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USS Akron (ZRS-4)
Encyclopedia
USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a helium
-filled rigid airship
of the United States Navy
that was lost in a weather-related accident off the New Jersey
coast early on April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crew and passengers on board. During its accident-prone 18-month term of service, she also served as a flying aircraft carrier
for launching F9C Sparrowhawk biplane
fighter
s.
At 785 ft (239.3 m) long, 20 ft (6.1 m) shorter than the German commercial airship Hindenburg
, Akron and her sister
were among the largest flying objects in the world. Although the Hindenburg was longer, it was filled with hydrogen, so the two U.S. airships still hold the world record for helium-filled airships.
in Springfield Township
near Akron, Ohio
by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation
. Because she was the biggest airship ever to be built in America up to that point, a special hangar was constructed in Akron and a team of experienced German airship engineers, led by Chief Designer Karl Arnstein
, instructed and supported design and construction of both U.S. Navy
airships USS Akron and .
On November 7, 1931, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett
—Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics
—drove the "golden rivet" in the ship's main ring. Erection of the hull sections began in March 1930. On May 10, Secretary of the Navy Charles Francis Adams
chose the name Akron (after the city near where it was being constructed) and Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Ernest Lee Jahncke announced it four days later, on May 14, 1930.
The airship's frame was built of duralumin
. Once completed, Akron could store 20000 US gal (75,708.2 l) of gasoline, which gave it a range of 10500 mi (9,124.2 nmi; 16,898.1 km). Eight Maybach
VL-2 gasoline engines were mounted inside the hull. Each engine turned one twin-bladed propeller via a driveshaft which allowed the propeller to swivel vertically and horizontally.
On August 8, 1931, Akron was launched (floated free of the hangar floor) and christened
by Mrs. Lou Henry Hoover
, the wife
of the President of the United States
, Herbert Clark Hoover. Akrons maiden flight took place around the Cleveland, Ohio
area on the afternoon of September 23 with Secretary of the Navy Adams and Rear Admiral Moffett on board. The airship made eight more flights—principally over Lake Erie but ranging as far as Detroit, Michigan
, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, Fort Wayne, Indiana
and Columbus, Ohio
—before being flown from Akron to the Naval Air Station (NAS) at Lakehurst, New Jersey
, where it was delivered to the Navy and commissioned
on Navy Day
, October 27, with Lieutenant Commander Charles E. Rosendahl
in command.
Akron had a unique feature, somewhat like the WW I German zeppelin spähkorb
device developed by Ernst Lehmann, for determining whether the air was clear below a fog bank to descend. A small weather station containing a radio transmitter was lowered on a cable and reported back to Akron whether there was clear air below the fog or whether it reached all the way to the ground.
and back. The return leg of the trip was made via the valleys of the Mississippi
and Ohio River
s.
on a search exercise. Proceeding to the coast of North Carolina
, Akron headed out over the Atlantic where it was tasked with finding a group of Guantanamo Bay-bound destroyer
s. Once located, the airship was to shadow them and report their movements. Clearing the North Carolina coast at 7:21 on the morning of January 10, the airship proceeded south, but bad weather prevented sighting the destroyers (contact with them was missed at 12:40, although they sighted Akron) and eventually shaped a course toward the Bahamas by late afternoon. Heading northwesterly into the night, Akron then changed course shortly before midnight and proceeded to the southeast. Ultimately, at 9:08 am on January 11 the airship succeeded in spotting the light cruiser
USS Raleigh (CL-7)
and 12 destroyers, positively identifying them on the eastern horizon two minutes later. Sighting a second group of destroyers shortly thereafter, the Akron was released from the evaluation about 10:00, having achieved a "qualified success" in the initial test with the Scouting Fleet.
As historian Richard K. Smith says in his definitive study, The Airships Akron and Macon, "...consideration given to the weather, duration of flight, a track of more than 3000 miles (4,828 km) flown, her material deficiencies, and the rudimentary character of aerial navigation at that date, the Akrons performance was remarkable. There was not a military airplane in the world in 1932 which could have given the same performance, operating from the same base."
