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The airship's first "official" function, however, was not to be in commercial transatlantic passenger service for which it was designed and built, but instead as a vehicle of Nazi propaganda. Three days after the ''LZ 129'''s first flight, German troops had occupied the [[Rheinland]] region abutting the borders with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France, an area which the [[Treaty of Versailles]] had specified in 1920 to be de-militarized in order to provide a buffer between Germany and the four neighboring countries to the west of the [[Rhine|Rhein River]]. In order to then "justify" this action, a plebiscite was quickly called by Hitler for March 29 for the purpose of asking the German people to reaffirm him as [[Chancellor_of_Germany#Chancellors_of_the_Third_Reich_.281933.E2.80.931945.29|Reich Chancellor (Reichskanzler)]] and [[Führer]], and "ratify" the Rheinland occupation which had been taken in violation of the [[Locarno Pact]]. The ''LZ 129'' and the venerable [[LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin|''Graf Zeppelin'']] were designated to be a key part of the process.
The airship's first "official" function, however, was not to be in commercial transatlantic passenger service for which it was designed and built, but instead as a vehicle of Nazi propaganda. Three days after the ''LZ 129'''s first flight, German troops had occupied the [[Rheinland]] region abutting the borders with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France, an area which the [[Treaty of Versailles]] had specified in 1920 to be de-militarized in order to provide a buffer between Germany and the four neighboring countries to the west of the [[Rhine|Rhein River]]. In order to then "justify" this action, a plebiscite was quickly called by Hitler for March 29 for the purpose of asking the German people to reaffirm him as [[Chancellor_of_Germany#Chancellors_of_the_Third_Reich_.281933.E2.80.931945.29|Reich Chancellor (Reichskanzler)]] and [[Führer]], and "ratify" the Rheinland occupation which had been taken in violation of the [[Locarno Pact]]. The ''LZ 129'' and the venerable [[LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin|''Graf Zeppelin'']] were designated to be a key part of the process.

[[Image:Deutchlandfahrt leaflet 1936.jpg|thumb|right|Propaganda leaflet dropped from the ''Hindenburg'' during the "Deutschlandfahrt" (''The Cooper Collections'')]]


