List of airships of the United States Navy identifies the airships of the United States Navy by type, identification, and class.
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USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) , left and USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) , right, in 1924 in Hangar No. 1, Lakehurst, New Jersey
In the background, Los Angeles , in front of it, (l to r) J-3 or 4, K-1, ZMC-2, in front of them, "Caquot" observation balloon, and in foreground free balloons used for training. US Navy airships and balloons, 1931
Fabric-clad rigid airships
The fabric-clad rigid airships were given commissions , the same as warships.[1]
USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) - served 1923-25, lost 3 September 1925 due to structural failure while in line squalls, 14 killed
(ZR-2) - British-built as R38 , lost 24 August 1921 before US Navy acceptance (and before official use of the ZR-2 designation) due to severe control inputs at low altitude and high speed far in excess of structural strength, 44 killed including 16 USN personnel[2] [3]
USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) - German-built as LZ 126 , served 1924-39 (decommissioned 1932, and dismantled 1940)
Akron class
USS Akron (ZRS-4) - aircraft carrier served 1931-33, lost 4 April 1933 in a storm, 73 killed
USS Macon (ZRS-5) - aircraft carrier served 1933-35, lost 12 February 1935 due to structural failure, 2 killed
(ZRCV ), proposed successor to the Akron class, not built
All other airships were registered as aircraft .
ZMC-2 , a metalclad-airship built by the Aircraft Development Corp - 1929-41 (scrapped)
Blimps (non-rigid airships)
USS Shenandoah (ZR-1)
R38 / ZR-2
USS Los Angeles (ZR-3)
USS Akron (ZRS-4)
Higham, Robin, "The British Rigid Airship, 1908-1931 A study in weapons policy," London, G.T. Foulis & Co Ltd. p. 222, 1961
Althoff, William F., "Sky Ships," New York, Crown Publications, p. 17, 1990, ISBN 0-517-56904-3
Allen, Hugh, "The Story of the Airship (non-rigid), Akron, Ohio, 1943
Althoff, William F., "Sky Ships" New York, Orion Books, 1990, ISBN 0-517-56904-3
Grossnick, Roy A., "Kite Balloons to Airships. . . the Navy's Lighter-than-air Experience,", Washington, Government Printing Office, 1986
Higham, Robin, "The British Rigid Airship, 1908–1931: A Study in Weapons Policy," London, G.T. Foulis & Co Ltd.
Mowthorpe, Ces, "Battle Bags," Phoenix Mill, Far Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, Allan Sutton Publishing, 1995
Shock, James R., "U.S. Navy Airships 1915-1962, Edgewater, Florida, Atlantis Productions, 2001, ISBN 0-9639743-8-6
Vaeth, J. Gordon, "Blimps & U-Boats", Annapolis, Maryland, US Naval Institute Press, 1992, ISBN 1-55750-876-3
Ventry, Lord & Kolesnik, Eugen M., "Airship Saga," Poole, Dorset, Britain, Blandford Press, 1982, ISBN 0713710012