Crew Areas and Keel
Other than the control car, the crew and work areas aboard Hindenburg were primarily located along the keel, including officer and crew sleeping quarters, the radio room, post office, electrical room, work rooms, and rope handling areas for the mooring lines.
Hindenburg keel - plan view (Drawing courtesy David Fowler)
Fuel, fresh water, and ballast tanks were also located along the keel, as were cargo storage areas. The keel also offered access to the engine cars, and the auxiliary control and docking station in the tail, and ladders at Rings 62, 123.5, and 188 offered access to the axial catwalk at the center of the ship. A section of B Deck included Hindenburg’s kitchen and separate mess areas for the officers and crew.
Hindenburg Radio Room, Electrical Room, and Crew Sleeping Quarters
The area along the keel toward the bow of the ship included Hindenburg’s radio room, electrical room, and sleeping quarters for certain members of the crew.
Hindenburg keel, forward
Hindenburg Radio Room
Hindenburg’s radio room contained both long wave and short wave 200 watt radios, powered by batteries, which allowed the ship to communicate both telegraphically (by morse code) and also by voice.
Hindenburg’s long wave trasmitter had a 120 meter (393 foot) trailing antenna which could be deployed or retrieved with an electrically-powered winch; the short wave transmitter had a 26 meter (85 foot) trailing antenna which was manually deployed. The ship also had a 15 meter (50 foot) fixed antenna which was used only for receiving.
In case of radio or electrical failure, there was also a small emergency radio set in the bow which was powered by a stationary bicycle attached to a small generator.
Hinenburg’s radio equipment also included direction finding navigation radios, which were located in the navigation room of the control car.
Electrical power for the ship was provided by two 50-65 h.p. Daimler-Benz “OM-65″ diesel engines connected to Siemens generators, located in an electrical room. The generators could produce 35 KW of electricity which was fed through two systems, one at 220 volts and one at 24 volts. Either motor by itself could produce enough electricity for the ship’s needs, allowing one to be shut down for maintenance without affecting the operation of the ship.
Hindenburg Electrical Room
The electrical room also contained the ship’s master gyro compass and a 5.7 million candlepower Hefner searchlight which could illuminate the ground or sea below the ship.
The room was make of thick aluminum sheets and was entered through an airlock; the room was kept at positive pressure to prevent any free hydrogen from entering the room. The electrical room also had a hatch for access to the outside when the airship was on the ground.
Sleeping Quarters for Officers and Crew
Sleeping quarters for the officers and crew were located within the hull of the ship along the keel. The officers shared a compartment with twelve bunks, located in Bay 14 just forward of the control car, and the commander had a private cabin in the same area. There was a 22-bunk sleeping area for the crew in Bay 11, just aft of the passenger accommodations, and there were twelve additional bunks located toward the stern in Bay 5.
Hindenburg crew bunks, along the keel
The Hindenburg’s keel also contained several areas for storage of cargo and freight.
Cargo storage along Hindenburg's keel
Hindenburg B Deck: Kitchen and Mess Areas
The port section of B Deck, just below the main passenger deck, housed the ship’s kitchen, connected by a dumbwaiter to the serving pantry on A Deck, and separate mess areas for the officers and the crew.
B Deck (Drawing courtesy David Fowler)
Hindenburg galley on B Deck
Hindenburg galley on B Deck
B Deck: Crew mess, with photographs of Hitler and Hindenburg (left); Officers mess (right)
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
In 1926 Graf Zeppelin was in need to rise funds for its operation. One of the strategy that servers as a double purpose: to rises the funds and to prove that this transportation were save is to travel around the globe. He needs $250,000.00. Mr Randolph Hearts put $150,00.00 provide his was allow to record the trek. the rest of th funds came from the mail.
I wonder if you can tell me where I can buy a copy of that picture.
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This website is a mine of info, but there’s always something else!
Q1. Was there a strict no-smoking policy for Hindenburg’s crew, with matches and lighters being handed in before flight, as with the passengers? Or was a blind eye turned to crew members smoking in certain places, e.g. the Elecrtic Room, which was pressurised like the passengers’ Smoking Room?
Q2. Was all the cooking done by electricity?
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
November 20th, 2011 at 11:42 am
I have heard conflicting reports about crew smoking. The cooking was definitely all electric.