For the four days prior to the balloting, German Propaganda Minister [[Joseph Goebbels|Dr. Joseph Goebbels]] demanded that the two airships<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-propa.JPG]</ref> were to fly "in tandem" over Germany on a so called "Hitler Re-election and Rheinland Referendum Flight" ("Deutschlandfahrt") taking off together from Friedrichshafen on the morning of March 26. It was on this day, the LZ 129 was named the ''Hindenburg''. Wind conditions were not good for takeoff, but Captain [[Ernst Lehmann]], determined to impress the politicians that were present on the field, rushed the takeoff and the ship rose in a majestic manner with full engine power. However, a gust of wind hit the ship and the lower tail fin hit the ground, damaging the rear end of the fin<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-fins1.JPG]</ref>. The ''Graf Zeppelin'' was thus left alone on the propaganda mission while temporary repairs were made<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-fins2.JPG]</ref> to the ''Hindenburg'' which then joined up with the smaller airship later that day. As millions of Germans watched from below, the two giants of the sky flew throughout Germany for the next four days and nights dropping propaganda leaflets, blaring martial music and slogans from large loudspeakers, and broadcasting election speeches form a makeshift radio studio on board the ''Hindenburg''. Two days after the "election" (in which Hitler received a 99% "yes" vote), the ''Hindenburg'' finally left on its first commercial flight, sailing for [[Rio de Janeiro]] on March 31.<ref>Mooney 1972 pp. 82–85.</ref> The ''Hindenburg'' made its first flight to Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1936 - one year to the day it crashed. It arrived in America on May 9 and subsequently established a regular transatlantic passenger service. Passengers interviewed after the flight expressed much satisfaction about the flight. The cost of a ticket from Germany to Lakehurst was US$400 (about US$5,900 in 2008 dollars<ref> [http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl Data]</ref>), which was quite a considerable sum for the Depression era. Hindenburg passengers were generally affluent, including many leaders of industry.
For the four days prior to the balloting, German Propaganda Minister [[Joseph Goebbels|Dr. Joseph Goebbels]] demanded that the two airships<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-propa.JPG]</ref> were to fly "in tandem" over Germany on a so called "Hitler Re-election and Rheinland Referendum Flight" ("Deutschlandfahrt") taking off together from Friedrichshafen on the morning of March 26. It was on this day, the LZ 129 was named the ''Hindenburg''. Wind conditions were not good for takeoff, but Captain [[Ernst Lehmann]], determined to impress the politicians that were present on the field, rushed the takeoff and the ship rose in a majestic manner with full engine power. However, a gust of wind hit the ship and the lower tail fin hit the ground, damaging the rear end of the fin<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-fins1.JPG]</ref>. The ''Graf Zeppelin'' was thus left alone on the propaganda mission while temporary repairs were made<ref>[http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/exhibits/haldick/images/hd-fins2.JPG]</ref> to the ''Hindenburg'' which then joined up with the smaller airship later that day. As millions of Germans watched from below, the two giants of the sky flew throughout Germany for the next four days and nights dropping propaganda leaflets, blaring martial music and slogans from large loudspeakers, and broadcasting election speeches form a makeshift radio studio on board the ''Hindenburg''. Two days after the "election" (in which Hitler received a 99% "yes" vote), the ''Hindenburg'' finally left on its first commercial flight, sailing for [[Rio de Janeiro]] on March 31.<ref>Mooney 1972 pp. 82–85.</ref> The ''Hindenburg'' made its first flight to Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1936 - one year to the day it crashed. It arrived in America on May 9 and subsequently established a regular transatlantic passenger service. Passengers interviewed after the flight expressed much satisfaction about the flight. The cost of a ticket from Germany to Lakehurst was US$400 (about US$5,900 in 2008 dollars<ref> [http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl Data]</ref>), which was quite a considerable sum for the Depression era. Hindenburg passengers were generally affluent, including many leaders of industry.

Revision as of 22:02, 1 July 2008

"The Hindenburg" redirects here. For the film, see The Hindenburg (film); for other uses, see Hindenburg.

Template:Infobox Aircraft

LZ 129 Hindenburg (Luftschiff Zeppelin #129) was a large German passenger carrying rigid airship which operated commercially from March 1936 until destroyed by fire in May 1937. During the first transatlantic journey of its second season of service the Hindenburg went up in flames while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey. Thirty-six people died in the accident, which was widely reported by film, photography, and radio media.

The Hindenburg was named after the late Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934), President of Germany (1925–1934).

Design and development

Main article: Hindenburg-class airship

Hindenburg had a Duralumin structure, incorporating fifteen Ferris-wheel-like bulkheads along its length. Sixteen cotton gas bags were fitted between these, and the bulkheads were braced to each other by longitudinal girders placed around their circumferences. The airship's skin was of cotton doped with a mixture intended both to protect the gas bags within from damaging ultraviolet light and from infrared light that would cause them to overheat. Helium was initially selected as the lift gas, but hydrogen was ultimately used when the United States (the world's largest producer of helium) refused its supply.

The interior furnishings of the were designed by Professor Fritz August Breuhaus, whose design experience included Pullman coaches, ocean liners, and warships of the German Navy.[1] The upper A Deck contained small passenger quarters in the middle flanked by large public rooms: a dining room to port as well as a lounge and writing room to starboard. Paintings on the walls of the dining room portrayed the Graf Zeppelin's trips to South America. A stylized world map covered the wall of the lounge. Long slanted windows ran the length of both decks. The passengers were expected to spend most of their time in the public areas rather than their cramped cabins.[2] Those who travelled on board the Hindenburg believed that it was the most luxurious aircraft ever to fly, and not a single passenger suffered from airsickness.