As a result of this accident, a turntable with a walking beam on tracks powered by electric mine locomotives was developed to secure the tail and turn Akron even in high winds so that it could be pulled into the massive hangar at Lakehurst, NJ naval station.
"—something like a small airplane fuselage suspended beneath the airship that would enable an observer to serve as the ship's "eyes" below the clouds while the ship herself remained out of sight above them. Fortunately the basket was "manned" only by a sandbag
as the contraption proved "frighteningly unstable", swooping from one side of the airship to the other before the startled gazes of Akrons officers and men. It was never tried again.
Akron and sister Macon—which was still under construction—were regarded as potential "flying aircraft carrier
s", carrying parasite fighters for reconnaissance. On May 3, 1932, Akron cruised over the coast of New Jersey
with Rear Admiral George C. Day
—President of the Board of Inspection and Survey
—on board, and for the first time tested the "trapeze" installation for in-flight handling of aircraft. The aviator
s who carried out those historic "landings"—first with a Consolidated N2Y
trainer and then with the prototype Curtiss XF9C-1 Sparrowhawk—were Lieutenant Daniel W. Harrigan and Lieutenant Howard L. Young. The following day, Akron carried out another demonstration flight, this time with members of the House Committee on Naval Affairs on board; this time, Lieutenants Harrigan and Howard gave the lawmakers a demonstration of Akrons ability to handle aircraft.
Following the conclusion of those trial flights, Akron departed from Lakehurst on May 8, 1932, for the west coast. The airship proceeded down the eastern seaboard to Georgia
and then across the gulf plain, continuing over Texas
and Arizona
. En route to Sunnyvale, California
, Akron reached Camp Kearny
in San Diego, California
, on the morning of May 11 and attempted to moor. Since neither the trained ground handlers nor the specialized mooring
equipment needed by an airship of Akrons size were present, the landing at Camp Kearny was fraught with danger. By the time the crew started the evaluation, the heat of the sun's rays had warmed the lifting helium gas, and the expenditure of fuel (40 ST (36.3 t)) during the transcontinental trip had further lightened the airship making Akron all but uncontrollable.
The mooring cable was cut to avert a catastrophic nose-stand by the errant airship and Akron headed up. Most of the mooring crew—predominantly "boot" seamen from the Naval Training Station San Diego
—let go of their lines. One man was carried 15 ft (4.6 m) into the air before he let go and suffered a broken arm while three others were carried up even farther. Two of them—Aviation Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class Robert H. Edsall and Apprentice Seaman Nigel M. Henton—fell to their deaths. The third—Apprentice Seaman C. M. "Bud" Cowart—clung desperately to his line and made himself fast to it before he was hoisted aboard Akron an hour later. Nevertheless, Akron managed to moor at Camp Kearny later that day and proceeded thence to Sunnyvale. The tragic accident was captured on newsreel
film.
s from "enemy" ships, the scout ship managed to locate the opposing forces in just 22 hours—a fact not lost upon some of the participants in the exercise in subsequent critiques.
In need of repairs, Akron departed Sunnyvale on June 11 bound for Lakehurst on a return trip that was studded with difficulties, principally because of unfavorable weather, and arrived on June 15 after a "long and sometimes harrowing" aerial voyage.
Akron then underwent a period of voyage repairs before taking part in July in a search for the Curlew, a yacht which had failed to reach port at the end of a race to Bermuda
; the yacht was later discovered safe off Nantucket. She then resumed operations capturing aircraft on her "trapeze" equipment. Admiral Moffett again boarded Akron on July 20, but the next day left the airship in one of her N2Y-1s which took him back to Lakehurst after a severe storm had delayed the airship's own return to base.
Among the tasks undertaken were the maintenance of two aircraft patrolling and scouting on Akrons flanks. During a seven-hour period on November 18, 1932, the airship and a trio of planes searched a sector 100 mi (86.9 nmi; 160.9 km) wide.
