BOY BURT_DOLAN CAPT_PRUSS CAPT_SAMMT CLERK COLONEL_TRIMBLE CREW CREWMAN CREW_MEMBER DOLAN ECKENER EYEWITNESS FBI_AGENT FLASHBACKS FLASHBACK_WARD FRANZ GRAHAM_DORRINGTON IRENE IRENE_DOEHNER JEAN KUBIS LAU LEHMANN LIEUTENANT_ANDREWS LIEUTENANT_MAY LIEUTENANT_TYLER LT_ANDREWS LT_MAY MARGARET_MATHER MATHER MATHILDE_DOEHNER MAX_COLEMAN MORRISON MRS_DOEHNER NARRATOR NAVY_CREW NAVY_RATING NELSON_MORRIS NEWSREEL_CAMERAMAN NEWSREEL_VO OFFICIAL PRUSS REPORTER REPORTER_2 RICK_ZITAROSA ROSENDAHL SAMMT SAUTER SPAH TRIMBLE WALTER_DOEHNER WARD WERNER_DOEHNER WERNER_FRANZ WILLIAM_BISHOP MORRISON Howdy do everyone, we're greeting you now? NARRATOR Thursday May the 6th 1937, the largest airship ever built, the Hindenburg, flew into the United States. It was the size of the Titanic and the pride of Nazi Germany. MORRISON What a great sight it is? NARRATOR Four news cameras were there to film the ship's arrival. The events about to unfold would become one of biggest mysteries of the 20th century. NARRATOR 97 people were on board. Despite the raging inferno, miraculously some survived. MORRISON It's burning and bursting into flames and it's falling on the mooring mast and all the folks would agree that this is terrible. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the world? NARRATOR This film recounts the true story of the investigation that followed in the days after the tragedy. It is told through detailed reconstruction of events as they happened ..with eyewitness testimony, EYEWITNESS Well, the ship seemed to collapse inwardly? ...the memories of living survivors WERNER DOEHNER She grabbed me again and threw me out. My sister was just too heavy for her. ?and the interpretation of modern day experts. GRAHAM DORRINGTON Had somebody wanted to bring it down it would have been relatively easy to do it? PRUSS What was that..? MORRISON It's burst into flames? Get out of the way? NARRATOR Who or what destroyed the Hindenburg? One man was determined to find out - Dr Hugo Eckener - the man who created and built the Hindenburg. ECKENER How could anyone have survived that inferno? I owed it to the survivors and the dead to turn tragedy into reason. NARRATOR The answer he would find would shock the world. MORRISON Its burst into flames and its falling its crashing watch it, watch it folks get out of the way, get out of the way oh my Jesus, the flames now climbing oh, 4 to 500 feet into the sky, oh the humanity and all the passengers screaming around here??.. BOY Butch! NARRATOR The last flight of the Hindenburg would be analyzed in detail NARRATOR Everyone and everything would come under suspicion even the bad weather. NEWSREEL CAMERAMAN "Is that how you spell Hindenburg?" NARRATOR The airship had been expected at 6 in the morning, but storms had delayed the landing. As usual the press were waiting. REPORTER Hey Commander! When are our German friends turning up? ROSENDAHL I'll keep you informed! REPORTER (out of Rosendahl's hearing - to his colleagues) I thought Germans were renowned for their efficiency. REPORTER 2 Krauts! NARRATOR Commander Rosendahl was the officer in charge at Lakehurst. It was his responsibility to call the ship in. He was under great pressure. The Hindenburg was due to make its return flight back to Germany that same evening. JEAN The reporters are getting impatient. ROSENDAHL It's not just the reporters. I've got seventy passengers waiting to board for the return flight. Maybe you should go home. I can't say when the weather will improve enough to get the ship down. I'll catch up with the weather reports. NARRATOR The Commander's wife, Jean, waited at Lakehurst to greet the officers of the great ship. There to record the ship's arrival for his Chicago radio listeners, was Herbert Morrison. His report would become one of the most famous in the history of broadcasting. MORRISON Howdy do everyone; we are greeting you now from the naval air base at Lakehurst New Jersey from which point we are going to bring you a description of the landing of the mammoth airship, Hindenburg, which was due here in America this morning at dawn. Completing the first transatlantic crossing of the 1937 season. NARRATOR The delay to the landing created anxiety at Lakehurst - the tension was even greater on the flight deck of the Hindenburg. At the helm and responsible for the landing, Captain Max Pruss. With a crew of 61, this was his first transatlantic flight in charge. His decisions in those final moments were critical. PRUSS The storm is passing. PRUSS We'll be down by six or soon after. LEHMANN Twelve hours late. NARRATOR Pruss was under the close supervision of Ernst Lehmann, head of flight operations for the zeppelin company that built the Hindenburg. NARRATOR The Hindenburg was the most luxurious way to fly. The same comfort as an ocean liner but twice the speed: 2 and a-half days from Germany to America. A single ticket cost 1200 Reich marks, the average annual German wage. The 36 passengers were the wealthy elite of German and American society. MATHILDE DOEHNER It looks stormy. MARGARET MATHER I'm just glad we're landing. NARRATOR Today there are just two living survivors of the disaster. One of them was the airship's youngest passenger Werner Doehner. He still remembers the initial excitement of the trip. WERNER DOEHNER My father chose the trip on the Hindenburg because he had made a trip on the Graf Zeppelin, 3 years earlier and he just loved it; so he wanted to give us a special treat with it. And give himself also. NARRATOR As the ship flew over New Jersey, Werner, his brother Walter, and their older sister, Irene, looked excitedly down onto America. At 5.45pm, a passenger Joseph Spah started filming on his movie-camera. Remarkably, this footage survived. For some this would be their last moments - captured on film. Those that made it out alive would later have to account for their movements. NARRATOR On board was the ship's smoking room - the only place a passenger was allowed to smoke. NELSON MORRIS One more for the road? BURT DOLAN Sure. NELSON MORRIS Steward. NELSON MORRIS Same again. NARRATOR This cabin was specially pressurized. It had to be since any spark was dangerous. Above the passengers, an 800 foot metal corridor, where 7million cubic feet of hydrogen was stored. This gas gave the ship its buoyancy but if mixed with air it was highly flammable. The Germans had used the gas this way for the past 30 years. NARRATOR The crew were so confident of the ship's safety, Joseph Spah was even allowed access to the central corridor. SPAH (to the dog) Soon, you'll be taking your first walk in America. You wait until you see the dog biscuits they have there! Everything is bigger in America. Especially their heads. NARRATOR The Hindenburg safety record was impeccable, so the 6th May 1937 was business as usual. KUBIS Werner, get those dishes washed as soon as you can. We have to turn the ship around as quickly as possible. We take off again at midnight. FRANZ (disappointed) So I won't get to see New York? KUBIS (kindly) Next time. I promise. NARRATOR Werner Franz, the cabin boy, was on his 5th trip. He is the only other living survivor. WERNER FRANZ I was fourteen years old and this was an amazing experience. I had just finished school with no job, and feeling downhearted and then something like this happens. It was like a gift from heaven. NARRATOR At 7.11pm the Hindenburg approached Lakehurst. CREW MEMBER There she is! NARRATOR This was the ship's 11th trip to the US, but spectators never failed to be amazed that an airship the size of an ocean liner could float so gracefully through the sky. ROSENDAHL Ground crew to your stations! NARRATOR The next few minutes would become the focus of an intense investigation. MORRISON Now they're coming in to make a landing of the Zeppelin. I'm going to step out here and cover it from the outside, so as I move out we'll just stand by for a second. There are a number of important persons on board, and no doubt the new commander the Captain Max Pruss is thrilled too for this is his great moment. The first time that he has commanded the Hindenburg, for our previous flights he acted as a chief officer under Captain Lehmann. CAPT PRUSS All crew to landing stations SAMMT All crew to landing stations MORRISON It's a marvelous sight it's coming down out of the sky. It's pointing directly towards us and toward the mooring mast. The mighty diesel motors just roared, their propellers biting into the air and throwing it back into a gale like whirlpool. No wonder this great floating palace can travel through the air at such a speed with these powerful motors behind it. NARRATOR Everyone was excited. Everything seemed normal. MORRISON Now the sun is striking the windows of the observation deck on the eastwards side and sparkling like glittering jewels on a background of black velvet. And every now and then the propellers are caught in the rays of the sun and their highly polished surfaces reflect circles of gold. They've dropped ropes out of the nose of the ship, and it has been taken a hold of down on the field by a number of men. It's practically standing still now. It's starting to rain again; the rain had, err, slacked up a little bit..... NARRATOR What happened next was only noticed by one witness, one of the Navy ground crew. WARD Look, what's that? MORRISON The back motors of the ship are just holding it, er, just enough to keep it from? It's burst into flames! PRUSS What was that? LEHMANN Oh God... (People screaming. Explosions) MORRISON It's burst into flames, and it's falling, it's crashing. Watch it, watch it folks, get out of the way, get out of the way. Get this Charlie, get this Charlie! It's fire it's crashing! It's crashing, terrible! Oh, my! Get out of the way, please! It's burning, bursting into flames and it's falling on the mooring