Akron (Airship)
Historical Note
USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a helium-filled rigid airship of the U.S. Navy, which operated between November 1931 and April 1933. She was the world's first purpose-built flying aircraft carrier, carrying F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes, which could be launched and recovered while she was in flight.
The airship's construction began on October 31, 1929 in Akron, Ohio by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation. The airship's maiden voyage was completed on November 2, 1931. It was destroyed in a sudden thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on the morning of April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. There were no life jackets onboard and the suddenness of the storm precluded the crew from using the single lifeboat. The loss of the Akron was the largest loss of life in any airship crash and led to all other airships being issued life jackets to avoid a fatal repeat.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Emile Chourré and Chourré Family Papers
The Emile Chourré and Chourré Family Papers is comprised of documents and scrapbooks, photographic prints and photograph albums, and assorted ephemera primarily pertaining to the life and military career of Lieutenant Commander Emile Chourré (1894-1938). Major topics include Chourré's military service, especially while stationed in Coco Solo, Panama; his service as a U.S. Naval announcer for the 1929-1931 and 1933-1934 National Air Races; and family (immediate and extended) photographs.
Margaret Keyser Early Aviation Photograph Collection
James H. Smith Aviation Photograph Collection
James Hamilton Smith (1913-2002) attended the Boeing School of Aeronautics and worked in the field of aviation as a government contractor for the Boeing Company, as well as the Defense Contract Administration Services. This small collection consists primarily of black-and-white photographs that were either taken or collected by Smith during his time at the Boeing School, as well as throughout his career in aviation, which spanned from the early 1930s to the late 1960s.
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