After local operations out of Lakehurst for the remainder of 1932, Akron was ready to resume operations with the fleet. On the afternoon of January 3, 1933, Commander Frank C. McCord
relieved Commander Dresel as commanding officer, the latter becoming Macons first captain. Within hours, Akron headed south down the eastern seaboard toward Florida
where, after refueling at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Opa-locka, Florida
, near Miami
, the next day proceeded to Guantánamo Bay for an inspection of base sites. At this time the N2Y-1s were used to provide aerial "taxi" service to ferry members of the inspection party back and forth.
Soon thereafter, Akron returned to Lakehurst for local operations which were interrupted by a two-week overhaul and poor weather. In March, she carried out intensive training with an aviation unit of F9C-2s, honing hook-on skills. During the course of these operations, an overfly of Washington DC was made March 4, 1933, the day Franklin D. Roosevelt took the oath of office as President of the United States
.
On March 11, Akron departed Lakehurst bound for Panama
stopping briefly en route at Opa-Locka before proceeding on to Balboa
where an inspection party looked over a potential air base site. While returning northward, the airship paused at Opa-Locka again for local operations exercising gun crews, with the N2Y-1s serving as targets, before getting underway for Lakehurst on March 22.
On the evening of April 3, 1933, Akron cast off from the mooring mast to operate along the coast of New England, assisting in the calibration of radio direction finder stations. Rear Admiral Moffett was again on board along with his aide, Commander Henry Barton Cecil, Commander Fred T. Berry, the commanding officer of NAS Lakehurst, and Lieutenant Colonel Alfred F. Masury, USAR, a guest of the admiral, vice-president of the Mack Truck Co., and strong proponent of the potential civilian uses of rigid airships.
Akron soon encountered severe weather, which did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey
at 10:00 pm as wind gusts of terrific force struck its massive airframe. The airship was being flown into an area of lower barometric pressure than at take-off, which caused the actual altitude flown to be lower than that indicated in the control gondola. Around 12:30 am on April 4, Akron was caught by an updraft, followed almost immediately by a downdraft. Commander McCord—the captain—ordered full speed ahead, ballast dropped. The executive officer
—Lt. Cdr.
Herbert V. Wiley—handled the ballast and emptied the bow emergency ballast. Coupled with the elevator man holding nose up, this caused the nose to rise and the tail to rotate down. Akrons descent was only temporarily halted, whereupon downdrafts forced the airship down farther. Wiley activated the 18 "howlers" of the ship's telephone system, a signal to landing stations. At this point, Akron was nose up, between 12 and 25°
.
The Engineering Officer called out "800 feet" (240 m), which was followed by a "gust" of intense violence. The steersman reported no response to his wheel as the lower rudder cables had been torn away. While the control gondola was still hundreds of feet high, the lower fin of Akron had struck the water and was torn off.
ZRS4 rapidly broke up and sank in the stormy Atlantic. Akron had been lost owing to operator error, having been flown to sea into an intense storm front. The crew of the nearby German motorship Phoebus saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 12:23 and altered course to starboard to investigate, believing they were witnessing a plane crash. At 12:55, an unconscious Commander Wiley was pulled from the water while the ship's boat picked up three more men: Chief Radioman Robert W. Copeland, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Richard E. Deal, and Aviation Metalsmith Second Class Moody E. Erwin. Despite artificial respiration, Copeland never regained consciousness and died aboard Phoebus.
Although the German sailors spotted four or five other men in the water, they did not know their ship had chanced upon the crash of Akron until Lieutenant Commander Wiley regained consciousness half an hour after being rescued. The crew of Phoebus combed the ocean in boats for over five hours in a fruitless search for more survivors. The Navy blimp
J-3
—sent out to join the search—also crashed, with the loss of two men.
The United States Coast Guard
cutter —the first American vessel on the scene—arrived at 6:00, taking Akrons survivors and the body of Copeland aboard. Among the other ships combing the area for survivors were the heavy cruiser
, the destroyer , the Coast Guard cutter Mojave, and the Coast Guard destroyers McDougal and Hunt, as well as two Coast Guard aircraft. The F/V Grace F out of Gloucester MA also assisted in the search, employing her seining gear in an effort to recover bodies. Most casualties had been caused by drowning and hypothermia, as the crew had not been issued life jackets, and there had not been time to deploy the single life raft. The accident left 73 dead, making it the deadliest air crash up to that time. Wiley, standing next to the two other survivors, gave a brief account on April 6.
