Up Ship - Naval Lighter Than Air

[PhrogPhlyer]

This day in Naval Aviation, 20 April 1917, Pensacola FL.
First flight of a US Navy blimp, the DN-1, later referred to as a Class A ship.
Pilots were LCDR Frank M. McCrary USN and LT Stanley V. Parker assisted by PO Jimmy Shade.

Unfortunately the DN-1 was a complete failure. It lacked lift, just barely made 35 mph and the transmission overheated, melting the bearings.

 

[ea6bflyr]

This day in Naval Aviation, 20 April 1917, Pensacola FL.
First flight of a US Navy blimp, the DN-1, later referred to as a Class A ship.
Pilots were LCDR Frank M. McCrary USN and LT Stanley V. Parker assisted by PO Jimmy Shade.

Unfortunately the DN-1 was a complete failure. It lacked lift, just barely made 35 mph and the transmission overheated, melting the bearings.

The blimp hangar barge is pretty interesting. I wonder how long those stuck around before the US Navy abandoned them.

edit: Found out it only lasted until 1920.

Five stories tall, Hangar Barge Number One was one of the most unique vessels to ever enter the U.S. naval fleet. Built to house the Navy’s first airship, the DN-1, the hangar lasted only 5 years. Launched in 1915 at the American Bridge Company’s shipyard on the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, towed down the Mississippi and along the Caribbean coast until it reached its Pensacola NAS home, it was scrapped in 1920 as unsuitable for either airship or airplane use.

Aerial Age Weekly Magazine described it as follows:
The hangar is of steel, 60 by 140 feet, and it draws eighteen inches of water. The hull, six feet deep, is divided into eight watertight compartments. The steel frame is as massive as the girders of a railroad bridge. The hood, or superstructure, is so designed that it can be taken down and packed on the deck.

Built by the American Bridge Company, Marine Division at their Ohio River shipyard near Ambridge, Pennsylvania, the barge traveled over 1,000 miles to reach its home in the Wet Basin at Pensacola NAS. Built in 1852 to support the wooden ships of Navy’s Caribbean Squadron, it provided a berth for Hangar Barge Number One until it was pushed ashore to be used as a land based dirigible and airport hangar.[/TD]

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

The floating hangar design was used by many including Count Zeppelin to minimize cross wind interaction when entering or exiting the hangar.

Here's a bit more info on the Pensacola shed.

Floating Hangar By Roy Mize, Mountain View, CA

​ 1916 Hangar Barge Number One – Final Assembly in Wet Basin Five stories tall, Hangar Barge Number One was one of the most unique vessels to ever enter the U.S. naval fleet. Built to house the Navy’s first airship, the DN-1, the hangar lasted only 5 years. Launched in 1915 at the American Bridge Company’s shipyard on the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, towed down the Mississippi and along the Caribbean coast until it reached its Pensacola NAS home, it was scrapped in 1920 as unsuitable for either airship or airplane use. The DN-1, D for dirigible, N for Navy, and 1 as the first of its kind, was listed as a school-ship, a training dirigible for pilots of a future fleet. When delivered, it never met its potential and the Navy deflated its gasbag and sold it to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company dirigible division. Its hangar never received a hull number and never officially received a name. Naval correspondence listed it as an “Unclassified District Craft” and described it as simply Hangar Barge Number One. Aerial Age Weekly Magazine described it as follows: The hangar is of steel, 60 by 140 feet, and it draws eighteen inches of water. The hull, six feet deep, is divided into eight watertight compartments. The steel frame is as massive as the girders of a railroad bridge. The hood, or superstructure, is so designed that it can be taken down and packed on the deck. Built by the American Bridge Company, Marine Division at their Ohio River shipyard near Ambridge, Pennsylvania, the barge traveled over 1,000 miles to reach its home in the Wet Basin at Pensacola NAS. Built in 1852 to support the wooden ships of Navy’s Caribbean Squadron, it provided a berth for Hangar Barge Number One until it was pushed ashore to be used as a land based dirigible and airport hangar. 1917 DN-1 Final Assembly in Hangar Barge Number One 1917 Dirigible DN-1 Approaching Hangar on April 20, 1917 Aerial View – 1917 Hangar Barge Number One in Wet Basin 1918 Hangar Barge Number One Ready to be Put Ashore Aerial View – 1918 Hangar Barge on Land next to New Airship Hangar

 

[JTS11]

The blimp hangar barge is pretty interesting. I wonder how long those stuck around before the US Navy abandoned them.

edit: Found out it only lasted until 1920.

