Mystery death of the airship "Hindenburg"

The death of the ocean liner Titanic, the Chernobyl accident and the collapse of the airship "Hindenburg" - the three biggest causes of accidents 20 century, occurred on the water, on land and in the air, experts argue so far.
"Hindenburg" - the pride of the Nazis - was burned in 1937. What version of his death is now regarded as the most accurate?March 4, 1936 from the slipway to build dirigibles brought the biggest airship - Zeppelin LZ 129 "Hindenburg". It was the biggest aircraft of all that ever raised before the ground. 245 meters in length and maximum diameter of 41.2 meters, 200 000 cubic meters of gas in cylinders (capacity for implementation; nominal amount - 190 000 m ³). Equipped with four diesel engines with Daimler-Benz is the maximum capacity of 1200 liters. with. each capable of lifting the air up to 100 tons of payload, zeppelin speeds of up to 135 kilometers per hour (150 with a tail wind). For that time it was very high.

Thursday, May 6, 1937, 18 hours and 25 minutes. Airship Hindenburg »(LZ 129« Hindenburg »), having overcome the thousands of miles over the Atlantic, appeared over the neighborhoods of New York. Airship landing approach at the naval base at Lakehurst, New Jersey. Suddenly push shakes air colossus, silent running lights inside the flame - in 32 seconds engineering marvel is a ball of fire - burned to the ground falling aluminum frame.

The tragedy claimed the lives of 35 of the 97 passengers and crew members, another employee base was killed on the ground under the debris of the aircraft.

 It was the biggest flying boat in the world. The length of the airship reaches 245 meters, which is only 24 meters shorter than the legendary "Titanic. "

Some time later he made from airliner which flew on the route Frankfurt am Main - New York. Soon the number of transatlantic flights had reached 30 and flights were perceived routine. 36 passengers served by 61 members of the crew, including several of the waiters and a stewardess.

In March 1936, named in honor Reichsprdsident Germany Paul von Hindenburg airship first appeared in the skies over Germany during the elections to the Reichstag. Together with another airship - "Graf Zeppelin" - he shuttled from Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. On the fuselage flying Nazi pennants, the tail is decorated with a swastika, the crowd poured rain propaganda leaflets, and was heard from the loudspeakers: "done his duty - choose the Fuhrer!" According to official election March 29, 1936 NSDAP party in a single-list got 99 percent of the votes .

 May 3, 1937 marked the beginning of the last flight "Hindenburg". The airship rose to 20.16 and headed for America. Because of strong headwinds over the Atlantic travelers were late by almost 10 hours. On average, the way to New York, held from 65 to 70 hours. Finally, at 15 o'clock in the distance seemed to Manhattan. According to the memoirs airborne officer Boetsiusa (Boëtius), sitting in open windows, the guests of the aircraft to admire the view of American cities, and stared at their welcoming New Yorkers, which had been signaled in the horn.

 An hour later, oglohnuv of sirens and whistles, the passengers began to gather on the way out, but there was another unexpected situation. The commander of a military base Lakehurst Roosendaal, Charles (Charles Rosendahl), in connection with the approaching storm terrible, did not recommend approaching the mooring mast. In contingency Captain Max Pruss airship (Max Pruss) decided to patrol in the area, in order to wait out bad weather. "Hindenburg" turned around and swam along the coast toward New York.

An experienced navigator Boetsius took the elevators. "When Roosendaal on the radio to us that the storm subsided over Lakehurst, again, we turned back and hit the thunderhead" - recorded Boetsius. "I clearly felt in the legs turbulence. Strong intermittent rain also did not stop. " At 7 pm the airship for the second time the day came in to land. At 19.21 Zeppelin was still above the ground at a distance of 80 meters. Airship nose directed toward the mooring mast, plummeted down. Edward Boetsius, is still in the chart house, felt the blow. He could not believe that just about the disaster. At the same time Jung Werner Franz, who was then 14 years old, was in a mess. Teenager suddenly thrown with force to the chest. After a few times snapped from side to side, he saw a huge wall of fire, which tore at him from the rear. Zeppelin originally leveled off, once again began to pop.

Парня привела в чувство вода, хлынувшая на его бедную голову из многочисленных перевернутых резервуаров. Франц увидел через люк, что до земли не более двух с половиной метров и выпрыгнул из горящего ада. Внизу за происходящим наблюдал радиорепортер Герберт Моррисон, оставивший нам описание катастрофы глазами свидетеля со стороны.

Boetsius also turned out the open window. Someone from his companions shouted: "Eddie, jump!" It was high enough and Edward waited. When the airship's nose again pulled down - he jumped. Next to him dropped three of his colleagues, who miraculously escaped the flames of a giant furnace. Leaping to his feet, Boetsius rushed to the fallen, quickly tayavshemu eyes, Zeppelin, to help get the rest of the passengers.

 It was "an instinctive impulse, he would say many years later in an interview« Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ». And then Hitler personally awarded him the honor for heroism at the fire. Shortly after the accident Investigation Commission considered several reasons for the loss of the Hindenburg ": a storm, firing from the ground, sabotage on board and in violation of the coating technology airship envelope. All of them are accepted as working hypotheses. No more. Evidence does not suffice to put an end to this matter.

 The most ridiculous is the next version. The airship, as we know, repeatedly flew over some bird farm, whose owner had threatened to line flying colossus of the grandfather's gun. Farm owner claimed that the noise zeppelin his chickens bad trot, and he will soon go bankrupt. The Commission confirmed the presence of threats and a farmer antediluvian gun, but here in his turn, he did not let him. And experts have proved that the gun might break trim the airship, but do not call it a fire.

Such as wild can be considered views on the probability of terrorist acts. Such a "duck" to launch another commandant Charles Roosendaal, who led a group of experts from the American side. Then in the 60 years of German-American Augusts Healing Adolf (Adolph August Hoehling) one of the first said that the board "Hindenburg" was technician of lower rank, which his leftist minded friend "persuaded to destroy the" symbol of Teutonic aggression. " "Libel and slander" called a provocation pensioner, who lived then in Hesse, when she learned what she is accused.

 Michael Macdonald Mooney in his book said that the crash was carried out 24 years of anti-fascist Erich Shpelem, later died from burns in hospital. Awarded Fuhrer Edward Boetsius through decades said in an interview with Der Spiegel that "the policy Hitler took us off of the object of hatred." A third officer Zeppelin confirm the existence of a Jewish conspiracy or an act of sabotage by the U.S. airline Pan American Airways, who saw the Germans of their competitors. His speculations on the dark times of Nazism developed in the book "a phoenix from the ashes" son Boetsiusa.

 At any one who tries to understand the details of this tragedy, it appears that Providence is not out to kill people, but the ship itself. Mankind seems to be increased, and in fairy tales no longer believes. But in vain! Spirits of the four elements have not lost their power and are reluctant to admit people into their sphere.

Be that as it may, one thing remains indisputable: a terrible disaster "Hindenburg" practically put an end to the airship development programs worldwide. A mysterious accident flagship German fleet made a heavy impression on Hitler, who gave the order to stop construction of two more zeppelins in the shipyards Friedrichshafen. The British also refused on the secret project to create airships-bombers. Soviet Osoaviachim bet on the aircraft. Echoes of the terrible explosion at the U.S. base Lakehurst cried down, even to South Africa, where the government rolled his own program to build zeppelins. Four seconds was enough to finish this in general, short-lived era of airships. Perfect circle of wet sand beneath the mooring mast at a military base the U.S. Air Force May 6, 1937 became a grave for the whole direction in aeronautics.