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Im a big fan and collecter of Airship Akron memorabelia but have long been curious of the Hindenburg’s interior. This site has answered every question. Thank you so very much for this information.
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What great article .. Keep up the good work .. You have one of the best blogs …
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
July 3rd, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Thanks
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Count me as another novelist who found your website invaluable, Dan. For my 1937-set adventure novel on Kindle, The Terrible Troll, my original research had given me only the haziest idea of how B Deck was laid out; you set me straight. The automobile traveling as freight made its way into the story in later drafts, and the story of the captain jumping off the keel walkway. Your readers would recognize where I took liberties (such as a passenger tour going up into the axial passage) for the sake of plot or character, but I hope that’s forgiven for the sake of showcasing the Hindenburg for three chapters.
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Hendrick Stoops Reply:
December 1st, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Actually, as far as I know, supervised tours were available to anyone who wanted them.
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Just wonderful! I remember seeing the USS Akron and Macon flying around San Diego in the early thirties. Unforgetable! While at Douglas Aircraft Product Support I was assigned to participate in an airship study in late 1969! I spent 7-years near Zeppelinheim, Germany and visited the museum at Friedrichshafen. I even rode the Goodyear blimp Europa in 1973. What a great way to travel if one has the time and money. I just visited Akron, OH and saw the airdock for the first time. I had seen the hangar at Sunnyvale, CA several times. It is encouraging to note Lockheed-Martin has an airship concept under developement and is hiring people at the Akron site. You have done very well – Keep it up – - Warren
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I’m curious about a couple of things: I assume that the cargo areas and crew bunks in the keel were enclosed rooms, but what about the walkway? Was it open to the rest of the ship? And was the bulk of the hull taken up by gas cells, or were there large open areas traversed by the axial catwalk? What an amazing experience it must have been to go for a stroll in that cavernous space.
And finally, I’ve seen astonishing pics of crew members on the outside of a rigid airship’s hull in midflight, lowering another crew member (who must have drawn the short straw) down the hull to repair a tear. I assume those weren’t staged. Did the crew of the Hindenburg ever have to go outside in midflight? If so, how did you access the outside? Ladders from the axial catwalk to some kind of trap door?
Wonderful site, by the way. Is there a book out that contains pics and large diagrams of airships such as the ones you have on your site? The best I’ve found is the Time-Life book. Many thanks.
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
June 17th, 2011 at 11:29 am
The keel was an open area; crew bunks provided some privacy as seen in the photos. The axial walkway went through the center of the gas cells and access was limited to the riggers. There were several hatchways at various places in the hull.
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Neat!!! I have looked for years for a set of plan drawings showing how these ships were laid out! Thanks for including them. I found them hard to see and make sense of so… are full sized drawings available?
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What are the issues restricting building these airships today for passenger, freight and tourism purposes? Would seem that the designs are scalable and the lifting gases vastly more safe, affordable and transportable. I would see using these for airlifting large, heavy objects like modular housing into remote areas. Or, tourists on close proximity / low impact tours of African wildlife or Carribbean reefs.
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Stu Reply:
May 26th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
The issues restricting airships is lack of public knowledge. If someone can prepare a marketing package based on good research that can outline and introduce people to another way to travel. Jet flights are now akin to riding a transit bus and flying heavier than air craft is no longer the romantic event as it was before. The world at 36,000 feet altitude is not the world in which we live. The land 3500 feet below is still within the senses of the flyer with sights, smells and even sounds that can be shared from below.
This marketing package should drive interest in investment towards passenger-carrying airships that are more than just 8 passenger, hour long joy rides. The Zeppelin NT adds a measure of decency with operable windows, a rear “window” seat, and even a privy with a view. Given the success of this little ship, the future is bright for this very green way of getting somewhere in a far more relaxed, less crowded and more intimate manner.
The challenges towards the development of the large passenger airship are numerous, but not insurmountable. The first is the financial factors – airships are cheap to operate when considering fuel and maintenance costs. Storage sheds, fabrication facilities are practically non-existent and will have to be reallocated from what clear area is left for development. A possible solution is a floating hanger in a round, man-made lake allowing 360 degree rotation to the local winds like the Count did over a 100 years ago.
Another challenge is available landing sites, passenger embarking / disembarking sites. Large airships can operate out of airports, providing there is equipment to handle them and secure them to the ground. The USN perfected the short mast, and it would work here again to great advantage. The short mast is portable and can turn a basic open field into a mooring field in a day.