Where are there still existing blimp hangars? Lakehurst and one on the West Coast off the top of my head (can't remember where though on West Coast)? Thx in advance.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

NAS Santa Ana/MCAS Tustin (one hangar remains), and NAS Moffet.
This article lists most of the remaining shed throughout the world.

Airship Hangars Around The World

From the late 19th century to the period between the World Wars, hundreds of airship hangars were built in Western Europe and the USA to house the massive lighter-than-air craft. Today, only a hand…

www.googlesightseeing.com

 

[Griz882]

I’ll add NAS Hitchcock, just outside Galveston TX. Built during WWII, it had a single hangar that was later destroyed by Hurricane Clara in the 1960’s. The four concrete support pillars are still extant.



For this next one you need to be on the ground, or use online maps set to satellite view…NAS South Weymouth, MA. It served as the starting point for the first transatlantic crossings of non-rigid airships. United States Navy K-ships (blimps) K-123 and K-130 from Blimp Squadron 14 (also known as ZP-14, Blimpron 14). The base had two hangars, one wood and another steel. Both are gone, but you can still see the foundations and the large round launch site on the east side of the field. I’ve landed at the little helipad there just to get it in my log book before that too goes away.

 

[GroundPounder]

I’ll add NAS Hitchcock, just outside Galveston TX. Built during WWII, it had a single hangar that was later destroyed by Hurricane Clara in the 1960’s. The four concrete support pillars are still extant.

View attachment 42403

For this next one you need to be on the ground, or use online maps set to satellite view…NAS South Weymouth, MA. It served as the starting point for the first transatlantic crossings of non-rigid airships. United States Navy K-ships (blimps) K-123 and K-130 from Blimp Squadron 14 (also known as ZP-14, Blimpron 14). The base had two hangars, one wood and another steel. Both are gone, but you can still see the foundations and the large round launch site on the east side of the field. I’ve landed at the little helipad there just to get it in my log book before that too goes away.

View attachment 42404

View attachment 42405

It's a long shot, but do you have any pictures of/from the control tower cab at the top of the hangers?

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

pictures of/from the control tower cab at the top of the hangers

Roof cab, before and after hangar neglect by Orange County.

View from roof.

NAS Santa Ana/MCAS Tustin control tower. The roof tower on Hangar 2 was used for only a brief period after the hangars were built.

 

[Griz882]

It's a long shot, but do you have any pictures of/from the control tower cab at the top of the hangers?

I’ll look around, but here is a set of plans showing the setting.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

NAS Houma, LA had a very unusual design. Unlike Sunnyvale with its split clamshell doors, Houma opened the full clamshell at each end.

Sunnyvale (Moffet)

Houma

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

The AOA of the Navy Blimp in WWII was vast.
The Atlantic/Europe theater alone had operations on four continents.


When the war ended in September 1945, there were at least 15 blimp squadrons in existence, patrolling about three million square miles of water. These LTA squadrons, whose equipment was mainly the K-type airship, performed 35,000 operational flights in the Atlantic and 20,300 flights in the Pacific. These statistics are impressive enough, but it’s their contribution to the war effort that underscores their overall importance.

The airships accumulated more than 5.5 million hours in the air, escorting nearly 90,000 ships loaded with cargo, troops, weapons, and supplies to far-flung battlefronts. It was their proud boast that no ship was ever lost under their protection.

