On this day in 1924, LZ-126 arrived at Lakehurst for delivery to the U.S. Navy, to become U.S.S. Los Angeles (ZR-3).

These are two photos from my collection showing the German crew who flew the ship across the Atlantic.

LZ-126 had arrived from Germany inflated with hydrogen, which was carefully released so the ship could be operated with helium, but the Navy did not have enough helium to inflate two large airships at the same time so the ship’s first flight under American command had to await the return of U.S.S. Shenandoah, which was still on a cross country flight, so the helium in Shenandoah’s gas cells could be transferred to the new ship.