The last challenge is to seek the clients who will want to pay the premium to fly slower, lower and longer. The trick is to make that longer, slower experience as enjoyable as possible in ways not typical to cruise ships. Water usage would be limited as what is used must be lifted ultimately.
The future is certainly ripe for this to happen. The public, (seniors, flight enthusiasts, business venture explorers, and global travelers) would see this means of going somewhere as a wonderful way to travel for simple doing it differently. The possibility to migrate south with the geese at their altitude, or to see the coast of Greek Islands.
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Tony Deakins Reply:
June 6th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
All are good points. When one consider how many regional airports and small town airports exist that do not or no longer have airline patronage, airships could be just the right thing. They would not have to lengthen their runways and there is not much traffic to interfer with landing and departure operations for the airshop. Also, there is this 500 mile gap between how far people will drive (1,000 miles). There are campaigns on now to fill this with high-speed rail. If we start today, that will take at least 50 years before rails and trains can be put into place. Worse, once they are, they are immovable. As demographics change, airship routes can be easily changed. Then there is the tourist value of flying low along the coastline or through the hils during the fall. The question remaining is; how is airship travel affected by weather since they cannot fly above turbulent conditions and they would be slow to navigate around fast-moving weather patterns?
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Excellent site!
Is there a provisions list in existence for the Hindenburg for a typical voyage?
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Based on the diagrams of the Hindenburg that I’ve seen, it looks like the only way to get from the keel corridor was by walking through the purser’s cabin and the airlock. Was that true? Seems that like would have been an excessively tedious journey.
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
August 28th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Yes, the purser’s cabin was the only access between the keel and the passenger accommodations; while it may have been inconvenient in some ways, the designers wanted strict control over access to the hull.
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I’ve been researching galleys on seafaring ships for a few weeks and stumbled on your blog. Although your galley pictures are from an airship, it was nice to see them included for comparison.
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What is the largest Zeppelin still inuse
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
July 18th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
The only zeppelin still in use is the Zeppelin NT.
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In your layouts of the Hindenburg, there are numerous oval-shaped objects along the Keel. Are those storage containers for fuel or something else entirely? I was also under the impression that there was a lookout post on the tail. Is that just something that was on American airships or am I off altogether? One last thing, on the vertical lines that are labeled as gas vents, were there also ladders there for crew to be able to go from the keel to the axial corridor, and then up to the top, or is that just Hollywood nonsense? (The Rocketeer)
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I am currently writing an adventure story in which part of the action takes place on a Zeppelin like the Hindenburg. I have a question–if someone on the airship wanted to blow it up intentionally, what would be the most dramatic or effective way to do this? (the villains are Nazis using Zeppelins for a bombing attack on England–I know the Hindenburg didn’t carry bombs–it’s just my model) Thanks in advance, and I’ll send you a free copy of the book when it comes out! Allen
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I’m contemplating writing a pulp adventure story set on a very “Hindenburg-esque” zeppelin. This site has been a fantastic resource. I was wondering if any details of the cargo areas are available, or at least how cargo was generally loaded? I’m purely an amateur who may not even get the story off the ground, so to speak, so I don’t need any great detail.
Thanks in advance if anyone can lend a hand.
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Cargo was loaded through hatches in the hull, and stored along the keel. I have photos of various items of cargo being winched aboard LZ-129 (including automobiles and aircraft), and if you get closer to writing your story and need additional information, let me know.
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Chris Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Very cool. Thank you. Basically at this point I just have scene in mind getting the ‘macguffin’ (a rather large crate) into the ship. If they were pulling autos up into the thing I’m sure my crate will fit nicely. Would of course love to see the pictures if you get a chance but that’s as much from a “want to see it ALL” standpoint as anything else. Thanks again.
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
July 5th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I went ahead and added two photographs of an automobile being carried aboard LZ-129 as cargo; I hope they help with your research.
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Chris Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Awesome. Thanks again.
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Fascinating site. Thank you.
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Hey there i was just woundering, is there a way for the men in the control car to get to the Hull(i know its a wierd question but i dont see a way to in the plans)
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
June 8th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
There was a ladder in the aft section of the control car. I will try to post a photo if I get a chance.
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What a way to travel
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They just don’t build ‘em like they used to!
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