mast, and all the folks would agree that, this is terrible. This is the, one of the worst catastrophes in the world! Oh, my Jesus! And the flames now climbing oh, four to five hundred feet into the sky. It's a terrific crash, ladies and gentlemen, it's smoke and it's flames, now, and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to the mooring mast. Oh, the humanity, and all the passengers screaming around here! I told you, I cannot talk to people ... I can't talk, ladies and gentlemen ROSENDAHL Get in here! NARRATOR The Hindenburg disaster is still vividly remembered by the only living member of the ground crew, Max Coleman; his heroism on that day ensured the survival of others. MAX COLEMAN When it got on the ground we turned around and went back towards the ship. The place that I got my man out, I wouldn't have gone in there at all. I mean he come walking out of a wall of flame. It's remarkable that he could live just enough to get away from the ship. And he'd had trouble getting over that girder that was about knee high, and I just took a hold of his hand and I said step up, and he stepped up and over the girder and I pulled him to take him away from the ship. I just stopped and it had taken his clothes off of him, flicking the fire off of him. When I put my finger in that belt it just fell apart just like it was ashes. And my hands smelled for a month, smell just like that burning flesh. MORRISON I told you I can't talk to people. That's terrible. NARRATOR Those that made it out of the burning ship still remember the horror they faced. WERNER FRANZ The worst was the sea of flames; it carried on burning for long time, some parts of the wreckage burned til the morning after. I ran back towards the ship, but of course I was not able to help at all, I saw the wounded figures coming out of the ship, I saw the burned figures. WERNER DOEHNER I don't remember having been thrown out. And I don't remember having being in the air. But I remember lying in the sand and Walter walked over and told me 'get up we have to get out of here.' NARRATOR Commander Rosendahl was deeply traumatized. ROSENDAHL We need more men over here now! NARRATOR One minute he was in charge of the landing, the next surrounded by carnage. Confusion reigned. The one man who could solve the mystery was 4000 miles away- the creator of the Hindenburg, the airship pioneer, Dr Hugo Eckener. His memoirs recall the first moment he heard the news. ECKENER The call came to my hotel at 1.30 in the morning; ECKENER Yeah? ECKENER I was on a three-day conference promoting the wonders of airship travel. ECKENER What? Are there any survivors? My god. ECKENER The call came from a New York Times reporter. I was told that the wreckage burned for three hours. My good friend, Commander Rosendahl had to set up a temporary hospital in the hangar that was to house the Hindenburg. There was a shortage of doctors and nurses to deal with the injured and dying. Of the 97 crew and passengers 35 died and one member of the ground crew. I believe a corner of hell landed on Lakehurst that day. ECKENER Excuse me. I must call Berlin. ECKENER I had to get to America. Herr Goering sent a car to take me to Cherbourg port. I didn't even have time to return home to say goodbye to my wife. Of course Austrian News reporters were already waiting for a story. REPORTER Herr Eckener, have you anything to say regarding the Hindenburg explosion? REPORTER Do you think this might be a case of sabotage? ECKENER I have no idea why the ship exploded. Sabotage might, perhaps be a possibility. ECKENER Goering had warned me not to speak of sabotage but I was never one to tow the party line. I needed to work out for myself what destroyed my ship. I would not rule out sabotage until I knew the facts; but it would be six days before I reached America. ECKENER Six days with the question 'why?' running in my head. Airships were my life and the Hindenburg my greatest achievement. Now I asked myself, was this the end of everything? I needed to know the truth. MORRISON "The crash ladies and gentlemen?there's smoke?" NARRATOR News of the Hindenburg disaster flashed around the world. There was no obvious reason why it exploded. The hunt was on to find the truth. NARRATOR Some survivors were still fighting for their lives. ROSENDAHL Can I see Captain Lehmann? NARRATOR The morning after the crash, Commander Rosendahl began questioning the survivors with the worst injuries. He was sure the officers of the Hindenburg would have answers. Close to death, Captain Ernst Lehmann was able to talk despite his terrible burns and a great deal of morphine. ROSENDAHL The doctor tells me that your lungs are in good shape. You can breathe without coughing, that's a good sign. LEHMANN How many dead? ROSENDAHL I don't know yet. People are still being brought in. It's a miracle anyone got out. My God it was..... LEHMANN (speaking very quietly) It was an infernal machine. ROSENDAHL What? LEHMANN An infernal machine. ROSENDAHL You mean a bomb? NARRATOR Lehmann's words an 'Infernal machine' led Commander Rosendahl to believe sabotage was the most likely cause of the explosion. NEWSREEL VO The Hindenburg disaster - just how did this terrible tragedy happen? The wreckage is now under military guard and a Board of Inquiry has already started to hear the testimony of eye-witnesses, inside the very hangar that would have housed the giant Hindenburg herself. They will soon be joined by the man who built the Hindenburg, Doctor Hugo Eckener. The great airship was the Doctor's most powerful yet to come out of the zeppelin factory at Friedrichshafen. The German nation took pride as the Hindenburg passed over the Berlin Olympics. And Doctor Eckener was at the helm when it crossed the Atlantic for the first time last year. That was better times, and now all that remains is tragedy. NARRATOR The destruction of Nazi Germany's great airship on a US military base looked bad. An immediate investigation was ordered. Within 4 days of the disaster Commander Rosendahl established an Official Inquiry at Lakehurst. The Inquiry was headed by the military judge, Colonel SouthTrimble, it began by recording the testimonies of the ground crew. COLONEL TRIMBLE ....This investigation will focus on two issues. First, was the ship the victim of a criminal attack? Or did a series of physical or other circumstances combine in such a way that a fire could result? LIEUTENANT TYLER Even though the Germans?er, might have been attempting to make as much haste as possible? LIEUTENANT MAY ....the ship seemed to collapse inwardly and I heard a sound as of cracking of metal.... NARRATOR Even in the first few testimonies it was apparent that the landing had been hasty. LIEUTENANT ANDREWS ?it made a sharp turn due to the change? ?that I saw was about two thirds of? NARRATOR Different reasons for the crash were discussed, but the more that was heard the less was understood. ?the nose seemed to fall? NARRATOR The evidence would need piecing together carefully by someone who knew the airship inch by inch. NARRATOR The same day Dr Eckener's ship was due in New York, news cameras filmed the coffins of the German dead in the New York docks, ready to return home to Germany. Germans and Americans lined up to salute. At Lakehurst, the Inquiry was into Day 3. NARRATOR The crash was barely a week ago; people were still in shock, including the Commander. NAVY RATING Hey you! ROSENDAHL (to the navy rating) It's alright, I know that man. ECKENER Commander. ROSENDAHL Herr Doctor. ROSENDAHL I can't tell you how sorry I am. But don't worry we'll find whoever's responsible for this. I've spoken to the FBI. ECKENER The FBI? ROSENDAHL It looks like sabotage. ECKENER Have you evidence for that? ROSENDAHL We haven't gathered all the evidence yet, but I have no doubt we'll find it. NARRATOR Eckener knew he must stay detached and focused, like a detective, to solve the disaster. NARRATOR For over 70 years, experts have analyzed the Hindenburg mystery. One man who has studied it extensively and understands Eckener's role in the investigation is historian Rick Zitarosa of the Lakehurst airbase museum. RICK ZITAROSA I guess some people would say Eckener was one of the original modern day control freaks. Even when he wasn't present, he was there, he would find out, he checked everything, one of Eckener's precepts was that you don't assume anything, you make sure you know, and that was a key to the successful operation of the Zeppelin enterprise up until May 6th 1937. NARRATOR Eckener knew it was his responsibility to find out what had gone wrong. RICK ZITAROSA Eckener had to know, Eckener was determined to avenge the deaths of 13 passengers, 22 crew men and 1 ground handler. Don't forget these are the first paying passengers that have ever been killed or even seriously injured in the history of the Zeppelin operation and they'd been carrying passengers since the first excursion flights around 1910. ECKENER Commander Rosendahl told me the Inquiry was already moving along fast, taking place in the very room that had been used as a morgue during the night of the disaster. ROSENDAHL At ease. I'll make sure you have the transcripts of all the testimonies heard so far. Nothing conclusive's come out. ECKENER To me, the whole of Lakehurst felt like a graveyard. ROSENDAHL Those artifacts were salvaged from the wreckage. ECKENER Lehmann is alive? ROSENDAHL No. He was. His burns were too extensive. I'm sorry doctor. CREWMAN Commander, there's a call for you, sir. ROSENDAHL Excuse me, Doctor. ECKENER Where were the answers? I had built airships for the past 30 years. I knew the best design - a rigid aluminum structure supporting 16 separate gas cells; all knitted together by a web of steel wires. Yes, the gas cells contained pure hydrogen but I knew everything