How An Invasion Would Appear - 1913 Vision of the Future

[Dave Homewood]

This is how the Illustrated London News pictured an invasion should war come! This was published in the Auclland Weekly News on the 10th of April 1913, quite prophetic, with the following caption:

"How an invasion by air would appear: An advancing Army of Air-Craft clearing a way for a water-borne fleet. The British Government has framed an Act forbidding the passage of unauthorised air-craft over certain areas, or, if the authorities should deem it necessary, over the whole of the coastline of the United Kingdom and the territorial waters adjacent thereto. On infringement of the law, the proper offices will be entitled, after giving a prescribed signal of warning, to fire at any such air-craft and use any and every means to prevent infraction of the law. This move has been deemed advisable in view of the numerous reports current of late of strange airships manoeuvring by night over this country. The fact gives particular interest to this drawing, which represents the eastern sky of England as it may one day appear, if the fears of some are realised. It shows an army of invading air-craft. In the middle is the main battle-squadron of airships equipped with appliances for bomb-dropping; in the foreground and in the background are high-speed aeroplanes acting as the fleet scouts. Unless met by a stronger opposing force. Such an army of air-craft could clear the way for the water-borne fleet of its country and so facilitate the landing of large bodies of troops. It may be remarked further that from a height of a mile on a clear day a vision of 90 miles can be obtained."


Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19130410-1-2

[flyjoe180]

The foresight of that article is uncanny.

[errolmartyn]

Of even more accurate foresight is this remarkable item published in 1913:

SEA SUPREMACY AND AIR SUPREMACY.
. . . Mr Harold Wyatt, writing on the same subject in the Nineteenth Century and After, pictures the change that Germany's aerial power has made in the outlook of the average Briton, whose old immunity from personal peril, he says, is for ever gone. “There will not be in all England,” he writes, “and perhaps in all Scotland and Wales, one dweller in a town of any size upon whose roof the levin bolt of death may not descend while he sleeps. Each night as he goes to his rest he will realise that he may be blown into eternity by a bomb from the dark heights of the air before the break of another dawn. And he will know, too, that to this appalling menace of imminent destruction are exposed equally with himself, and in equal helplessness, his womenfolk and his little children.” Mr Wyatt paints the shadows as black as possible, in order to emphasise the urgent need for the British Government to put in hand the construction at once of airships capable of meeting the German dirigibles on equal terms. He forecasts aerial battles between the United States and Japan. And he adds: “Not less will the fate of Australia and of New Zealand be settled in aerial conflict, and probably before another thirty years have passed."

[The Southland Times, 16 June 1913]

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

WOW!! That is pretty far-sighted, almost like he was a time traveller. I mean, in 1913 the concept of aerial bombing had not even reached any actual maturity, so how this chap envisaged such a future is incredible.

For the uninformed, in 1913 the word 'airship' referred to what we call an aeroplane, and 'dirigible' referred to what we call an airship, haha.

[nuuumannn]

For the uninformed, in 1913 the word 'airship' referred to what we call an aeroplane, and 'dirigible' referred to what we call an airship, haha.

and in case you are wondering, the definition of dirigible is 'able to be steered and directed', named after Henri Giffard's 1852 airship.

On the subject of prescience, anyone read H.G. Wells' 1907 book The War in the Air?

[Dave Homewood]

The Librivox talking book version here
librivox.org/war-in-the-air-the-by-h-g-wells/

[Dave Homewood]

Oh wow,these paintings from the year 1900 envisaging what life would be like in the year 2000 are wonderful. Check out all the aviation scenes, including airship battleships

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/paintings-reveal-what-people-in-1900-thought-the-year-2000-would-look-like-a6680196.html

[Dave Homewood]

Here is the 1910 German answer to the warlike airship, I guess the first anti-aircraft gun, built by Krupp, who'd make a lot more anti-aircraft guns after this...

[Dave Homewood]

And a little morale boost just after WWI began, from the Auckland Weekly News


Showing a painting of a bomb dropping from an aeroplane on to a German Zeppelin airship, over Nancy, France on 15 August 1914.

'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19140827-45-4'

Was this based on a real event? Well the Press reported on the 17th of August 1914:


AIRSHIP DESTROYED.


FRENCH AVIATOR DROPS BOMBS ON A ZEPPELIN.


(Received August 16th. 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, August 15.

A Zeppelin airship commenced a reconnaissance above Nancy, on August 8th. Perrin, an aviator, attached to the garrison immediately went out in his aeroplane, and out-manoeuvering the Zeppelin without difficulty, dropped bombs on it. The airship fell near Chateau Sahns, a mass of shattered wreckage. A number of French aviators have flown in Alsace, throwing messages down which give accurate accounts of
 the fighting.

[Dave Homewood]

Another of the great illustrations from Auckland Weekly News dated 3 December 1914




'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19141203-48-8'

[kiwithrottlejockey]