Peter Strasser

Peter Strasser (April 1, 1876 - August 6, 1918) Chief Commander of Germany's Luftschiffer airforce during World War I. He was the main leader of the Zeppelins command and in charge, operating bombing campaigns from 1915 to 1918.

Strasser was born in Hanover, Germany on April 1, 1876. At the age of 15, he joined the German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). After serving on board the Stein and the Moltke, he entered the Naval academy in Kiel. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1895. He served in several ships in Asia from 1897 to 1902. After returning to Germany, he was given command of a section of airships within the navy, the Luftschiffer.

Following the outbreak of World War I in August of 1914, Strasser took command of the reconissance campaigns by the Zeppelins. His task would take a new turn in the following year. Development of bomb attachments to the Zeppelin blimps introduced the first type of Aerial Bombing capabilities. On January 19, 1915, the first bombing raid occurred over London and Yarmouth, England. Over the next 3 years, bombing campaigns would be launched primarily against Britain and London, as well as Paris and cities in France, with nearly 1,000 operations in total, 200 being successful. Estimates of around 9,000 British lives and several hundred French lives would be lost during the war to these raids.

Strasser would not live to see the end of the war. On August 5-6, 1918, during a planned night raid on Britain, Strasser's Zeppelin, with himself and 22 men on board on board, was spotted by English reconissance over the English Channel. Pilot Peter Cadbury would take credit for shooting down the Zeppelin with its fleet commander on board.

Strasser's impact on both the War and history was important for the future warfare. His movement and persuasion of the German general staff to introduce Bombings ushered in a whole new meaning to warfare and brought into being the modern-day concept of total war to its true limits.