about building the safest airship run on hydrogen. I had done this for three decades without the slightest mishap. But for the Hindenburg, the only thing different from my original design were the fifty foot Swastikas on the tail fins. ECKENER I was relieved to see two crew survivors, Heinrich Kubis? ECKENER Please be at ease. ECKENER ?and Werner Franz, the 14 year-old cabin-boy. KUBIS Was it a bomb, Herr Doctor? ECKENER We must examine every possibility... (to Franz) You had a very lucky escape Werner. FRANZ Yes, Herr Doctor. ECKENER How long have you been a crew member? FRANZ Just over a year. Herr Doctor. ECKENER (to Kubis) Herr Kubis, did you notice anything odd about the passengers during the flight? KUBIS No, there was nothing. ECKENER Was there anything out of the ordinary before the flight? KUBIS Everything was in order, Herr Doctor. ECKENER Tell me everything you can remember about the flight from the very beginning. KUBIS The day began like any other KUBIS I was looking forward to the journey, after all this was our first trip of the season, and going to America was always exciting. WERNER FRANZ (joking) Do you want to race Herr Kubis? KUBIS You should conserve your energy for work, my boy. NARRATOR Werner Franz still remembers how vast the great machine was. WERNER FRANZ (Translator): When I first walked into the hanger I couldn't see the airship, it had filled the hanger entirely. KUBIS (With pride for the benefit of the Doehner father and son) She is 245 meters long, that is only 9 meters short of the Titanic. She is covered in 34100 square metres of canvas. WERNER FRANZ (Translator): I stood in front of what I thought was a gray wall, it took a while before I actually realized that I was standing in front of the ship. KUBIS The tail fins are each 41 meters high and she holds a of total of 200,000 cubic meters of hydrogen. WERNER FRANZ 200,028 cubic meters sir. KUBIS Oh don't worry, sir. You can smoke on the journey we have a special smoking room which is separated from the rest of the ship. NARRATOR Werner Doehner also recalls standing in awe. WERNER DOEHNER When we got a tour of the Hindenburg which was in the hangar, everything was enormous. I was very impressed with the huge tyres below the gondola and the tail. And the huge tail huge propellers behind the motor gondolas. Everyone looks onto the airship. NARRATOR Could a bomb really have been smuggled on board? Eckener knew it would have to get through customs at the Frankfurt Airfield which made every passenger a suspect. ECKENER Did any of the passengers behave suspiciously? KUBIS I knew Mr. Morris. He had flown on the Graf Zeppelin. The Doehner family were excited, especially those little boys. This was Miss Mather's first flight. She was very talkative, perhaps a little nervous. MARGARET MATHER I like your shoes. IRENE Thank you. I like your shoes, also. MARGARET MATHER These are Italian. KUBIS The pre-flight procedure was, as usual very thorough. There was one passenger, however who was, how can I say? SPAH Hold the ship! Hold the ship! KUBIS ?not like the others. He arrived late, I remember. OFFICIAL You have a ticket, sir? SPAH Yes, I do. KUBIS His name was Joseph Spah, he was traveling back to America to see his family. OFFICIAL What is in the box? SPAH It is a gift for my daughter. OFFICIAL Could you open it, please? SPAH Oh must I? But it's gift wrapped OFFICIAL Please open the box. KUBIS Mr. Spah was a comedian. I mean a professional comedian. He was allowed to travel with his pet dog, which is a first for the Hindenburg. SPAH I can confirm it is a girl. Maybe you'd like to search my dog? OFFICIAL Is he hiding anything? SPAH I don't know shall we ask. Are you hiding anything? SPAH He says no. KUBIS The customs officers were not amused. SPAH (to dog) Ulla, Ulla! ECKENER And after take off? KUBIS All was normal. KUBIS After checks the ship was ready for lift off. As usual we left it until the evening when the air is calmer. There was a slight rain but the take off was smooth, as it always is. MARGARET MATHER May I? NELSON MORRIS Oh please do, please do. Nelson Morris. MARGARET MATHER Margaret Mather. NARRATOR Could a rich passenger really be a saboteur? Eckener had to keep an open mind. PRUSS Engines stand by. SAMMT Engines stand by. NELSON MORRIS Are you going home? MARGARET MATHER I'm going to see my family but I can't take a ship, I suffer from terrible sea-sickness. PRUSS Prepare to disconnect from mast. SAMMT Prepare to disconnect from mast. NELSON MORRIS Traveling by airship is like being help aloft in the arms of angels. MARGARET MATHER Are you a poet Mr. Morris? NELSON MORRIS Alas no, I read it in their brochure. PRUSS Ship away SAMMT Ship away KUBIS There was the usual excitement, Mr. Spah had a movie camera and filmed the passengers. Fortunately people were not offended. But apart from the funny man, everything was quite normal, Herr Doctor. NARRATOR Eckener could not rule out anyone. NARRATOR Upon his first day at Lakehurst, Eckener insisted on screening all the newsreels of the crash. It was the first time in history such a disaster had been recorded on film. The cameras had all filmed the fire but incredibly not a single camera angle had captured the moment the explosion ignited. ECKENER Thirty-four seconds. From the fire beginning to the ship hitting the ground. Thirty four seconds... ECKENER (to unseen projectionist) Could you run it one more time? The newsreel plays once more. ECKENER You see how quickly the fire spreads. It begins at the aft section then burns through the axial corridor and a spout of flame exits the nose. So quickly. It all happens so quickly. ROSENDAHL Excuse me doctor. ECKENER Enough. Thank you ECKENER The newsreels were disturbing to watch, but invaluable. I needed to analyze every piece of evidence if I was to find the truth. ECKENER What was the weather like on the day of the landing? ROSENDAHL Stormy, but the storm had passed by the time I gave permission for the landing. ECKENER I would like to see the weather log. ROSENDAHL Sure, I'll have it sent over first thing tomorrow. ECKENER Thank you. ECKENER During the inquiry at Lakehurst, Commander Rosendahl and his wife Jean invited me to stay at their house. When I arrived I was surprised to learn that Rosendahl was already speaking to the FBI. ROSENDAHL Doctor, I was hoping we could go through a few notes. The telephone rings. Rosendahl goes to it. ROSENDAHL Rosendahl. JEAN I had the table already set for dinner that night. Charles had invited the Hindenburg's officers over before they flew back to Germany. ROSENDAHL Have we informed the FBI JEAN Afterwards coming home and seeing that table all set for dinner that would never happen....that was one of the saddest things I ever saw. Eckener says nothing, he is distracted by Rosendahl's call. ROSENDAHL (still on phone) They are going to have to start taking this seriously.... JEAN Do you really think it was a conspiracy? Charles says that Captain Lehmann was convinced there was a bomb on board. ECKENER We must examine all the evidence first and then we shall know. ROSENDAHL (still on phone) ..OK keep me informed. ROSENDAHL There's been a development. Footprints were found near the perimeter fence. The FBI, are insisting they're only here at the inquiry as observers. ECKENER The FBI investigate only when there is a crime, do they not? ROSENDAHL Captain Lehmann was sure it was a bomb. ECKENER Forgive me but what has that to do with footprints? ROSENDAHL Maybe he had an accomplice. ECKENER Who, who had an accomplice? ROSENDAHL The saboteur. ECKENER If we assume there was one. JEAN I'm sure that Doctor Eckener would like to go to bed. ECKENER Thank you I am tired, yes, thank you. JEAN You're going out now? ROSENDAHL I won't be long. We have to do this before it rains again. JEAN I'll show you to your room. NARRATOR The FBI would only investigate if evidence of sabotage emerged. Commander Rosendahl believed he'd found it. That evening he took FBI Agent Devereux to look at suspicious footprints on the edge of Lakehurst airfield. NARRATOR An airship full of flammable hydrogen would always be vulnerable to attack. One expert who has looked into the various ways it could have been sabotaged is aeronautical engineer, Graham Dorrington GRAHAM DORRINGTON Had somebody wanted to bring it down it would have been relatively easy to do it. It wouldn't need a bomb, it could be a relatively small device perhaps one of the flash bulbs of the day and if somebody had slashed one of the cells in two places it would be sufficient to ignite Hydrogen. And that would lead to the destruction that followed. If it was slit inside that would explain why nobody saw anything prior to the sudden flames that we see in the accident. NARRATOR But could his ship have been brought down by a bomb? Eckener knew it was possible, but he was determined to stick to the facts. NEWSREEL VO The Hindenburg disaster - it took just 34 seconds to destroy this proud airship, and end the lives of 36 people. So how did it happen? Could it be sabotage? Survivors of the zeppelin crew, among them a 14 year old cabin boy, await the call to testify. Will they get to the truth behind what or who destroyed the giant airship? ECKENER On my first day at the Inquiry, I knew I would come face to face with the survivors of the tragedy. Of 61 crew members, 21 had survived but many more were fighting for their lives. It seemed the sooner a reason was found for the disaster, the sooner people could find peace, but would it be the truth? WILLIAM BISHOP ...the initial flames were on the port side, and it appeared to me that these flames were coming from the inside of the superstructure above and aft of the rear port motor and ahead of the rear port fin. ECKENER As the ground crew testimonies continued, there was