The lower B Deck contained washrooms, a mess hall for the crew, and a smoking lounge. Recalled Harold G. Dick, an American representative from the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation, "The only entrance to the smoking room, which was pressurized to prevent the admission of any leaking hydrogen, was via the bar, which had a swiveling air-lock door, and all departing passengers were scrutinized by the bar steward to make sure they were not carrying out a lighted cigarette or pipe."[3]

After five years of on-and-off construction, the yet-unnamed LZ 129 was finally completed in early 1936 and made its first official flight on March 4.

Operational history

First year of service

The LZ 129 "Hindenburg" was operated commercially by the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH which was set up in March 1935, by the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, the German Air Ministry, and Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

The airship's first "official" function, however, was not to be in commercial transatlantic passenger service for which it was designed and built, but instead as a vehicle of Nazi propaganda. Three days after the LZ 129's first flight, German troops had occupied the Rheinland region abutting the borders with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France, an area which the Treaty of Versailles had specified in 1920 to be de-militarized in order to provide a buffer between Germany and the four neighboring countries to the west of the Rhein River. In order to then "justify" this action, a plebiscite was quickly called by Hitler for March 29 for the purpose of asking the German people to reaffirm him as Reich Chancellor (Reichskanzler) and Führer, and "ratify" the Rheinland occupation which had been taken in violation of the Locarno Pact. The LZ 129 and the venerable Graf Zeppelin were designated to be a key part of the process.

For the four days prior to the balloting, German Propaganda Minister Dr. Joseph Goebbels demanded that the two airships[4] were to fly "in tandem" over Germany on a so called "Hitler Re-election and Rheinland Referendum Flight" ("Deutschlandfahrt") taking off together from Friedrichshafen on the morning of March 26. It was on this day, the LZ 129 was named the Hindenburg. Wind conditions were not good for takeoff, but Captain Ernst Lehmann, determined to impress the politicians that were present on the field, rushed the takeoff and the ship rose in a majestic manner with full engine power. However, a gust of wind hit the ship and the lower tail fin hit the ground, damaging the rear end of the fin[5]. The Graf Zeppelin was thus left alone on the propaganda mission while temporary repairs were made[6] to the Hindenburg which then joined up with the smaller airship later that day. As millions of Germans watched from below, the two giants of the sky flew throughout Germany for the next four days and nights dropping propaganda leaflets, blaring martial music and slogans from large loudspeakers, and broadcasting election speeches form a makeshift radio studio on board the Hindenburg. Two days after the "election" (in which Hitler received a 99% "yes" vote), the Hindenburg finally left on its first commercial flight, sailing for Rio de Janeiro on March 31.[7] The Hindenburg made its first flight to Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1936 - one year to the day it crashed. It arrived in America on May 9 and subsequently established a regular transatlantic passenger service. Passengers interviewed after the flight expressed much satisfaction about the flight. The cost of a ticket from Germany to Lakehurst was US$400 (about US$5,900 in 2008 dollars[8]), which was quite a considerable sum for the Depression era. Hindenburg passengers were generally affluent, including many leaders of industry.

During 1936, its first year in service, the airship flew 308,323 km (191,583 miles) with 2,798 passengers and 160 tons of freight and mail. It made a total of 17 round trips across the Atlantic Ocean; 10 trips to the U.S. and seven to Brazil. In July 1936, the Hindenburg also completed a record Atlantic double crossing in five days, 19 hours and 51 minutes. After defeating Joe Louis, the German boxer Max Schmeling returned home on the Hindenburg to a hero's welcome in Frankfurt.[9] The Hindenburg's success encouraged the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Company to plan the expansion of its airship fleet and transatlantic services.

