The USS Akron and USS Macon, helium-filled airships, were the US Navy’s attempt at flying aircraft carriers, offering a skyborne platform for launching and retrieving planes. Despite early optimism, the tragic losses of both ships ended the experimental program. These leviathans of the sky, often dubbed flying aircraft carriers, were designed for long-range scouting in support of fleet operations. Their onboard hangars, capable of stowing up to five Curtiss Sparrowhawk biplanes, seemed to herald a new era of maritime reconnaissance.
Constructed during an era of innovative military aviation concepts, the Akron and Macon were rooted in a vision that sought to extend the eyes of the Navy well beyond the horizon. The airships were equipped with a trapeze mechanism that allowed the biplanes to be launched and retrieved in flight—greatly expanding the scouting capabilities over open waters. The aircraft not only increased the search range of the airships but provided them with a measure of defense against enemy attacks, given the airships’ vulnerability as large, slow-moving targets.
Born from a 1926 Congressional authorization under the U.S. Navy’s Five Year Plan, the development of Akron and Macon saw the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation craft these giants. The Akron began construction in 1929 and first took to the skies on September 23, 1931. The Macon followed, with its construction starting a few years later and its maiden flight on April 21, 1933. The innovative structural design conceived by Goodyear-Zeppelin engineer Karl Arnstein featured a deep-ring, three-keel system that was supposed to offer superior strength compared to conventional airship designs. This was a lesson learned in the wake of the USS Shenandoah disaster, where structural failure during a storm led to its crash.
Despite the Akron and Macon’s prowess and their revolutionary takeoff and landing mechanisms for planes, their operational history was fraught with challenges and misfortunes. The Akron, christened by First Lady Lou Hoover and initially commanded by Charles Rosendahl, encountered several incidents, from a humiliating mishap in front of Congressmen to a tragic accident that resulted in the deaths of two sailors. Its service was marked by both impressive long-distance flights and disappointing scouting exercises. Ultimately, a series of strong updrafts and downdrafts off the New Jersey coast led to the Akron’s demise on April 4, 1933. The airship crashed into the sea, resulting in the loss of 73 lives, including Rear Admiral William Moffett, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.
The Macon, while it enjoyed some successful exercises with the fleet, could not escape a similar fate. Damaged during a rough encounter over Texas in 1934, the unrepaired upper fin, failed during a storm on February 12, 1935, causing the airship to descend into the ocean. Thankfully, because of the presence of life jackets and rafts, all but two of the 83 crew members were rescued—a stark contrast to the Akron tragedy.
Relevant articles:
– U.S. Navy Airships U.S.S. Akron (ZRS, Airships.net
– The Navy’s Short-Lived Plan to Dominate the Skies with Flying Aircraft Carriers, Military.com, Feb 6, 2024
– Rise and Fall of the Akron-Class: America’s First Flying Aircraft Carriers, The National Interest, Feb 27, 2024
– The Akron-Macon Heavier-Than-Air Unit, U.S. Naval Institute