one account in particular that caught my attention. WARD ?a couple of seconds before the fire my attention was taken by a noticeable fluttering of the outer cover on the top port side. ?no smoke or other disturbance accompanied the flutter when I first saw it, it was a wave motion?the wave motion was not due to the slip stream or resonance effect of the propeller. It was more like some gas action inside like the gas was rising and escaping. ECKENER For me this was all a vital piece in the jigsaw of what had gone wrong. But I think the reporters were less convinced. REPORTER This is all way too technical. All people want to know is who did it. REPORTER 2 Well I hear the FBI is actually onto something. It's the Bolsheviks. They were seen hanging around. ECKENER Excuse me gentlemen what do Bolsheviks look like? Do they wear a uniform? How does one identify them? REPORTER I'm just saying what I heard there, Doc that's all. ECKENER I thought that journalists were supposed to report only the facts. REPORTER Never let the facts get in the way of a good story. REPORTER 2 Got that right. NARRATOR At the Inquiry a table of objects rescued from the burning wreck were on display, including a child's toy-car. Anything was a clue at this stage. KUBIS It belonged to one of the little Doehner boys. I had to take it from him. The wheels give off sparks. KUBIS Frau Doehner, (under) I am very sorry but I must take your son's toy for the duration of the flight. The sparks are considered hazardous aboard the ship. I am sure you understand. WERNER DOEHNER Before leaving my grand aunt had given me a little car and this car would run on the floor and spool sparks to the front so when Mr Kubis saw that he took it away from us, it was confiscated. That was not allowed. MRS. DOEHNER Werner, Walter, you must give this car to this man. Walter? KUBIS (to the boy) I promise that I shall take good care of it and I'll return it to you as soon as we can. Thank you. ECKENER Herr Kubis was right. Sparks were always a risk. From the highest to the lowest of rank all were totally safety conscious. After all they were flying over the Atlantic under seven million cubic feet of hydrogen. ECKENER At the end of each day, after the official Inquiry was over, I held my own unofficial one, questioning the survivors of the Hindenburg's crew. Everyone had a theory. SAUTER Could sparks from the exhaust have gotten into the ship? ECKENER Sparks from the exhaust are not hot enough to ignite hydrogen. Exhaust temperatures do not exceed 250 degrees centigrade. The ignition temperature for hydrogen is 700 degrees centigrade. KUBIS What about lightning, Herr Doctor? ECKENER I understand the lightning storms had already passed by long before the ship came into land. NARRATOR But Eckener knew nothing could be ruled out at this stage. ECKENER Does anyone remember anything about the flight which was out of the ordinary? KUBIS The only thing that kept bothering us was that we were going so slowly. KUBIS I understand that for some of the journey we were traveling at only 40 knots I mean that's only half the airships usual speed. I knew this would cause tensions in the gondola, especially when we hit those storms over the Atlantic. LEHMANN We must try and make up the time. PRUSS I've never encountered headwinds as strong as this. If we skirt the storm front we might find some calmer air behind. Thank you Werner. LEHMANN Now, It's nearly time for dinner boy. SAMMT He seems a little distracted. PRUSS He lost his son recently to pneumonia. He was two years old. NARRATOR Survivor Werner Franz remembers flying through the storms. WERNER FRANZ We got into quite a heavy storm, and the ship began to sink slowly but because of the size of the ship it withstood everything. ECKENER How long did the lightening storms continue? KUBIS All through the night -well they made the passengers a little nervous, well, as they always do. PRUSS Don't worry about the storm. We can fly around it. We can even fly through it. If lightning strikes the ship it will simply be discharged. MARGARET MATHER That's very reassuring. NELSON MORRIS ?and the moral of that tawdry little tale, gentleman is never marry an actress! DOLAN Nelson has a habit of taking up with the wrong girl. SPAH I myself I feel very fortunate that I have actually found the perfect woman. Of course, I've yet to tell my wife! NARRATOR Lightning was unsettling for passengers, but not a problem for the Hindenburg. Lightning strikes spread across the outer canvas and along the internal metal frame leaving the gas cells of flammable hydrogen unaffected - unless they were punctured: an unlikely event. The storms lasted for 12 hours seriously delaying the journey. MARGARET MATHER I was told the airships have a reputation for punctuality. PRUSS Yes, we have a good record. But we have faced strong headwinds all the way so far and have lost a good deal of time. After landing we must turn the ship around as quickly as we can for the return flight to Germany. Many of our passengers have booked onward flights to London for the King's coronation. WALTER DOEHNER Why doesn't Germany have a King? PRUSS We have a Chancellor instead. MARGARET MATHER He just acts like a King. SPAH Gentlemen, I must feed my dog. He is German, he needs his meals regular. NARRATOR As Eckener looked for clues in that final journey one thing was never far from people's minds. LAU What about sabotage? There's plenty would like to bring down a symbol of the Reich. ECKENER Herr Goering does not think it was sabotage. SAUTER With all due respect, sir, that's a political statement. LAU You have to ask yourself who benefits? ECKENER What are you suggesting? LAU It's obvious, isn't it? Who runs this world? KUBIS Yeah, yeah, the Jews are behind everything! ( to Eckener) Please don't get them started Herr doctor. LAU We heard there was a letter. Some warning that the ship would be attacked. Eckener hesitates - he knows there was a letter, but isn't sure if he should confirm it. ECKENER There have always been such letters. The world is full of crazy people. LAU Crazy enough to blow up an airship? KUBIS I had seen Captain Lehmann wandering along the corridor throughout the trip. Was he looking for bombs Herr doctor? ECKENER I'm not so sure. He was probably just looking for damage from the thunderstorms. ECKENER I knew about the letter. Perhaps I too should have paid a little more attention to the sabotage threats. I believe my good friend Commander Rosendahl was trying to make some headway with the FBI. ROSENDAHL A letter was sent to the German Embassy in New York before the Hindenburg left claiming there would be a bomb on board. FBI AGENT Yes, we know about the letter. ROSENDAHL What are you doing about it? FBI AGENT It's most likely a crank. We're looking into it. ROSENDAHL I hope you are. ROSENDAHL We fished a piece of metal out of the wreckage the other day. It had some yellow reside on it. You guys should check it out in your labs. FBI AGENT Commander Rosendahl, I'll send it in, as you request but the Bureau is not authorized to begin any criminal investigation. What about the footprints? FBI AGENT They haven't led anywhere. ROSENDAHL Is that some sort of FBI joke? FBI AGENT No joke intended commander. Sightseers usually gather by the perimeter fence whenever the airship comes into land. It would be strange not to find footprints. ROSENDAHL There's something else you guys should look into, though judging by your attitude to date I can't believe you'll take it seriously. FBI AGENT What's that? ROSENDAHL I'm getting reports that there was a passenger who had access to off limits areas. He had a dog in the cargo bay he was allowed to go and feed. The interesting thing is this guy is an acrobat. He could easily have climbed into the internal rigging and planted a device. FBI AGENT Why would he plant a bomb when he was on board himself? ROSENDAHL The ship was twelve hours late. Had it arrived on schedule he would have been well away from the scene by the time it went off. The passenger's name is Joseph Spah. KUBIS I really shouldn't be allowing you into this area, sir. SPAH Yes thank you. It's my dog he won't eat unless I feed him myself. I spoiled him from a puppy. Dog biscuit? KUBIS No thanks. SPAH You know it's really quite a thing this airship. KUBIS It is. This way sir. SPAH Ulla! Yes, it's time for your dinner, little one? this is uncle Kubis. Say hello to uncle Kubis. KUBIS I will have to return to my duties, sir. SPAH Say bye, bye. Bye, bye? ECKENER What about this Spah character? KUBIS He was alright. ECKENER Did you not think he was a little suspicious? What was he doing in the cargo area? Passengers are not allowed there. KUBIS He was feeding his dog KUBIS He was alright, I'm sure of it. SPAH Hitler is inspecting a lunatic asylum, everybody is lined up at the end of their beds when he comes down to do the inspection, as he passes they all, hail Hitler, hail Hitler, all salute. All except for one, one person. Hitler is outraged, what is this, why do you not salute, and the guy says, oh I'm sorry I work here. I'm not crazy like the rest of them. KUBIS He was alright. Excuse me, gentlemen but I am very tired. ECKENER Could Spah really have been a saboteur? His unaccompanied visits to the axial corridor gave him the opportunity to plant a bomb. I'm sure if the crash had been on German soil a confession would be been procured. When his camera was recovered from the wreckage, the film revealed a passenger who seemed to be just enjoying the trip. Filming passengers and icebergs over the Atlantic hardly the stuff of a saboteur, unless a very clever one. NARRATOR One decision made by Eckener might have made the Hindenburg a target for sabotage. He'd allowed the 50 foot swastikas to be put on the airship - a price he paid for Nazi