, was killed with 72 other men. As President Roosevelt commented afterward: "The loss of the Akron with its crew of gallant officers and men is a national disaster. I grieve with the Nation and especially with the wives and families of the men who were lost. Ships can be replaced, but the Nation can ill afford to lose such men as Rear Admiral William A. Moffett and his shipmates who died with him upholding to the end the finest traditions of the United States Navy."
USS Macon and other airships received life jacket packs in order to avert a repetition of the tragedy.
Songwriter Bob Miller wrote and recorded a song—"The Crash of the Akron"—within one day of the disaster.
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
-filled rigid airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
that was lost in a weather-related accident off the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
coast early on April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crew and passengers on board. During its accident-prone 18-month term of service, she also served as a flying aircraft carrier
Airborne aircraft carrier
Airborne aircraft carriers are aircraft which can launch other aircraft. These typically are large aircraft that launch fighter-interceptor planes.-Dirigible aircraft carriers:...
for launching F9C Sparrowhawk biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
s.
At 785 ft (239.3 m) long, 20 ft (6.1 m) shorter than the German commercial airship Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg
LZ 129 Hindenburg was a large German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume...
, Akron and her sister
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
were among the largest flying objects in the world. Although the Hindenburg was longer, it was filled with hydrogen, so the two U.S. airships still hold the world record for helium-filled airships.
Construction and commissioning
Construction of ZRS-4 commenced on October 31, 1929, at the Goodyear AirdockGoodyear Airdock
The Goodyear Airdock is an airship storage and construction hangar in Akron, Ohio.-History:Built and previously owned by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, later Goodyear Aerospace, it was constructed from April 20, 1929 to November 25, 1929, at a cost of $2.2 million...
in Springfield Township
Springfield Township, Summit County, Ohio
Springfield Township is one of the nine townships of Summit County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 15,168 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southeastern part of the county, it borders the following townships and cities:...
near Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
. Because she was the biggest airship ever to be built in America up to that point, a special hangar was constructed in Akron and a team of experienced German airship engineers, led by Chief Designer Karl Arnstein
Karl Arnstein
Karl Arnstein was one of the most important 20th century airship engineers and designers in Germany and the United States of America. He was born in Prague, Bohemia to Jewish parents. He developed stress analysis methods that have been incorporated into airships and airplane materials...
, instructed and supported design and construction of both U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
airships USS Akron and .
On November 7, 1931, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett
William A. Moffett
William Adger Moffett was an American admiral notable as the architect of naval aviation in the United States Navy.-Biography:...
—Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics
Bureau of Aeronautics
The Bureau of Aeronautics was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for Naval Aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" for the design, procurement, and support of Naval aircraft and related systems...
—drove the "golden rivet" in the ship's main ring. Erection of the hull sections began in March 1930. On May 10, Secretary of the Navy Charles Francis Adams
Charles Francis Adams III
Charles Francis Adams III was the United States Secretary of the Navy under President Herbert Hoover and a well-known yachtsman.-Life:...
chose the name Akron (after the city near where it was being constructed) and Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy....
Ernest Lee Jahncke announced it four days later, on May 14, 1930.
Duralumin
Duralumin is the trade name of one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The main alloying constituents are copper, manganese, and magnesium. A commonly used modern equivalent of this alloy type is AA2024, which contains 4.4% copper, 1.5% magnesium, 0.6% manganese and 93.5%...
. Once completed, Akron could store 20000 US gal (75,708.2 l) of gasoline, which gave it a range of 10500 mi (9,124.2 nmi; 16,898.1 km). Eight Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
VL-2 gasoline engines were mounted inside the hull. Each engine turned one twin-bladed propeller via a driveshaft which allowed the propeller to swivel vertically and horizontally.
