Need help....were lugers assigned to zepplins?
 

Do you guys know of any documented lugers that were assigned to zepplins? If so, are they traceable based upon any markings? I know many ww1 lugers(navy, police, etc) were marked on the back straps which is how you could determine where the pistol came from. Thanks

There were some "L." (plus other letters) grip strap marked PO8s that are attributed to Observation Balloon Detachment, that may have been used by a Zepplin crews. But since they were loaded with Hydrogen gas, I wouldn't want to be aboard, when a gun was fired. TH

Hindenburg luger
 

I found a gentleman that claims to be in possession of a luger that came off of the Hindenburg. I was under the impression that the Hindenburg was a civilian airship which made me doubt the story even more. I'm trying to get more info on the pistol and see if perhaps he is interested in selling. Thanks

Edward

A Luger pistol was reported found in the Hindenburg wreckage fwiw.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster

Just thought it might be of interest.

I did find that as well. I'm just a bit skeptical that this one is that luger. It would be nice if the crews were assigned pistols that were marked but I doubt that will be the case.

Carring a pistol on a Zeppin was not as dangerous as people might think.

Zepplins that flew bombing raids over England were protected by numerous machine gun ports to fend off fighters. There ports were located all around the Zepplin to protect the ship from planes approching from any direction. The interior of these aircrafts were honeycombed with catwalks that allowed the crew to move about the interior. They were also carring quite a few bombs.

The Zeppin's best defense in the beginning of the War was the fact they could fly at higher altitudes then fighters, but English technology improved the plane's engines so they could reach these big targets. Still, attacking a ship this well armed was very dangerous. They used a different, less volatile gas then the Hindenburg.

Most of the Zeppins were lost to storms over the North Atlantic/English Channel. This was the same cause that ended America's lighter then air fleet program in the 1920s, after a number of disasters.
Joe

I believe there are only two gases that work for lighter than air craft. Hydrogen and Helium. The Germans were forced to use Hydrogen, as most of the Helium in the world comes from right here in good old Texas, and the United States wasnt about to let the Germans have any. Roosevelt couldnt even get Congress to let the Germans have any after the Hindenburg disaster. Phosphorous bullets were developed to shoot down the Zeppelins during World War 1, by igniting the Hydrogen in them...

Well, there is another factor regarding whether to use Hydrogen or Helium, and it has military implications: The lifting capacity of a cubic unit of Hydrogen is exactly twice that of Helium.

Many, if not most of the Zeppelins were Naval ships. The Army also had some, but the Naval ones were predominant. Therefore, if Lugers were used on the Naval ships, and they were Naval issue and unit marked, it should be a Naval unit mark and none have been attributed to the Zeppelins that I know of. On Army ships, I have no idea what the unit mark would be, if any. I would doubt that the numbers issued would have been that great, if any were issued. Officers would probably have bought there own pistols and would most likely have been 7.65. Who knows what the crew would get, especially since weight was critical on an airship.