sponsorship. RICK ZITAROSA Eckener didn't have any particular love for the Nazi's but he was able to get the funding for the Hindenburg because it was going to be a very very high profile symbol of German resurgence. They wanted to be part of it. Eckener needed the money, Eckener took their money. In a way he sort of made a deal with the devil, but he did need that type of money to get his airship built and flying. And Hugo Eckener found that his ship had become a political symbol and not necessary a welcome one. NARRATOR Eckener was an engineer not a politician. Whatever the reason that his ship exploded, he knew that he would have to take much of the blame. ROSENDAHL Can't sleep? ECKENER No. ROSENDAHL Me neither. ROSENDAHL Would you like something stronger? It's our friend. (on the radio) ECKENER Once the zeppelins were welcomed in the United States. Since Hitler seized power everything has changed. ROSENDAHL People in America are smart enough to know the difference between a government and the people, Doctor. ECKENER Do you remember when we first brought the Graf Zeppelin here? A quarter of a million people turned up. It took a day to get away from the airfield... ROSENDAHL The roads were jammed up... ECKENER It was ...what's that word you have...mayhem! Both men smile at the memory. ECKENER That day I thought I had built a bridge across the Atlantic. A bridge of friendship, made of the best human materials. When I looked down on the wreckage of my Hindenburg, I knew that everything I had ever dreamt of was finished. And I saw something else in the wreckage which horrified me. Rosendahl waits. ECKENER I saw Germany. Newsreel VO The Hindenburg disaster. Accident or sabotage, the biggest culprit - it's now believed - is the very gas that gave the ship its majesty - hydrogen. This gas is highly inflammable. But could tragedy have been avoided? US scientists had recently discovered another lighter-than-air gas, called helium. It doesn't burn. It's as safe as the air we breathe, but Nazi Germany was not allowed to have it due world fears about German rearmament. How sad that lives could have been saved on that terrible day if only world attitudes to the new Germany were different. RICK ZITAROSA They were using hydrogen because it was cheap, it was available and it was the gas with which most balloons and airships had been lifted into the air since the 1700's. Now helium was non-flammable it was lighter than air, it had great benefits to airships, however it was slightly heavier then hydrogen and it was also extremely expensive. Roughly 6 to 10 times the price of hydrogen. ECKENER The Inquiry was into its second week. Would it ever get to the truth? The truth!? Perhaps it could only really be found in the meeting I had with the us government eight years ago when I had the chance to change everything. CLERK Dr. Eckener ECKENER I would never have believed that the decisions I made on that day would come back to haunt me. ECKENER Hydrogen, over thirty years we had perfected the safest way to use it. We were so sure. Such confidence we had to believe our dreams could over come science. REPORTER I hear the Krauts are going to try and pin this on us. They're going to say we should have given them helium. REPORTER Doctor do you think this disaster would have been averted had you had used helium instead of hydrogen? ECKENER It is certainly true that helium does not burn. REPORTER If the American government had relaxed the restrictions on helium exports would those people have survived? ECKENER (stonewalling) It is too early to make any conclusions. ROSENDAHL That's enough guys, that's enough. REPORTER Danka doctor. TRIMBLE Gentlemen. May we begin, please? NARRATOR It was Commander Rosendahl's day to give testimony. All eyes were on him. He'd signaled the Hindenburg in to land; based on his reading of the weather. TRIMBLE Commander will you state your name, please? ROSENDAHL Charles Emory Rosendahl, Commander US Navy. TRIMBLE Your present duties? ROSENDAHL I am Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey. TRIMBLE Commander. ROSENDAHL I hope the Board will realize that my testimony may be a bit sketchy and broken. There has been little opportunity for me to have prepared proper notes as I should have liked. The Hindenburg was coming to the United States on the first of a series of 18 round trips over the North Atlantic. ROSENDAHL The 1937 schedule had been arranged so that the time of arrival at the station was six o'clock eastern daylight saving time, in the morning. ROSENDAHL The ship was to travel into the coast at Maine and then follow down the East coastline. This was the same movement the Hindenburg had made on her previous 10 trans-Atlantic flights between Frankfurt and Lakehurst. LEHMANN What's our speed? SAMMT 68 knots. PRUSS Ernst, we're pushing the engines as far as we are able. Radio Lakehurst. Inform them we shall be late. NARRATOR The delay increased tension in the gondola - after all rich passengers expected punctuality. MARGARET MATHER (to Kubis) So, when shall we be landing? KUBIS I believe we will be running a little late. MARGARET MATHER How late? KUBIS I can't say exactly, madam, but Captain Pruss is attempting to make up the lost time. SPAH I have heard that we are to draw lots. The losers are to be thrown overboard to lighten the ship. ROSENDAHL The ship sent a message that set her new time of landing at six o'clock in the afternoon, in other words 12 hours late. ROSENDAHL In view of the fact that the ship was late and because of their desire to meet the departure schedule to return to Germany we wished to accomplish the landing at the earliest practical moment. The weather conditions were unsettled on the East coast in general. At 2 pm eastern standard time, we were advised that the Hindenburg was over New York. NARRATOR Flying over Manhattan was considered the highlight of the trip. IRENE DOEHNER Mom, Dad. WERNER DOEHNER We saw the Empire State building. The ships in the harbor blew their whistles. Well, you wouldn't hear that much but you would see the steam coming out of the whistles. WERNER FRANZ This was a really nice trip for me as well. I didn't have much to do. All my work was done and I could observe everything. The suburbs before New York and then New York itself, the skyscrapers, those impressions were again really phenomenal. NARRATOR Soon the lives of those onboard would be changed forever. PRUSS Make all speed for Lakehurst, Herr. Sammt. SAMMT (into internal telephone) All engines full ahead ROSENDAHL Then the Hindenburg headed down the coast towards Lakehurst. At 4 pm we encountered at Lakehurst a decrease in pressure, heavy showers and several thundershowers with an approach of the front. NARRATOR By this time the Hindenburg was over 10 hours late. REPORTER Hey Commander, when are our German friends turning up? ROSENDAHL I'll keep you informed. REPORTER I thought Germans were renowned for their efficiency? REPORTER 2 Ten hours late so far. REPORTER I've already written my report. 'Our German friends have invented a beautiful flying machine, but a little bit of rain and their whole schedule goes bust. My advice? Take a ship across the Atlantic. Half the price and twice as efficient.' ROSENDAHL Local storm conditions lasted from 3.40 until 4.45 pm. Visibility was reduced. At 5.43, I sent a message to the Hindenburg stating- "Conditions unsettled recommend delay landing until further word from station. Advise your decision." SAMMT (reading message for benefit of Pruss) Conditions unsettled recommend delay landing until further word from station advise your decision. PRUSS Inform Lakehurst that we will wait until they tell us conditions have improved. LEHMANN There are passengers waiting for the flight back to Germany, with onward flights to London. I don't think that England will postpone the Coronation for the Hindenburg. PRUSS The English are always changing their Kings, I expect there will be another coronation soon. ROSENDAHL ?we received a message from the Hindenburg (he consults his notes) 'We will wait until your report that landing conditions are better...' At 6.15 I sent another message saying 'recommend landing now' as conditions were rapidly improving. There was occasional lightning in the distant south and southwest but local conditions were rapidly improving and were in my opinion entirely satisfactory for the landing. NARRATOR Rosendahl was under pressure to land the ship. NAVY RATING Sir, 'Overcast, moderate rain, diminishing lightning in west. Looks like the storm is passing through. ROSENDAHL Thank God. Where's the Hindenburg? NAVY RATING Forked River, sir. About fourteen miles from the station. ROSENDAHL Radio the ship. 