On August 8, 1931, Akron was launched (floated free of the hangar floor) and christened
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
by Mrs. Lou Henry Hoover
Lou Henry Hoover
Lou Henry Hoover was the wife of President of the United States Herbert Hoover and First Lady of the United States, 1929-1933. Mrs. Hoover was president of the Girl Scouts of the USA for two terms, 1922-1925 and 1935-1937....
, the wife
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Herbert Clark Hoover. Akrons maiden flight took place around the Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
area on the afternoon of September 23 with Secretary of the Navy Adams and Rear Admiral Moffett on board. The airship made eight more flights—principally over Lake Erie but ranging as far as Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
and Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
—before being flown from Akron to the Naval Air Station (NAS) at Lakehurst, New Jersey
Lakehurst, New Jersey
Lakehurst is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 2,654.Lakehurst was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1921, from portions of Manchester Township, based on the results of a...
, where it was delivered to the Navy and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on Navy Day
Navy Day
Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. The term is also used in Britain to mean an open day at a dockyard such as HMNB Portsmouth, when the public can visit military ships and see air displays, roughly along the lines of an American Fleet Week .- Argentina...
, October 27, with Lieutenant Commander Charles E. Rosendahl
Charles E. Rosendahl
Charles Emery Rosendahl was a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy, and an advocate of lighter-than-air flight.-Early career:...
in command.
Akron had a unique feature, somewhat like the WW I German zeppelin spähkorb
Spy basket
The Spy gondola, Spy basket, Observation car or sub-cloud car was a byproduct of Peilgondel development . They were used almost entirely by the Germans in the First World War on their military airships...
device developed by Ernst Lehmann, for determining whether the air was clear below a fog bank to descend. A small weather station containing a radio transmitter was lowered on a cable and reported back to Akron whether there was clear air below the fog or whether it reached all the way to the ground.
Maiden voyage
On November 2, 1931, Akron cast off for a maiden voyage as a commissioned "ship" of the U.S. Navy and cruised down the eastern seaboard to Washington D.C. Over the weeks that followed, some 300 hours aloft were logged in a series of flights, including a 46-hour endurance run to Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
and back. The return leg of the trip was made via the valleys of the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
s.
Participation in a search exercise, January, 1932
On the morning of January 9, 1932, Akron cleared Lakehurst to work with the Scouting FleetScouting Fleet
The Scouting Fleet was part of the United States Fleet in the United States Navy, and renamed the Scouting Force in 1930.Established in 1922, the fleet consisted mainly of older battleships and initially operated in the Atlantic...
on a search exercise. Proceeding to the coast of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Akron headed out over the Atlantic where it was tasked with finding a group of Guantanamo Bay-bound destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s. Once located, the airship was to shadow them and report their movements. Clearing the North Carolina coast at 7:21 on the morning of January 10, the airship proceeded south, but bad weather prevented sighting the destroyers (contact with them was missed at 12:40, although they sighted Akron) and eventually shaped a course toward the Bahamas by late afternoon. Heading northwesterly into the night, Akron then changed course shortly before midnight and proceeded to the southeast. Ultimately, at 9:08 am on January 11 the airship succeeded in spotting the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
USS Raleigh (CL-7)
USS Raleigh (CL-7)
USS Raleigh was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the third Navy ship named for the city of Raleigh, North Carolina....
and 12 destroyers, positively identifying them on the eastern horizon two minutes later. Sighting a second group of destroyers shortly thereafter, the Akron was released from the evaluation about 10:00, having achieved a "qualified success" in the initial test with the Scouting Fleet.
As historian Richard K. Smith says in his definitive study, The Airships Akron and Macon, "...consideration given to the weather, duration of flight, a track of more than 3000 miles (4,828 km) flown, her material deficiencies, and the rudimentary character of aerial navigation at that date, the Akrons performance was remarkable. There was not a military airplane in the world in 1932 which could have given the same performance, operating from the same base."
