trousers,” and even a “Wellington hat,” not to mention the “Wellington chest,” a tall, portable chest of six drawers that the Duke apparently designed for use in the field.

Note: Readers are encouraged to submit addition items for this list.