The first chapters chronicle details of the known but extensive balloon and airship bases built by the Army and Navy to fight the War to End All Wars. Their present whereabouts and conditions are fully explained. The surprising number of private airship facilities, all mapped and illustrated, will delight the enthusiast with esoterica researched for nearly fifty years. The World War II chapter explains why only two large steel hangars were started before Nazi-U boats began their slaughter of coastal shipping. Fully covered is the construction of the most enormous and unique timber structures ever known, owing to wartime steel demands.
Tables show some are still used by airships today.
Many of the structures associated with airships are as interesting as the airships they housed, but a thorough account of American airship hangars has never been published. Generally, information on the smaller non-rigid airship hangars were not included. The idea of presenting the following research has been in the author s mind for several years. This trip and the encouragement of several airship enthusiasts, particularly David R. Smith of Bloomington, Illinois, induced me to initiate this research. Many people provided information, gave consideration, commented on the manuscript over the intervening years and answered many questions.