First accident (February, 1932)
Akron was to have taken part in Fleet Problem XIII, but an accident at Lakehurst on February 22, 1932, prevented the airship's participation. While the ship was being taken from the hangar its tail came loose from its moorings, was caught by the wind, and crunched into the ground. The heaviest damage was confined to the lower fin area which required repairs before the ship was ready to go aloft again. In addition, ground handling fittings had been torn out of the main frame, necessitating repairs to those vital elements as well. Akron was not certified as airworthy again until later in the spring. Its next operation took place on April 28, when she made a nine-hour flight with Rear Admiral Moffett and Secretary of the Navy Adams aboard.As a result of this accident, a turntable with a walking beam on tracks powered by electric mine locomotives was developed to secure the tail and turn Akron even in high winds so that it could be pulled into the massive hangar at Lakehurst, NJ naval station.
Testing of the "spy basket"
Soon after returning to Lakehurst to disembark its distinguished passengers, Akron took off again to conduct a test of the "spy basketSpy basket
The Spy gondola, Spy basket, Observation car or sub-cloud car was a byproduct of Peilgondel development . They were used almost entirely by the Germans in the First World War on their military airships...
"—something like a small airplane fuselage suspended beneath the airship that would enable an observer to serve as the ship's "eyes" below the clouds while the ship herself remained out of sight above them. Fortunately the basket was "manned" only by a sandbag
Sandbag
A sandbag is a sack made of hessian/burlap, polypropylene or other materials that is filled with sand or soil and used for such purposes as flood control, military fortification, shielding glass windows in war zones and ballast....
as the contraption proved "frighteningly unstable", swooping from one side of the airship to the other before the startled gazes of Akrons officers and men. It was never tried again.
Experimental use as a "flying aircraft carrier"
Airborne aircraft carrier
Airborne aircraft carriers are aircraft which can launch other aircraft. These typically are large aircraft that launch fighter-interceptor planes.-Dirigible aircraft carriers:...
s", carrying parasite fighters for reconnaissance. On May 3, 1932, Akron cruised over the coast of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
with Rear Admiral George C. Day
George C. Day
George Calvin Day was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, whose career lasted from the 1890s until the mid-1930s.-Biography:...
—President of the Board of Inspection and Survey
Board of Inspection and Survey
The Board of Inspection and Survey is a U.S. Navy organization whose purpose is to inspect and assess material condition of Naval vessels.The Board is currently headquartered at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.- INSURV teams :...
—on board, and for the first time tested the "trapeze" installation for in-flight handling of aircraft. The aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
s who carried out those historic "landings"—first with a Consolidated N2Y
Fleet Model 1
-See also:...
trainer and then with the prototype Curtiss XF9C-1 Sparrowhawk—were Lieutenant Daniel W. Harrigan and Lieutenant Howard L. Young. The following day, Akron carried out another demonstration flight, this time with members of the House Committee on Naval Affairs on board; this time, Lieutenants Harrigan and Howard gave the lawmakers a demonstration of Akrons ability to handle aircraft.
"Coast-to-Coast" flight & second accident (May, 1932)
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and then across the gulf plain, continuing over Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. En route to Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, Akron reached Camp Kearny
Camp Kearny
Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base in San Diego, California, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. It operated from 1917 to 1946.-Establishment and early years:...
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, on the morning of May 11 and attempted to moor. Since neither the trained ground handlers nor the specialized mooring
Mooring mast
A mooring mast, or mooring tower, is a structure designed to allow for the docking of an airship outside of an airship hangar or similar structure...
equipment needed by an airship of Akrons size were present, the landing at Camp Kearny was fraught with danger. By the time the crew started the evaluation, the heat of the sun's rays had warmed the lifting helium gas, and the expenditure of fuel (40 ST (36.3 t)) during the transcontinental trip had further lightened the airship making Akron all but uncontrollable.
Naval Training Center San Diego
Naval Training Center San Diego is a former United States Navy base located at the north end of San Diego Bay. The Naval Training Center site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many of the individual structures are designated as historic by the city of San Diego.The base...
—let go of their lines. One man was carried 15 ft (4.6 m) into the air before he let go and suffered a broken arm while three others were carried up even farther. Two of them—Aviation Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class Robert H. Edsall and Apprentice Seaman Nigel M. Henton—fell to their deaths. The third—Apprentice Seaman C. M. "Bud" Cowart—clung desperately to his line and made himself fast to it before he was hoisted aboard Akron an hour later. Nevertheless, Akron managed to moor at Camp Kearny later that day and proceeded thence to Sunnyvale. The tragic accident was captured on newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
film.
