May 6, 1937 –
At 7:25 pm, the German dirigible The Hindenburg (Pride of the Nazi Zeppelin fleet) burned while landing at the naval air station at Lakehurst, NJ on this date. On board were 6l crew and 36 passengers. The landing approach seemed normal, when suddenly a tongue of flame appeared near the stern. Fire spread rapidly through the 7 million cubic feet of hydrogen that filled the balloon.
Within a few seconds the zeppelin exploded in a huge ball of fire. The ship fell tail first with flames shooting out the nose. It crashed into the ground 32 seconds after the flame was first spotted; 36 people died. Captain Ernst Lehmann survived the crash but died the next day. He muttered ‘I can’t understand it.’
The cause remains the subject of debate even today.
Once again, it’s fun to take flight in a lighter than air dirigible now and then but for heaven sakes don’t be like Capt. Lehmann – Say NO to taking rides in Nazi vehicles.
And so it goes
The Haus of Dcaligari 