During its first year of service, the airship had a special aluminium Blüthner grand piano placed on board in the music salon. It was the first piano ever placed in flight and helped host the first radio broadcast "air concert." The piano was removed after the first year to save weight.[10]

During the winter of 1936–37, several changes were made. The greater lift capacity allowed 10 passenger cabins to be added, nine with two beds and one with four beds, increasing the total passenger capacity to 72.[11] In addition, "gutters" were installed to collect rain for use as water ballast.

Final flight

Main article: Hindenburg disaster

The first of ten scheduled round trips between Europe and the United States to be made by the "Hindenburg" in the 1937 season departed Frankfurt for Lakehurst on the evening of 3 May, and except for strong headwinds which slowed the passage the crossing was otherwise uneventful.

Around 7:00 p.m. local time on 6 May, at an altitude of 650 feet (200 m), the Hindenburg with Captain Max Pruss at the helm approached the Lakehurst Naval Air Station and prepared to land. Twenty-five minutes later, the airship caught fire and quickly became engulfed in flames. The location of the initial fire, the source of ignition, and the initial source of fuel remain subjects of debate. Of the 36 passengers and 61 crew, 13 passengers and 22 crew died. Also killed was one member of the ground crew

The incident is widely remembered as one of the most dramatic accidents of modern time. The cause of the accident has never been determined, although many theories, some highly controversial, have been proposed.

Popular culture

  • Actual footage of the Hindenburg is shown in the 1937 Charlie Chan film Charlie Chan at The Olympics, recently released on DVD by 20th Century Fox films. The movie depicts Chan onboard for a flight across the Atlantic, and mentions nothing concerning the disaster.

Specifications

General characteristics

  • Crew: 40 to 61
  • Capacity: 50-72 passengers

Performance

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Lehmann 1937, p. 319.
  2. ^ Dick and Robinson 1985, p. 96.
  3. ^ Dick and Robinson 1985, p. 97.
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ [3]
  7. ^ Mooney 1972 pp. 82–85.
  8. ^ Data
  9. ^ Berg, Emmett. "Fight of the Century". Humanities, Vol. 25, No. 4, July/August 2004. Retrieved: 7 January 2008.
  10. ^ A History of the Blüthner Piano Company. Retrieved: 7 January 2008.
  11. ^ Mooney 1972 p. 95.

Bibliography

  • Archbold, Rick. Hindenburg: An Illustrated History. Toronto: Viking Studio/Madison Press, 1994. ISBN 0-670-85225-2.
  • Birchall, Frederick. "100,000 Hail Hitler; U.S. Athletes Avoid Nazi Salute to Him". The New York Times, 1 August 1936, p. 1.
  • Botting, Douglas. Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine: The Great Zeppelin and the Dawn of Air Travel. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2001. ISBN 0-80506-458-3.
  • Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederi. Airship Voyages Made Easy (16 page booklet for "Hindenburg" passengers). Luftschiffbau Zeppelin G.m.b.H., Friedrichshafen, Germany, 1937.
  • Dick, Harold G. and Robinson, Douglas H. The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Airships Graf Zeppelin & Hindenburg. Washington, D.C. and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985. ISBN 1-56098-219-5.
  • Duggan, John. LZ 129 "Hindenburg": The Complete Story. Ickenham, UK: Zeppelin Study Group, 2002. ISBN 0-9514114-8-9.
  • Hoehling, A.A. Who Destroyed The Hindenburg? Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1962. ISBN 0-44508-347-6.
  • Lehmann, Ernst. Zeppelin: The Story of Lighter-than-air Craft. London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1937.
  • Majoor, Mireille. Inside the Hindenburg. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. ISBN 0-316-123866-2.
  • Mooney, Michael Macdonald. The Hindenburg. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1972. ISBN 0-396-06502-3.
  • National Geographic. Hindenburg's Fiery Secret (DVD). Washington, DC: National Geographic Video, 2000.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LZ 129 Hindenburg.

Video

Articles

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