West coast flights
Over the weeks that followed, Akron "showed the flag" on the west coast, ranging as far north as the Canadian border before returning south in time to exercise once more with the Scouting Fleet. Serving as part of the "Green" Force, Akron attempted to locate the "White" Force. Although opposed by Vought O2U Corsair floatplaneFloatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
s from "enemy" ships, the scout ship managed to locate the opposing forces in just 22 hours—a fact not lost upon some of the participants in the exercise in subsequent critiques.
Akron then underwent a period of voyage repairs before taking part in July in a search for the Curlew, a yacht which had failed to reach port at the end of a race to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
; the yacht was later discovered safe off Nantucket. She then resumed operations capturing aircraft on her "trapeze" equipment. Admiral Moffett again boarded Akron on July 20, but the next day left the airship in one of her N2Y-1s which took him back to Lakehurst after a severe storm had delayed the airship's own return to base.
Further tests as "flying aircraft carrier"
Akron entered a new phase of her career that summer engaging in intense experimentation with the revolutionary "trapeze" and a full complement of F9C-2s. A key element of the entrance into that new phase was a new commanding officer, Commander Alger Dresel.Third accident (August, 1932)
Unfortunately another accident hampered this vital training on August 22 when Akrons tail fin became fouled by a beam in Lakehurst's massive Hangar No 1 after a premature order to commence towing the ship out of the mooring circle. Nevertheless, rapid repairs enabled eight more flights over the Atlantic during the last three months of 1932. These operations involved intensive work with the trapeze and the F9C-2s, as well as the drilling of lookouts and gun crews.Among the tasks undertaken were the maintenance of two aircraft patrolling and scouting on Akrons flanks. During a seven-hour period on November 18, 1932, the airship and a trio of planes searched a sector 100 mi (86.9 nmi; 160.9 km) wide.
Return to the fleet
Frank C. McCord
Frank C. McCord was a commander of the United States Navy.-Biography:Commander Frank C. McCord was born at Vincennes, Indiana. He was appointed Midshipman on July 5th, 1907.From 1925 on, his career focused on naval aviation...
relieved Commander Dresel as commanding officer, the latter becoming Macons first captain. Within hours, Akron headed south down the eastern seaboard toward Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
where, after refueling at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the mid decade census, the population was 15,376 as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau....
, near Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, the next day proceeded to Guantánamo Bay for an inspection of base sites. At this time the N2Y-1s were used to provide aerial "taxi" service to ferry members of the inspection party back and forth.
Soon thereafter, Akron returned to Lakehurst for local operations which were interrupted by a two-week overhaul and poor weather. In March, she carried out intensive training with an aviation unit of F9C-2s, honing hook-on skills. During the course of these operations, an overfly of Washington DC was made March 4, 1933, the day Franklin D. Roosevelt took the oath of office as President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
On March 11, Akron departed Lakehurst bound for Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
stopping briefly en route at Opa-Locka before proceeding on to Balboa
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
where an inspection party looked over a potential air base site. While returning northward, the airship paused at Opa-Locka again for local operations exercising gun crews, with the N2Y-1s serving as targets, before getting underway for Lakehurst on March 22.
Fourth accident and loss of USS Akron (April, 1933)
Akron soon encountered severe weather, which did not improve when the airship passed over Barnegat Light, New Jersey
Barnegat Light, New Jersey
Barnegat Light is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 574. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island and is home to Barnegat Lighthouse....
at 10:00 pm as wind gusts of terrific force struck its massive airframe. The airship was being flown into an area of lower barometric pressure than at take-off, which caused the actual altitude flown to be lower than that indicated in the control gondola. Around 12:30 am on April 4, Akron was caught by an updraft, followed almost immediately by a downdraft. Commander McCord—the captain—ordered full speed ahead, ballast dropped. The executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
—Lt. Cdr.
