Galgestrømstien EN - Blimps of the Past
Zeppelin Blimp Base
During the First World War the German Navy established a vast Zeppelin blimp base north of Tønder. The Eksercergården constituted the barracks and gasworks of the Zeppelin base. Later on the barracks and military camp was located here until the shutdown in 2002. The hangars and gasworks were dismantled after the war in 1920 but the vast foundations of the zeppelin hangars, a flight hangar and a number of other buildings still exist. Work is being done to preserve them and you can experience the entire story at the Zeppelin and Garnisons museum a bit further on to the left.
Zeppelin L30
This blimp was the first with side gondolas and it was the most successful blimp during the First World War. The L30 was stationed in Tønder in the spring of 1917 but was taken out of service November 17th that same year. In 1920 it was dismantled and delivered to Belgium as war compensation. Later on it was scrapped. The gondolas and other parts from the L30 can be seen today at the Aviation Museum in Brussels.
A zeppelin on its way into the double hangar ‘Toska’. The Hangars ‘Tobias’ and ‘Toni’ are seen on the left next to the crew’s barracks. What remains of the hangars can be seen in the Soldaterskov north of Tønder (pink dot on the map).
The Tønder based L20 was wrecked on the Norwegian shore near Stavanger on May 3rd 1916.
