The evening of May 6, 1937, remains etched in history as a turning point in aviation. As Roger Laws prepared for bed 50 miles away, the world was about to witness a tragedy that would abruptly halt the age of the airship. At 7:25 p.m., the German airship LZ 129 Hindenburg, while attempting to moor at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, became a terrifying spectacle of flames. Herbert Morrison’s iconic radio reporting and the stark images of the Hindenburg engulfed in a massive fireball sent shockwaves across the globe. This catastrophic event marked not just a disaster, but the dramatic conclusion of the airship era, becoming one of the most infamous accidents in aviation history. However, the fiery crash was only the start of a deeper investigation into the pivotal question: Why Did The Hindenburg Explode?
The German airship Hindenburg LZ 129 dramatically burning as it approached Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937, illustrating the sudden and intense nature of the disaster.
Immediately following the crash, the U.S. Navy mobilized to rescue survivors, provide medical aid to the injured, and secure the site, even as the wreckage continued to smolder. Among those responding was Roger Laws, stationed aboard the USS Antares near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Antares, serving as a receiving ship, housed sailors between assignments. Laws recounted the night’s events in a letter to his wife, Mildred:
I heard it [the Hindenburg] crashed just before I turned in last night and at eleven forty five they called me and told me I was going to Lakehurst. Belt + leggings. So at twelve oclock I left the ship with six more in the Ships Service truck. There was another truck from the Receiving ships along with us and a police escort. So we sure travelled. The cops had a hard time keeping up with us.
Portraits of Roger Laws, a US Navy serviceman who responded to the Hindenburg disaster, pictured with an infant, and his wife Mildred Laws, offering a personal glimpse into the lives affected by the tragedy.
Arriving amidst the chaos, Roger Laws and fellow servicemen were tasked with establishing a security perimeter around the crash site. Laws noted the extensive response in his letter, “I guess there were over 1500 men here from the surrounding forts, Ships and marine bases. They even have Coast Guard Surf men here.”
A soldier in uniform diligently guarding the wreckage of the Hindenburg airship at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, highlighting the immediate security measures taken after the disaster.
The presence of military personnel served a dual purpose. Firstly, it was crucial to secure the area for the arrival of investigators from both Germany and the United States, who were tasked with uncovering the reasons behind the airship’s destruction. Both the German Investigation Commission and the United States Commerce Department launched comprehensive investigations. These inquiries involved interviewing witnesses and survivors, meticulously examining photographic and film evidence of the disaster, and conducting a detailed analysis of the wreckage. The findings of both reports converged on a single conclusion regarding why the Hindenburg exploded: a leak in a gas cell had allowed highly flammable hydrogen to mix with atmospheric oxygen. This mixture was then ignited by a spark, likely caused by static electricity, resulting in the devastating fire that consumed the Hindenburg.
U.S. Naval officers are pictured carefully inspecting the remains of the Hindenburg airship, undertaking the crucial task of investigating the reasons behind its catastrophic explosion and subsequent fire.
Laws further explained in his letter the second reason for the heavy guard presence, “If there wasn’t so many curious people they wouldn’t have us up here. But it seems as though the whole Station is surrounded by them. They keep climbing over the fence and try to run the blockade.” Similar to the aftermath of the USS Shenandoah crash in Ohio in 1925, throngs of onlookers descended upon the site, seeking to collect pieces of the wreckage as souvenirs. This public interest underscored the need for stringent security, especially given that the debris was vital for the ongoing accident investigation aimed at determining exactly why the Hindenburg exploded.
An aerial view showing the extensive debris field of the Hindenburg airship at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, illustrating the scale of the disaster and the area affected by the crash.
Following the completion of the investigations, the wreckage of the Hindenburg was removed, with some of the salvaged metal being returned to Germany for recycling. At Naval Air Station Lakehurst, a permanent memorial was erected to commemorate the site of the tragedy. The Hindenburg disaster remains a significant event in history, a stark reminder of the perils of early aviation and the abrupt end of the airship era. The legacy of the Hindenburg is preserved within the lighter-than-air collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Roger Laws’ letter to his wife, along with a piece of fabric he collected from the crash site, were recently donated by his family and are now part of the Museum’s collection, accessible through the Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives (SOVA). The question of why did the Hindenburg explode is answered by the investigations, but the disaster’s impact continues to resonate, marking a pivotal moment in aviation history.