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Herbert V. Wiley—handled the ballast and emptied the bow emergency ballast. Coupled with the elevator man holding nose up, this caused the nose to rise and the tail to rotate down. Akrons descent was only temporarily halted, whereupon downdrafts forced the airship down farther. Wiley activated the 18 "howlers" of the ship's telephone system, a signal to landing stations. At this point, Akron was nose up, between 12 and 25°
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
.
The Engineering Officer called out "800 feet" (240 m), which was followed by a "gust" of intense violence. The steersman reported no response to his wheel as the lower rudder cables had been torn away. While the control gondola was still hundreds of feet high, the lower fin of Akron had struck the water and was torn off.
ZRS4 rapidly broke up and sank in the stormy Atlantic. Akron had been lost owing to operator error, having been flown to sea into an intense storm front. The crew of the nearby German motorship Phoebus saw lights descending toward the ocean at about 12:23 and altered course to starboard to investigate, believing they were witnessing a plane crash. At 12:55, an unconscious Commander Wiley was pulled from the water while the ship's boat picked up three more men: Chief Radioman Robert W. Copeland, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Richard E. Deal, and Aviation Metalsmith Second Class Moody E. Erwin. Despite artificial respiration, Copeland never regained consciousness and died aboard Phoebus.
Although the German sailors spotted four or five other men in the water, they did not know their ship had chanced upon the crash of Akron until Lieutenant Commander Wiley regained consciousness half an hour after being rescued. The crew of Phoebus combed the ocean in boats for over five hours in a fruitless search for more survivors. The Navy blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
J-3
J-Class Blimp
-See also:...
—sent out to join the search—also crashed, with the loss of two men.
The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
cutter —the first American vessel on the scene—arrived at 6:00, taking Akrons survivors and the body of Copeland aboard. Among the other ships combing the area for survivors were the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
, the destroyer , the Coast Guard cutter Mojave, and the Coast Guard destroyers McDougal and Hunt, as well as two Coast Guard aircraft. The F/V Grace F out of Gloucester MA also assisted in the search, employing her seining gear in an effort to recover bodies. Most casualties had been caused by drowning and hypothermia, as the crew had not been issued life jackets, and there had not been time to deploy the single life raft. The accident left 73 dead, making it the deadliest air crash up to that time. Wiley, standing next to the two other survivors, gave a brief account on April 6.
Aftermath of the loss of USS Akron
Akrons loss spelled the beginning of the end for the rigid airship in the US Navy, especially since one of its leading proponents, Rear Admiral MoffettWilliam A. Moffett
William Adger Moffett was an American admiral notable as the architect of naval aviation in the United States Navy.-Biography:...
, was killed with 72 other men. As President Roosevelt commented afterward: "The loss of the Akron with its crew of gallant officers and men is a national disaster. I grieve with the Nation and especially with the wives and families of the men who were lost. Ships can be replaced, but the Nation can ill afford to lose such men as Rear Admiral William A. Moffett and his shipmates who died with him upholding to the end the finest traditions of the United States Navy."
USS Macon and other airships received life jacket packs in order to avert a repetition of the tragedy.
Songwriter Bob Miller wrote and recorded a song—"The Crash of the Akron"—within one day of the disaster.
See also
- List of airships of the United States Navy, Akrons sister shipSister shipA sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
. - List of airship accidents
- Mooring mastMooring mastA mooring mast, or mooring tower, is a structure designed to allow for the docking of an airship outside of an airship hangar or similar structure...
External links
- Airships.net: U.S.S. Akron and Macon
- USS Akron page from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting ShipsDictionary of American Naval Fighting ShipsThe Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships is the official reference work for the basic facts about ships used by the United States Navy...
- USS Akron and Macon
- Images of the U.S.S. Akron from the Summit Memory Project
- Herbert V. Wiley Captain USN USS West Virginia 1944-1945
- the 3 survivors of the Akron (1933 Akron newsreels)
- "Navy Air Giant Handles Easy As A Yacht", December 1931, Popular Mechanics
- "World's Biggest Airship To Fly In May", February 1931, Popular Science large detailed article with cutaway drawing of Akron