'Conditions now considered suitable for landing.' NAVY RATING Sir. NARRATOR Rosendahl made the final call when to bring the Hindenburg in. SAMMT (reading) 'Conditions definitely improved recommend earliest possible landing.' LEHMANN Can we turn the ship around and get away by midnight? PRUSS We'd have to be quicker than we've ever managed before. LEHMANN We can always improve our performance. NARRATOR By 7.11pm, the Hindenburg finally arrived over the airfield. NAVY RATING There she is! ROSENDAHL The ship on this occasion was a little buoyant and made a rather sharp turn towards starboard but nothing at all unusual. The Hindenburg's approach was a normal approach. She dropped her trail ropes at 7.21 eastern daylight saving time. About four minutes after the trail ropes were dropped, I observed a small burst of flames on the after portion of the ship. My feeling at once was that it spelled the doom of the ship. TRIMBLE Thank you commander. We shall adjourn for the day. Thank you. ECKENER The Commander's testimony was rational and direct. He did not talk of his anguish of that terrible day or even voice his thoughts of sabotage. His account was crucial. I started to wonder how well Rosendahl had read the weather on that day. ROSENDAHL The Doctor was making lots of notes while I was speaking. JEAN That's only natural, isn't it? ROSENDAHL I felt as if it was an examination and I wasn't doing very well. JEAN You all treat him as if he's a great God of the Airship. ROSENDAHL He is. Nobody wants to let him down. JEAN Charlie, you never let anyone down in your life. That's why they gave you a medal. ECKENER I now had doubts about my good friend's judgment. It was the Commander's role to read the weather and he believed storms had passed by long before the Hindenburg flew into Lakehurst - as did everyone else. NAVY RATING Sir, Commander Rosendahl said that you wanted to see the weather log. ECKENER Ah, yes, thank you. The navy rating hands the log book over. He makes to go. ECKENER What time was the crew summoned? NAVY RATING About five o'clock, sir. ECKENER And what were the weather conditions at that time? NAVY RATING The storm front had just passed. We were all relieved because the Commander was keen to get the ship down as soon as he could. ECKENER Of course. Thank you. ECKENER The weather log did indeed show that the major storm front had passed by long before the tragic crash, The Commander was correct, but I saw something else in the weather log which he had missed on the day. The registration of winds and pressure recorded showed another smaller storm front was present just as the ship came into land, which nobody on the ground noticed. Why would they when the pressure was on to land the Hindenburg? RICK ZITAROSA One thing that they didn't know a lot about in those days was aviation weather. But Eckener had an ability almost an uncanny sixth sense to be able to read the weather, he became known as the pope among the officers and men of the German naval airship division, because his ability to read the weather and figure all the arcane variables of airship flight, they were just legendary. ECKENER The smaller storm Eckener saw in the log may not have produced lightning, but would have created a highly charged atmosphere; creating static electricity and static sparks. What if hydrogen had escaped and become ignited - not by lightning - but by a spark on the ship - perhaps a static spark? I am not a physicist but I have seen with my own eyes when a ship lands, if the ground crew touch the ropes too soon, they get a static shock that can throw them ten feet. That is because airships gather a static charge from the atmosphere as they fly and this needs to be earthed, the landing crew knew this only too well. MAX COLEMAN If you were standing close to where the line, usually a metal line where that metal line hits the ground, you'd feel the shock, it could knock you down. GRAHAM DORRINGTON This demonstration attempts to show different ways we could ignite a hydrogen and air mixture. So this is a Tesla coil and it produces about 30,000 volts, and we can get that kind of discharge in the atmosphere, it produces a small tingle in my finger that would be enough to cause ignition. ECKENER If it was a static spark the Hindenburg should have exploded the instant the landing ropes touched the ground. But it didn't - it exploded 4 minutes later. Static sparks were just another possibility in a jigsaw that I still couldn't put together. ECKENER Almost two weeks into the Inquiry, it was the turn of the Hindenburg crew to give evidence. Helmut Lau was first. He had been just feet from the start of the explosion. His survival was miraculous. The reporters were hoping for a sensational story. TRIMBLE Mr. Lau. What were your duties on the Hindenburg? LAU I was helmsman. TRIMBLE What was your landing station? LAU My landing station was in the stern of the ship. In the lower fin. TRIMBLE Mr. Lau. Please give the board a description of what you observed on the ship. LAU I was on the narrow catwalk that is on the port side of the fin. LAU I heard over me a muffled detonation and looked up and saw from the starboard side down inside the gas cell a bright reflection on the front bulkhead of cell number four. The cell suddenly disappeared by the heat. The flame became very bright and the fire rose up to the side, more to the starboard side. I saw aluminum parts and fabric parts were thrown up. In that same moment the forward cell and the back cell of cell 4 also caught fire. At that time parts of girders, molten aluminum and fabric parts started to tumble down from the top. The whole thing only lasted a fraction of a second. The ship was dropping rapidly. TRIMBLE Thank you Mr. Lau. LAU Thank you. ROSENDAHL If Lau's right then the fire began inside the ship! It could have been an incendiary device. ECKENER Rosendahl could be right. There was one person I had to speak to - to help solve the mystery - but he was in the hospital fighting for his life. NARRATOR The decisions that were made in those final minutes before the Hindenburg exploded were crucial to the Inquiry. The officers of the airship knew exactly what had happened but only two were still alive; both fighting for their lives. One of the men, Captain Sammt, the ship's 2nd in command, agreed to give evidence from his hospital bed. ECKENER Captain Sammt was a good man and he would have taken charge of the Hindenburg some day, if fate had not intervened. Sammt would provide me with a vital piece of evidence TRIMBLE Captain Sammt will you state what your rank was aboard the Hindenburg? SAMMT I was a captain in command of the landing. TRIMBLE Were you in command of the airship? SAMMT Captain Pruss was in command, but I was the first officer. TRIMBLE Captain describe for us the last 15 minutes of the journey. SAMMT After we passed the field for the first time we passed to the south and left the thunderstorm to the starboard side... SAMMT ...we received a report that the thunderstorm was just over the field. To the north there were still rainsqualls and we turned west in order to get behind them. Near Lakehurst we had some rain and we passed the field at about a height of about fifty meters, but we saw that the landing crew was not in position and for that reason we passed over the field and turned around, turned the motors to half power. The ship was a little light and we let gas go for about twenty seconds. After that the ship was weighed off, a little heavy the rear part and the bow a little light. SAMMT We took six or seven men from the crew in the middle of the ship to the front in order to equalize the weight. SAMMT As we approached the mast the wind shifted direction we had to adjust, we made a turn to the right, we stopped the motors. SAMMT Reversed the back motors and the forward motors idle ahead. Ballast was dropped about 600 kilos because the ship was heavy in the tail. SAMMT The ship stood still and we dropped the landing ropes SAMMT We had nothing to do but wait until the grounding crew pulled us down. TRIMBLE Thank you captain. ECKENER Sammt's testimony was critical to my investigation but it troubled me. The ship was obviously out of trim - light at the front and heavy at the rear. What Sammt had said could only mean one thing - hydrogen gas was escaping, and had been for several minutes. ECKENER But how? Had Sammt told me everything? I know how such a catastrophe can distort a person's memories. ECKENER Gentlemen. In my opinion something caused a spark, which ignited free gas in the aft upper portion of the ship. SAUTER But how did the gas escape Herr Doctor? What about sabotage? LAU We've gone over this a hundred times, Herr Doctor. ECKENER I shall see you all tomorrow at the Inquiry. In my opinion no finer crew ever flew one of my ships, I am proud of you all and of your fallen comrades. CREW Thank you Herr Doctor LAU Do you think the old man worked it out? CREW I think he is as lost for an answer as the rest of this. ECKENER In a few hours I would give my testimony, but I was still looking for answers. And I felt like an imposter. My testimony was not born out first-hand experience of the disaster, like everyone else, but I owed it to the survivors and the dead to turn tragedy into reason. ECKENER The answer had to be in those final minutes before the explosion. MORRISON Its burst into flames? ECKENER Play that again please from the beginning as its comes in. MORRISON Gentlemen I'm out now, outside of the hangar? ECKENER That final turn, there was something extreme about the way the ship came in. I had piloted the ship many times and to me it almost appeared as though the ship was skidding to port and then moments later it appears to drop at the tail; heavy at the rear. GRAHAM DORRINGTON As the airship was approaching Lakehurst it's clear there must have been some kind of hydrogen leak towards the rear of the airship which would have caused some mixing of hydrogen and air. We know this because the captain ordered six men forwards and he did that because he's trying to maintain the balance, it was becoming heavier at the tail and he brought men to the front to try and keep it level. It must have been quite a violent leak to cause that increase in heaviness. To give you some idea of the speed, it takes nearly 8 seconds to travel its own length, and it would probably take maybe 20 of its own length to come to a halt. And one of the big problems would be turning it, the pilot always has to plan a long way ahead and be very gentle in his maneuvers as he comes in, you cant make quick changes at the last minute, everything happens slowly on an airship. The forces are huge, on such a big structure. ECKENER Somehow in my bones, I felt that last final maneuver had been the Hindenburg's undoing. FLASHBACKS LT MAY I thought the airship was coming in pretty fast. LT ANDREWS ?and then it made a sharp turn. CAPT SAMMT As we approached the mast, we made a turn to the right. MORRISON ...this is one of the worst catastrophes in the world? ...it's burst into flames? ECKENER I needed to ask Captain Sammt again about that final turn. SAMMT Dr Eckener ECKENER Forgive me, but could you just go over the landing maneuver one more time? SAMMT As we approached the mast, the wind shifted direction, we had to adjust. SAMMT The wind has changed direction, to south west. PRUSS Rudder hard to starboard SAMMT Rudder hard to starboard SAMMT We made a turn to the right ECKENER What kind of turn? SAMMT A normal turn ECKENER Some of the crew said it was sharp turn. Sammt looks guilty ECKENER Go on SAMMT We let off gas again two minutes later, them again after another interval of two minutes. We were still heavy in the stern and we dropped water, 300 kilos, then again 500 kilos as we approached the mast. We valved gas again for 5 seconds. Gas cells 11 to 16. 