Airships as cheap, fast scout-cruiser substitutes

Alfred von Tirpitz eventually proposed a forty-ship light-cruiser force, but the High Seas Fleet began the war with only six scout cruisers in its organisation. The figures quoted in the book put the capability gap in procurement terms: six contemporary light cruisers averaged £405,494 each, compared with £50,875 for the cited airships. The cruisers took 24 to 33 months to build, whereas an early airship could be completed in five weeks and later large craft in six or seven months. Zeppelins could therefore add reconnaissance capacity far faster and more cheaply, although wind, accidents, and their demand for large bases made them an imperfect substitute.