The Africa Ship

In 1917, with Paul von Lettow‑Vorbeck’s forces fighting a desperate guerrilla campaign in East Africa and supplies running dangerously low, the German Navy proposed an almost unbelievable solution. They would send a single airship from Bulgaria on a nonstop, one‑way mission across the Mediterranean, over enemy territory, and deep into the African interior. It was one of the most daring and least‑known operations of World War I. To explore the story of the Africa Ship, the World War I Podcast hosted historian and author Dominic Etzold, author of The Africa Ship: Ludwig Blockholt, Zeppelin L 59, and the Most Daring Rescue Mission of World War I . Have a comment about this episode? Send us a text message! (Note: we can read texts, but we cannot respond.)

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The Africa Ship is an episode from World War I Podcast by MacArthur Memorial.

This episode is 23:20 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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