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The Graf Zeppelin (Deutsches Luftschiff Zeppelin #130; Registration: D-LZ 130) was the last of the German rigid airships built by Zeppelin Luftschiffbau during the period between the World Wars, the second and final ship of the Hindenburg class, and the second zeppelin to carry the name "Graf Zeppelin" (after the LZ 127) and thus often referred to as Graf Zeppelin II.
Construction resumed in 1935. The keel of the second ship, LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin was laid on June 23, 1936, and the cells were inflated with hydrogen on August 15, 1938. As the second Zeppelin to carry the name Graf Zeppelin (after the LZ 127), it is often referred to as Graf Zeppelin II.
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin: civilian 18 September 1928 Most successful airship in history; regular flights to North and South America; world tour in 1929, Arctic trip in 1931. Withdrawn from service in 1937 following the Hindenburg disaster and dismantled along with LZ 130 in 1940 upon order of Hermann Göring. LZ 128 Project abandoned in favor of LZ 129
The DZR's fleet included not only the ex-DELAG LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin, but several newer and larger zeppelins, including the LZ 129 Hindenburg and LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II. Following the high-profile Hindenburg disaster on 6 May 1937, the fortunes of the zeppelin sharply declined.
The LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II was the last of the zeppelins to carry mail; it was in civilian service for only a few months, from October 1938 to August 1939, and made only 30 trips, all within Germany.
[178] [190] President Roosevelt supported exporting enough helium for the Hindenburg-class LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II to resume commercial transatlantic passenger service by 1939, [191] but by early 1938, the opposition of Interior Secretary Harold Ickes, who was concerned that Germany was likely to use the airship in war, made that impossible.
After the disaster, Sammt became the commander of the LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin, flying its spy flight in August 1939 [2] and its last flight before it was dismantled. His home town of Niederstetten made him an "honoured citizen" ( Ehrenbürger ); the Albert-Sammt-Museum is situated there.
Hugo Eckener (10 August 1868 – 14 August 1954) [1] [2] [3] was the manager of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin during the inter-war years, and also the commander of the famous Graf Zeppelin for most of its record-setting flights, including the first airship flight around the world, making him the most successful airship commander in history.