Sunday, January 20th, 1929
Norfolk Virginia
Curiosity is growing amongst observers at the navy yard as some strange additions have apparently been made to the battleship Texas as she undergoes reconstruction. An unusual device, resembling a set of bed-springs, had been mounted atop her new tripod foremast. There have been rumors that the eccentric scientist Nicola Tesla has been seen at the shipyard along with several other scientists. Navy officials are refusing to make any comments about what is going on and security around the dry dock has been unusually tight. Speculation about the device has varied. Tesla apparently has offered to build a variety of extraordinary devices for the military since the early years of the Great War. One idea was for a system to detect objects at great distances. He has also mentioned various advanced weapons like a “death ray” similar to that described in science fiction novels. Many other scientists have ridiculed his ideas, but apparently someone in the War Department has decided to take Tesla seriously.
Thursday, January 31st, 1929
Washington D.C.
The Navy has issued its preliminary report into the loss of the ZR-2 in Kansas last summer. The report blames poor weather forecasting for placing the Susquehanna in a “non-survivable weather situation” which combined with her relatively weak structure to result in her loss in a tornado in Emporia, Kansas while returning to its California home base after its historic flight to the North Pole. It recommends the Weather Bureau and Navy cooperate to take steps to improve methods for forecasting weather. The report recommends that there be no more inland flights for the Shenandoah due to her generally similar design, Both ZR-1 and ZR-2 were based on German wartime zeppelins which are now known to have been intended for high altitude flights in thinner air and over the relatively calm skies of Europe. The Shenandoah narrowly survived a storm over Ohio in 1926, suffering severe damage that nearly forced her scrapping. The report said that the Los Angeles was a far stronger design and should still be permitted to fly inland, but also recommended that any such flights be done only when operationally necessary, apparently a reference to criticism that the Navy has spent too much time making publicity flights inland rather than operational flights at sea with the fleet. The report also strongly recommends that future transcontinental flights be flown along the southern route across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico instead of the southwestern United States which has far more rugged topography, including the Rocky Mountains. The report does not recommend any changes to the design of the upcoming Akron or Macon which are considerably larger and stronger than any of the three previous American airships. Strong rumors of conflict between Admiral Moffett and Secretary of the Navy Wilbur over the decision to send the Susquehanna across the United States instead of the safer route over Mexico were not directly addressed in the report. The report does commend the Susquehanna’s commanding officer, Commander H.W. Hoyt, for aiding several members of his crew to escape before he was killed when the wreckage of the forward hull caught fire after being blown into a barn. It also praised Lt. Ivars Briars for successfully free-ballooning the aft section to a safe landing.
Tuesday, February 12th 1929
Akron, Ohio
It was a blustery winter’s morning yesterday as the airships Atlantes and Maeotis were officially handed over to the Atlantian government. Ceremonies were presided over by Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg, Atlantian ambassador Richard Cerasus, and Admiral Moffett, head of the Bureau of Aeronautics and the man considered the father of the American airship program. Other speakers included the President of Goodyear, Paul W. Litchfield, Atlantian Navy Minister Kritiaus and Admiral Hekla of the Atlantian Navy. The various speakers applauded the cooperation between the United States and the Atlantian Empire and held out high hopes for the future, including commercial airship service between the United States and Atlantis. The ceremonies ended with Captains Seylax and Thens taking command of the Atlantes and Maeotis respectively. Official first flights are scheduled for later this month, to be followed by several weeks of trial flights from Akron and Lakehurst by the twin airships before they depart for Atlantis sometime in early April. Between the numerous guests attending the ceremonies and the number of Atlantian Navy personnel in town for training, there is hardly a hotel room to be found in Akron. Many private homes around the city have opened their doors to Atlantian sailors while they are here.
Wednesday, February 27th, 1929
Akron, Ohio
The airship Atlantes took to the air this morning for her first flight. The flight lasted nearly five hours as the massive airship flew over northern Ohio and Lake Erie. Traffic in Akron and Cleveland came to a standstill as the mighty vessel soared overhead. Her sister Maeotis is scheduled to make her first flight this Friday. It is hoped that both airships may fly together in the next couple of weeks before moving to Lakehurst for final trials.
Monday, March 4th, 1929
Washington D.C.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in today as the Thirty-First President of the United States. Carl Vinson was sworn in as his Vice President. The President’s inaugural address dealt primarily with domestic issues, including workers rights, but also touched on his campaign theme that America should play a greater role in world affairs. Congress has already confirmed several of his cabinet choices, including Cordell Hull as Secretary of State and George Dern as Secretary of War. Celebrations included a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as flyovers of Army and Navy aircraft and airships. The crowd received a special thrill when the Navy’s airships Los Angeles and Shenandoah appeared overhead, joined by the Atlantian twin airships Atlantes and Maeotis. It was the first time the two new airships had flown together. After the flyover, the two Navy airships returned to Lakehurst while the Atlantian airships returned to Akron.
Friday, March 8th, 1929
Washington D.C.
The Navy released the official itinerary for the South American tour prior to this summer’s exercise in the Gulf of Mexico. The Battle Fleet, joined by Scouting Groups One and Two will travel to: Acapulco, Mexico, Buenaventura, Colombia, Callao, Peru, Puerto Belgrano, Argentina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Caracas, Musaeus, Cancun, Mexico, and Vera Cruz, Mexico before gathering at Key West for the exercise that will apparently simulate an attack on the Mexican Canal. The fleet will consist of eight battleships, two Battlecruisers, and two Aircraft Carriers. It is still unknown if any other nations, such as Atlantis or Mexico, will participate in the exercise.
Monday, March 25th, 1929
Akron, Ohio
Goodyear-Zeppelin and Pan American Airlines announced a deal with for the creation of a transoceanic passenger airship line, with service to begin in 1931 or 1932. Pan American will operate the airships in partnership with Goodyear, which will produce the ships at a new facility near Los Angeles, California. A design based on the Navy’s Akron scout airship is considered the most likely. Airship ports will be built in Florida, California, and on Long Island. Main transatlantic routes will be New York to Friedrichshafen, Germany, and Miami to Cleito, Atlantis. Pacific routes will be from San Francisco and will fly to Hawaii, Manila, Edo and Sidney. Goodyear also announced that construction will begin in 1930 of a 2nd Akron Airdock. The second dock will be used to house completed ships and conduct repairs while the original Airdock is used exclusively as a construction facility. Pan American already flies to several locations in Central and South America and has lucrative contracts with the U.S. Postal Service for the delivery of air-mail. It is expected that the new service will likewise involve air-mail contracts with the government.
Thursday, March 28th, 1929
Lakehurst, New Jersey
Lakehurst Naval Air Station will be a crowded depot for the next few days as the Atlantian airships arrived here today for final trials before departing for home. The presence of four rigid airships at a base with room in its hangers for only two means two of the ships will be out in the cold until the Shenandoah is moved to the Cape May hanger in a few days after a faulty engine is replaced. For now the Atlantes and Los Angeles are moored in the large mooring circles on the field while the Maeotis and Shenandoah occupy the huge hanger. Maeotis required adjustments to its fabric covering that could only be done in the hanger It is unlikely that both Atlantian airships will occupy the hanger at Lakehurst simultaneously since they would literally have to be shoe=horned into it with only a foot or two to spare. In the event of foul weather, the ships moored outside are being kept ready to depart at short notice to ride it out in the air. The situation has reinforced Navy suggestions that a new, larger, hanger be built at the New Jersey base or that a new base further down the coast be built.
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It is still unknown if any other nations, such as Atlantis or Mexico, will participate in the exercise.
Saturday, May 4th 2024, 3:48am
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