10 seconds, 5 seconds? ECKENER So you were still tail heavy as you approached the landing mast? SAMMT Yes PRUSS Send six men forward. SAMMT Kitchen staff. Six men forward. PRUSS All engines full astern. SAMMT All engines full astern. PRUSS Forward engines slow ahead. SAMMT Forward engines slow ahead. PRUSS Rear engines slow astern. SAMMT Rear engines slow astern. ECKENER Did it not concern you that the ship was tail heavy? SAMMT It didn't appear to be out of the ordinary. We used up a lot of fuel battling the headwinds all the way across the Atlantic, we expected to be light. ECKENER I had just a few hours to think before I gave testimony. Think. At 17 minutes past 7 the ship turned quickly to starboard. A few minutes later it was heavier at the rear of the ship. This would happen if gas had escaped - but how? The answer was in there somewhere? FLASHBACK WARD "a couple of seconds before the fire my attention was taken by a noticeable fluttering of the outer cover on the top port side" ?then the ropes were dropped and 4 minutes later the Hindenburg ignited - and the world changed. ROSENDAHL Where's the doctor? JEAN He left early. ROSENDAHL He never said anything last night about leaving early. JEAN Well he's testifying today, isn't he? Probably just wanted to get his thoughts together. ROSENDAHL I thought he might have spoken to me first. JEAN Does he have a theory? ROSENDAHL He hasn't said, but I guess he's got some ideas. JEAN You want some breakfast? ROSENDAHL No, not this morning. I've no appetite. NARRATOR Everyone was anxious to hear Eckener's testimony. The man who brought the great ship to life was about to pronounce its cause of death, but he knew it would not please everyone. ECKENER There would be words that could incriminate the crew, my colleagues - the truth can be cold and harsh. ROSENDAHL Did you get the lab results on that yellow powder? FBI AGENT Turns out it was residue from a fire extinguisher. ROSENDAHL You've followed up the letters. FBI AGENT We're still following that line of inquiry up but as I said, disasters bring out all the lunatics. ROSENDAHL I know we're dealing with sabotage. We'll talk later. TRIMBLE Doctor Eckener, are you ready to give your testimony? ECKENER I am. TRIMBLE Please swear the Doctor in. ECKENER With regard to the mysterious circumstances surrounding this occurrence we must of course give due consideration to all the possibilities. However starting with what is known we can all agree that the fire first appeared in the upper stern section of the ship. From this we may conclude that there must have Been an abnormal build up of free gas in the rear section. The gas which we presume to have been there must have been ignited by some spark. It has been mentioned that lightning might have caused this ignition. However it has been stated by witnesses that the fire appeared as a wave motion on the top of the ship. That in, my opinion could not have been caused by lightning. ECKENER Also there were no sightings of lightning near the ship. I believe it was ignited not by an electrical spark but by a static spark. Let me explain? I found a storm front had passed the station just prior to the order for the ship to land. ECKENER If one however, examines more closely the weather log, the registration of wind currencies, ECKENER ...temperatures and the barometer, then one must recognize that this first storm front must have had a smaller, lighter one following it. ECKENER And if this was not noticed at the field, that is quite natural because attention was focused on the landing maneuver and the handling of the ship. I would say therefore in all certainty that there was a small tail end to the first thunderstorm creating the conditions for static sparks to occur. If we accept this explanation it may appear strange that ignition did not occur immediately the landing lines were dropped. ECKENER Because it would have been then that the airship had been earthed, when the ropes hit the ground. But as we know, the ignition took place four minutes after the landing lines were dropped. For this, I believe there is a very simple explanation. The landing lines would have been very dry and therefore poor conductors, slowly however they became dampened by the fine rain which was still falling. Thus the potential difference between the ship and the ground was slowly equalized. The Hindenburg would have become like a giant kite close to the storm clouds. The potential difference between the ship and overlying air masses would have been sufficient to generate static sparks. This was not lightning but a small static spark, enough to ignite free hydrogen. ECKENER I will now refer again to accumulation of gas in the after part of the ship. I am convinced that a leak must have occurred to cause such abnormal accumulation of gas in the rear section. My assumption is confirmed by a remarkable observation made by one of the witnesses. He observed in the rear upper part of the outer cover ECKENER ...a peculiar flutter which appeared as if gas was escaping and rising at that point. ECKENER If the question was put to me as to the cause of such a leak, I could really only make to myself the following explanation. ECKENER The ship had proceeded in a sharp turn to the approach for its landing. SAMMT The wind direction has changed to south west. PRUSS Rudder hard to starboard. SAMMT Rudder hard to starboard. The helmsman moves the wheel. ECKENER This would have generated extremely high tension in the rear of the ship, and especially in the centre sections close to the stabilizing fins which are held in place by shear wires. Under this extreme tension, caused by the hard turn to starboard, I could imagine that one of these wires was then broken and that broken wire caused a rip in one of the hydrogen cells. Hydrogen gas then escaped from the torn cell and filled up the space between the cell and the outer cover in the rear of the ship - which is why the ship sank at the rear. Finally this accumulated quantity of gas was ignited by a static spark. Everything apparently occurred in the last five or six minutes, that is during the sharp turn preceding the landing maneuver TRIMBLE Were there any other possibilities you considered? ECKENER From a purely speculative standpoint one there are a number of possibilities. One could imagine for instance imagine that someone had put an infernal machine in the ship and brought it to destruction in that manner, but such a machine would have to be already installed in Frankfurt. Not only is there no evidence for such a possibility, it is also a theoretical consideration to which I myself cannot assent. TRIMBLE Thank you doctor ECKENER My friendship with Commander Rosendahl was never the same. He wanted to believe it was sabotage not human error that destroyed the Hindenburg; I believed it was an urgency to stick to a tight schedule. Rosendahl had called the ship in, and Captain Pruss had made the tight turn under pressure from Ernst Lehmann. I believe that wire would not have snapped if they had all not been under pressure to be punctual, to keep to a schedule. That is the way of the world: schedules, time- keeping, money. We took pride in our 100% safety record but I think that day business underestimated the natural laws of science. RICK ZITAROSA Eckener comes to a conclusion not without great deliberation and it is not kind to Captain Pruss, Commander Rosendahl and Ernst Lehmann because what Eckener sees is a landing of a ship that's badly out of trim, rushed with a very tight turn towards the end and the possibility that in making that tight turn and that landing the ship could have been compromised NARRATOR But Eckener reserved his harshest criticism for the one person he knew who could have averted this tragedy. At the end of the investigation Eckener would blame himself. NARRATOR Dr Eckener's theory has never been bettered for over 70 years. Mechanical failure combined with pilot error and static sparks caused by storms. Three people seemed to be at the root of the disaster; Rosendahl called the ship in; Pruss made the tight turn, Lehman pressured Pruss to keep to the schedule. Their actions were part of an incredible chain of events. ECKENER I think the reporters were a little disappointed, no saboteur, no bomb, no smoking gun. REPORTER Herr Doctor, I listened to your testimony with great interest, but to be honest with you, and I'm just an ordinary Joe Schmo and I found it all a little bit technical. Is there anything you'd like to say to the relatives of the people who were lost in the fire? Something not so scientific. ECKENER What could I possibly say to them that would be of any comfort? REPORTER (not bothering to hide his disappointment) Thanks, doc. I'll make sure my readers know just how sorry you feel. ECKENER What could I have said? Perhaps I should have told them of my meeting with the US government