The Kyritz-class is a class of Zeppelin featured in the Crimson Skies board game. It is a zeppelin built by the Zeppelin Company and operated mainly by Germany, designed as a measure to stop the rampant rise of aerial piracy in Europe that had spread from North America. Germany requested a new zeppelin to deal with them, and the Zeppelin Company responded with the Kyritz-class, the largest German zeppelin ever. It measured 1,520 feet long and was covered in weapons, and the Zeppelin Company could produce them at a rapid rate, leading to them quickly entering the service of the Luftwaffensonderkorps (Special Air Force Corps) and being used to destroy pirate havens across Europe. The silent engines have lead to it gaining the nickname Stille Jaeger (Silent Hunter) among its enemies.[2]
Design history[]
The Kyritz-class can trace its roots back to the LZ-1, the first zeppelin produced by the Zeppelin Company, and while the company has been surpassed by Imperial Air in terms of luxury and the Austin Airship Company in terms of firepower, it could still produce highly detailed and well built zeppelins. The design was well-engineered yet conservative, and it soon proved to be the backbone zeppelin for Germany's airship fleet.[2]
Operational history[]
The design entered service in 1934 with the lead zeppelin Kyritz, which made a circuitous trip from Berlin to Chicago and is the most famous zeppelin of the class. It has been in the public times many times, ensuring it remains the most famous of the line. The second zeppelin was named the Baron Von Richthofen in honor of the famous Great War ace, which travelled to North Africa for its maiden voyage before stopping over in Italy. In total, approximately sixteen zeppelins of the class have been built and are in service with various groups internationally, though the total is not completely known due to three near complete zeppelins and one which was presumed lost over the ocean.[2]
Kyritz-class zeppelins are widely used in Germany as the premier battleship zeppelin thanks to its heavy firepower. It is the largest military zeppelin in Europe in terms of size, outclassing military zeppelins from France, Italy, and the British Empire. The best zeppelin captains of Germany serve aboard a Kyritz-class, and it is a sure-fire way to ensure promotion. The zeppelins patrol the borders of Germany as well as the skies over nations who are unable to oppose them, in addition to being a regular sight over the Baltic Sea which results in more and more frequent incidents with British zeppelins.[1]
The most public of these incidents occurred in the morning of December 15th, 1936, when the Kyritz-class Doppelganger encountered the British Sussex-class zeppelin Thunderchild at the edge of the Balkan Sea. A cameraman recorded the battle, running out of film just as the losing zeppelin limped away. The Doppelganger was patrolling the sky when the Thunderchild appeared from behind a cloud bank, and the Doppelganger turned to engage it. As the two exchanged fire, the Thunderchild scored two direct hits on the Doppelganger's aircraft control system, disabling it after only two Focke-Wulf Fw 193 Hellhounds had been launched which turned to engage the eighteen British fighters the Thunderchild had launched regardless.[1]
The captain of the Doppelganger vented helium to force the battle down to just a few hundred meters off the ground, with the aim to trap the British zeppelin low to the ground and score enough hits to force it to land in Germany. It initially worked and the two continued to heavily damage the other until the British captain worked out the ploy and dropped ballast,[1] causing the Thunderchild to rapidly climb to 3,000 feet and destroy two fighters in the process. However, the Doppelganger scored a hit on the main gondola of the Thunderchild, destroying it completely and resulting in the body of the captain never being recovered. The zeppelins began to disengage, the two Hellhounds being shot down and the British fighters returning to the Thunderchild as its remaining crew used as much of its remaining power to escape the area. The captain of the Doppelganger did not pursue, as its damages were so extensive that its captain ordered a return to base for repairs.[3]
The event is studied by strategists constantly over the world, and has been turned into a Hollywood movie called Double Thunder, though even the director admits that it is not as good as the original footage of the event.[3]
Despite primarily being German-made and used, a small handful have made their way over to America, most notably to the Industrial States of America (ISA). While the ISA does produce several classes of zeppelin themselves, they are best at producing Cargo zeppelins, not military zeppelins. A Kyritz-class, the Siegfried, serves as their primary flagship.[2]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Koepke, P., Zeppelins and Bombers, an unofficial Crimson Skies sourcebook, pp. 145. https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Ud808zyErB30o3HgnQHsuSCtVUm2XzU/view?usp=sharing
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Koepke, P., Zeppelins and Bombers, an unofficial Crimson Skies sourcebook, pp. 144. https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Ud808zyErB30o3HgnQHsuSCtVUm2XzU/view?usp=sharing
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Koepke, P., Zeppelins and Bombers, an unofficial Crimson Skies sourcebook, pp. 146. https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Ud808zyErB30o3HgnQHsuSCtVUm2XzU/view?usp=sharing