WWII Atlantic/Europe Theater blimp bases, hangars or mooring masts.
(Not a complete list)
Amapa Field
Apalachicola Army Airfield
Atkinson Field
Aérodrome de Cuers-Pierrefeu

Bar Harbor Naval Auxiliary Air Facility (NAAF)
Barranquilla Airport
Bizerte Airfield
Cagliari Elmas Airport
Camp Cooke
Cannes – Mandelieu Airport
Caravelas Airport
Cayuga
Cocorote Airport (1935-1952)
Eglin Field
Elizabeth Field

Ensenada Airport
Fernando de Noronha Airport
Goodyear Training Field
Ibura Airport
Isla de Pinos

Kindley Field
La Chorrera Army Airfield
La Senia Airport
Lajes Field
Lido Beach Airfield
Littorio Airport

Mandinga
Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport
Moffett Federal Airfield
NAS Brunswick
NAS North Sydney
NAS Patuxent River
NAS Rockaway
Naval Air Auxiliary Station Eureka
Naval Air Auxiliary Station Watsonville

Naval Air Facility Maceio

Naval Air Facility San Julian
Naval Air Station Banana River
Naval Air Station Cape May
Naval Air Station Elizabeth City
Naval Air Station Glynco
Naval Air Station Hitchcock
Naval Air Station Houma
Naval Air Station Key West
Naval Air Station Lakehurst
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey
Naval Air Station Richmond
Naval Air Station San Juan
Naval Air Station Santa Ana
Naval Air Station South Weymouth
Naval Air Station Tillamook
Naval Air Station Tongue Point
Naval Air Station Trinidad (Hangar built by African American 80th Seabees)

Naval Air Station Weeksville
Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Del Mar
Naval Auxiliary Air Station Shelton

Naval Auxiliary Air Station, North Bend
Naval Base Coco Solo
Naval Mine Warfare Test Station
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

Naval Support Activity Charleston
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division
Pisa International Airport

Quillayute Naval Auxiliary Air Station
RAF Gibralta

RAF Station Ta Kali
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station
San Benito Airport
Santa Cruz Air Force Base

Santa Fe Airport
Santo Amaro do Ipitanga Airport
Vernam Field
Zandery Airport

 

[Griz882]

I thought I’d toss in a few of my favorite ZP “blimpron” patches. I like their specificity on sub killing. I’m pretty sure there were several variations for each squadron.

ZP-11



ZP-31 showing off some SAR chops.

 

[Llarry]

I find this LTA thread very interesting.

I believe the blimp versus submarine score card is not particularly encouraging, though. In July of 1943, K-74 detected U-134 on radar and overflew the U-boat. dropping a couple of depth charges. The U-boat fought back and shot down the blimp. However, the U-134 was apparently damaged and in limping home was found by RAF Coastal Command and sunk.

The LTA effort was more valuable as a surveillance asset than a hardcore ASW tool.

 

[Gatordev]

I was curious how they actually did their search. You can only see a feather from so far away. I guess the radar was for when the U-boats were on the surface transiting or charging?

It'd be interesting to know how good their radars were. Finding something small in the open ocean wasn't easy before all of the data-processing we have now.

 

[Griz882]

I was curious how they actually did their search. You can only see a feather from so far away. I guess the radar was for when the U-boats were on the surface transiting or charging?

It'd be interesting to know how good their radars were. Finding something small in the open ocean wasn't easy before all of the data-processing we have now.

The K Class carried an ASG radar developed for large patrol aircraft and Navy blimps. It had a gyro-stabilized mount, and could detect large ships at 15 miles and a submarine periscope at 5 miles. They also carried MAD gear and sonobouys. Offensively they had one M2 .50 caliber and four depth charges. The MAD gear apparently wasn’t that great but turned out to be a fantastic piece of gear for anti-mine work later in the war. The real impact of the LTA effort was persistence of presence over the convoys thus keeping U-Boats submerged too deeply for effective attacks.

With reference to the @Llarry comment, LTA’s escorted just over 80,000 ships during WWII, but only one, the SS Persephone, was sunk while under escort by an LTA - pretty impressive.