eight years ago. We discussed the US embargo on helium. History could have been so different. CLERK Dr Eckener. ECKENER I was offered the chance to use helium. I could have made it happen. The only other person who knew about the outcome at that meeting was Captain Lehmann. After my meeting in Washington I told Lehman about the helium. He may have been a member of the Nazi party but like me he understood the realities of running such a huge venture as the greatest airship in the world. ECKENER Herr Lehmann LEHMANN Herr Doctor. Your trip to America was successful? ECKENER Yes, they were most sympathetic. They even indicated that they could supply helium. LEHMANN That's good news Herr Doctor. ECKENER Yes, but matters are not so simple Herr Lehmann. We do not yet have the facilities to either store or transport helium, not in Germany. So, it would also make the ship much more expensive. LEHMANN So, Herr Doctor, what do you propose? ECKENER What we really need from the Americans is investment. We need to build a strong business partnership with America. LEHMANN And in the mean time? ECKENER In the meantime Herr Lehmann, we must prove ourselves, we must show to the world that a passenger Zeppelin service across the Atlantic is entirely safe and viable without helium. ECKENER So I chose to continue with hydrogen. But helium would not have burned? And I would not be in Lakehurst staring at the 36 names of the dead. LEHMANN Herr Doctor. ECKENER 36 names to remind me of my guilt. MORRISON ?it's been taken a hold of by a number of men, its starting to rain again, the rain had er slacked up a little bit.. WARD Look up there. What's that? PRUSS What was that? NARRATOR It was a miracle anyone survived the inferno - which destroyed everything in 34 seconds. Survival of the passengers depended so much on luck. Where they stood or how they reacted to the blast made all the difference between life and death. MORRISON ?Oh, this is terrible. This is the, one of the worst catastrophes in the world! Oh, my Jesus! Oh, four to five hundred feet into the sky. It's a terrific crash, ladies and gentlemen, it's smoke and it's flames, now, and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to them mooring mast. Oh, the humanity, and all the passengers screaming around here! I told you, I cannot talk to people ... I can't talk, ladies and gentlemen. Listen, folks, I'm gonna have to stop for a minute because this was the... the worst thing I've ever witnessed. NARRATOR When the ship exploded Joseph Spah was at the window where he could smash his way out with his movie-camera. MAX COLEMAN How anybody got out of it was a marvel. Even today I don't know how as many people could get out of there as they did. NARRATOR He jumped 50 feet and broke his ankle in the fall but survived. NARRATOR Chief Steward Kubis followed Spah, 3 seconds later - and after his jump helped rescue some of the passengers. MAX COLEMAN One lady threw her baby out at about 50 feet up? Just dropped him over the side let him fall, freefall? He hit the ground and bounced and he cried but that was it? NARRATOR That child was the young Werner Doehner. WERNER DOEHNER We must have been close to the window so my mother at that point grabbed the first child she saw which was Walter and threw him out. Then she grabbed me and tried to throw me out but something happened and I fell back again, then she grabbed me then and threw me out. That's probably where I got most of my burns. She tried to throw my sister out but my sister was just too heavy for her. NARRATOR The heat was intense, Werner's mother had to choose between staying with her daughter or jumping to safety. WERNER DOEHNER She tried to land on her feet and that caused her to fracture her pelvis. NARRATOR Werner's father was still trapped in the burning ship. NARRATOR Of the six men who were sent to the bow of the Hindenburg, incredibly three survived. The flames ripped to the front in no time at all. WERNER FRANZ (Translator): The start of the catastrophe came to me out of the blue. There was a sudden jerk through the entire ship, then I heard the explosion. It was clear to me the ship was lost. I needed to find a way out. Then a shower of water hit me in that moment, one of the water tanks had burst over my head, drenched me from head to toe and possibly helped me think clearly. I reached the hatch and I kicked through the hatch, then I saw the ground coming towards me. I didn't run straight away but I turned around and ran the other way slipping through underneath the ship onto the other side. This was a good decision because the wind was pressing the flames towards the right side and I probably would have run into the flames. But I escaped and ran to the other side where most of the survivors jumped off as well. MORRISON It's terrific crash ladies and gentlemen? NARRATOR One of the ship's helmsman, Helmet Lau, had been just a few feet from the initial explosion. The moment he saw the hydrogen ignite he ran to an escape hatch in the side of the tailfin, he was lucky, the tail hit the ground first. MORRISON Oh the humanity? ROSENDAHL Get in here! WERNER DOEHNER I remember lying in the sand and Walter walked over and told me 'get up we have to get out of here', we saw our mother just a couple of steps behind us, at that point she saw one of the stewards and asked him to get my sister out so he went back in and got my sister out but she was in very bad shape so he had to carry her out. MORRISON Their friends are in there? NARRATOR The officers from the gondola ran the moment the ship crashed to the ground - only three made it out. After struggling from the wreckage, Sammt found Pruss helping passengers out of the inferno. Pruss was badly burnt. SAMMT Pruss, is that you? PRUSS Yes. My God what a sight you are. SAMMT You don't look much better yourself NARRATOR Sammt and Pruss survived. Captain Lehmann was not so fortunate. LEHMANN I don't understand. NARRATOR He fought for his life until the following day, but his burns were too severe. Perhaps the most miraculous survival was Margaret Mather. She remained calmly seated in the middle of the passenger lounge as the ship fell. NAVY CREW Lady, you got to get out of there. MATHER Not without my purse. NARRATOR She was helped to safety without a scratch. NARRATOR Two passengers had been drinking heavily throughout the trip. One of them, Nelson Morris made his way from the dining room, he tore through the burning metal girders with his bare hands. NELSON MORRIS Burt! Burt! NARRATOR His friend Burt Dolan was not so fortunate. He was close behind Morris but was hit by a falling girder. WERNER FRANZ (Translator): No one could speak, least of all me, I was crying until chief steward Kubis came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders, he said 'come on, pull yourself together. Go and see if you can help anyone'. So I ran back to the ship but of course there was nothing I could do to help. NARRATOR Commander Rosendahl dealt with that terrible disaster bravely, but the scale of the tragedy was to affect him for the rest of his life. Of the 97 crew and passengers, 35 died, and 1 member of the ground crew. ROSENDAHL (to the journalist photographer) Hey, leave these people alone! Leave them alone! ROSENDAHL (quietly to himself) My God...my God. MRS DOEHNER My children... KUBIS The boys are here. I Have seen them. MRS DOEHNER My daughter? My daughter? KUBIS I don't know. She's fine I'm sure. NARRATOR Frau Doehner's daughter, Irene, was rescued from the inferno. She was still breathing when they rushed her straight to hospital, but her lungs were too scorched. The body of Herr Doehner was found the following morning. WERNER DOEHNER Well, there was practically no question for Walter and myself that my father could make it because he was in the middle of the thing. There was no way out. So, we didn't even ask about it. WERNER FRANZ (Translator): What I experienced there, my escape was like a heavenly gift. I must say that I learnt to appreciate things more, more intensely than before. I realized how quickly everything can come to an end and I was grateful for everything that I was allowed to experience after that. ECKENER After my testimony, I decided to return immediately to Germany. Some people never did stop believing in sabotage. The acrobat, Joseph Spah was investigated but the FBI could not find a shred of evidence. I had solved the death of my Hindenburg, but what did that matter? Everything lay in ruins. ROSENDAHL Your theory is a good one. ECKENER We will never know for sure. ROSENDAHL You think I should have waited? ECKENER The ship was behind schedule. I understand that you and Captain Pruss wanted to get her down. ROSENDAHL But you would have waited. ECKENER You could not have known there was a gas leak. ROSENDAHL The reporter was right. If we had given you the helium you needed this wouldn't have happened. ECKENER Perhaps next time we meet will be in happier times. ROSENDAHL Goodbye, doctor. ECKENER Goodbye, commander. ECKENER I was not to meet Commander Rosendahl again until after the war. He never did stop believing some saboteur had brought down the Hindenburg. Perhaps because he felt guilty for calling the ship in. Guilt. I never did tell the Commander of my meeting with President Hoover and the possibility of them supplying helium. Meanwhile people lost confidence, investment plummeted and airplanes were developed that could match the airships range. I had hoped that with the Hindenburg I could build a bridge across the sea between Europe and America, but that bridge lay in ruins. I told Commander Rosendahl that I had seen Germany in the wreckage of the Hindenburg, and within a few years I was proven right. The age of the airship was over, and the skies would be taken over by a more terrifying spectre.