Until now, many people who took part in the hostilities are listed as missing. This will surprise no one. But the disappearance of two members of the airship's crew in 1942 in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses to this day has no explanation. There is speculation that Lieutenant Ernest Cody and Warrant Officer Charles Adams were captured by the Japanese. But there are too many facts to refute this version.
Airships against the Japanese
In the summer of 1942, the United States won the battle with Japan for Midway Atoll, which ended in the complete defeat of the Japanese fleet. But the memories of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor airbase were still fresh in the memory of the American military. Therefore, they did not lose their vigilance. In order to timely detect threats from Japanese submarines, the American armed forces used airships. This choice was due to the ability of airships to hover over the desired location for a long time, without requiring refueling, and to conduct long-term observation. Initially, the enemy's underwater activities were controlled by the Ranger airship, which was later replaced by the new L-8 model. These vehicles were based in San Francisco Bay on Treasure Island. From here they went in search of Japanese submarines.
In order to timely detect threats from Japanese submarines, the American armed forces used airships.
The August morning of 1942 was quite chilly for this time of year. The damp fog settled on the soft surface of the airship and made the aircraft significantly heavier. In addition, the L-8 had in its arsenal a machine gun and two depth charges, 160 kilograms each.
The damp fog settled on the soft surface of the airship and made the aircraft significantly heavier. In addition, the L-8 had in its arsenal a machine gun and two depth charges, 160 kilograms each. In connection with such an overload, the number of the crew was reduced to two people.
In connection with such an overload, the number of the crew was reduced to two people. The airship went on a mission without a flight mechanic.
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Professionals
The first pilot of the airship was Ernest Cody, a US BMA graduate who was seconded to the base a few months before the mysterious events. On his account, Cody had several successfully completed military operations. So, in April 1942, he was tasked with delivering 300 pounds of spare parts for the bombers on board the aircraft carrier.
Lieutenant Ernest Cody and Warrant Officer Charles Adams.
The meeting between the airship and the ship took place off the coast of California. The pilot was required to be extremely accurate and careful, as almost the entire flight deck of the aircraft carrier was occupied by 16 bombers. Cody brilliantly coped with the difficult task. The airship he piloted in April was a replica of the L-8. Therefore, there was no reason to doubt his professionalism.
The second person in the carriage was the 38-year-old midshipman Charles Adams.
The mission, which the pilots received on August 16, 1942, was not very difficult. Their airship was to raid the coast of California and return to base. The flight began, as usual, at 6 am. And at about 8 o'clock the base received a radiogram from Cody, in which he reported some suspicious spot on the water in the area of Farralon Island. According to the first pilot, it looked like oil. Then he announced that the crew was continuing the raid and remained in touch. This was the last message from the L-8.
Disappearing
The silence on the air worried the base dispatchers. An order was received to all manned vehicles and ships located in this area, in case of detection of an airship, to immediately report it.
As it turned out, many saw him. The crew of the fishing vessel reported that the airship went up and down, almost touching the water. It looks like the pilots were trying to look at something, otherwise why would they throw lighting bombs. According to the testimony of the same sailors, at about 10 am the airship headed towards the base without completing its patrol. And all this with deathly silence on the air.
At about 11 o'clock he was seen by the crews of several passenger planes flying up to San Francisco. According to the pilots, everything was in order on board the airship. Until the device began to rapidly gain altitude, moving at an acute angle, and disappeared into the clouds.
The fall of the airship was quite devastating: it damaged the roofs of several houses, two cars, and cut off electrical wires.
After about 20 minutes, the airship appeared over the coastal highway. Some of the eyewitnesses managed to take a photo. The device had a deplorable appearance: stalled motors, a partially deflated shell, but the most important thing was not this, but an empty gondola. Meanwhile, the airship continued to lose altitude until the wind carried it towards the golf course, where it hit the ground. At the same time, one of the depth charges, breaking off the mount, also fell to the ground, but, fortunately, there was no explosion. Having dropped such ballast, the airship began to gain altitude again. This time the wind carried him towards the suburb of San Francisco, where he finally fell to the ground. The fall was quite devastating: the airship damaged the roofs of several houses, two cars, and cut off electric wires.
The police and eyewitnesses of the crash did not wait for the military. Firefighter W. Morris first rushed to rescue the crew. But there were no people inside the gondola. They even searched for it in the deflated shell of the airship, having previously torn it open and released the remaining gas. But there was no one there either.
The military who arrived, having examined the device in more detail, determined that the fuel tanks were still full, and the lead suitcase with classified information remained on board. But in such a situation it was ordered to destroy him. Everything was in place: parachutes, a radio, the crew's weapons, a life raft. And the gondola doors were locked.
Consequence
The first thing the investigators did was check the condition of the motors. Oddly enough, they were fine apart from the damage they received from hitting the ground. The control switches were in the "on" position, but witnesses claimed that the motors were not working! Suppose the motors have failed at some point. The crew, noticing a malfunction, had to report it to the base by radio, but for some unknown reason did not do this, although it was in good order. Even with the radio inoperative, the pilots could communicate through the loudspeaker with any ship. But again, they did not. Finally, they could leave the airship by jumping out with a parachute, but they remained in the gondola. Only life jackets were missing, but, according to the instructions, the pilots put them on before the flight.
The investigation also ruled out the version of the accidental loss of the crew from the open door. It is unlikely that, falling, they would have time to close the doors behind them.
However, all nearby territories were thoroughly searched, including the water area. The pilots could not drown thanks to life jackets.
There was also such a version as the murder of one pilot by another. But she also had to be forgotten, since it is unclear how and where the alleged killer disappeared. In addition, colleagues and relatives characterized the crew as balanced, calm and sane people.
Third wheel
And finally, one more, similar to the real version. Two eyewitnesses, who watched the fall of the airship through binoculars, claimed that they saw three people on board. Maybe this third was the killer? But the investigators reasoned differently. The gondola is too small for a person to go unnoticed there, and the pictures taken during the disaster show that the cabin is empty. Perhaps the witnesses were mistaken in wishful thinking.
But you can treat this version in a different way. For example, the pilots noticed a drowning man in the water, who could be an enemy soldier. After all, it is no coincidence that an oil stain appeared in that place; it could be a sign of a ship wreck. The fact that they did not report the passenger by radio can be explained by two reasons: either the pilots were in a hurry to deliver him for assistance, or were at gunpoint. One way or another, the change in the route of the airship indicates that something unexpected has happened. When the prisoner or the rescued person realized where he was being taken, he decided to run away. But for the normal flight of the device, it was necessary to drop the ballast, which in this case were the pilots. However, the apparatus became too light and began to gain altitude quickly. At a critical altitude, the emergency valve worked, the airship began to lose helium and descend. The third stopped the engines and, after the airship had descended as much as possible, jumped into the water. This version also explains the lack of life jackets. Perhaps they were removed from the pilots in order to use them themselves. And the weapon was left to confuse the investigation.
All this sounds quite logical, if not for a number of questions that still remain unanswered. Why did the military pilots violate the order and change the route? Why were the doors of the airship closed? Why didn't the motors work when the toggle switches were on? In any case, neither facts nor truthful evidence is enough. So this story will remain a mystery.
E. Cody and C. Adams a year after the tragedy were declared dead. After repairs, the A L-8 was used as a training airship for a long time.
Galina Belysheva