Vice Admiral Charles E. Rosendahl Collection

The Vice Admiral Charles E. Rosendahl Collection includes documents, photographs, audio-visual materials, and memorabilia related to the life and career in the United States Navy of Charles E. Rosendahl, his research and writing on global aviation, and the history and operation of rigid and non-rigid airships around the world. The collection is housed in 341 boxes, with additional items on shelves, wall display and oversized boxes.

The collection arrived in good condition and was packed by Special Collections staff at Flagpoint, the Rosendahl Estate in Toms River, New Jersey. It was processed by History of Aviation Collection. Twenty series were identified, with the first being the photograph series, divided into eight subseries: 1. Personal, 2. United States Rigid Airships, 3. Germany Rigid Airships, 4. Other Countries Rigid Airships, 5. Blimps, 6. Ships, Submarines, and Aircraft, 7. Other Photographic Collections, 8. Published Photographs.

Subseries 1. The chronology of CER's personal photographs begins with a high school photograph (1907-1909) of him and spans the intervening years of his life up to 1977. Of the eight boxes in this sub series, the first four are in chronological order while the remaining four are in subject categories with an interval chronological sequence. Box 1 covers CER's early and Naval Academy years, first ship duty aboard the USS Shenandoah, USS Los Angeles, Commanding Officer of Lakehurst, USS Akron Christening, USS Macon, Hindenburg arrival, photographs of his wife Jean, and Navy portraits.

The photographs in Box 2 portray events relating to K type airships, blimps built by Goodyear and used by the Navy in WW-II, at NAS Lakehurst and other Naval Stations. Along with these commissioning are photographs of the inspection in Brazil, Brazilian officers award of wings, CER's retirement presentations, portraits, and CER and Jean at home.

Boxes 3 and 4 vary from 1 and 2 in that subject categories are included within the chronology of 1940-1977. Some categories are airship transfers, awards, clubs and societies, dinners, CER's retirement, NATTC, public relations, and Flag Point, which was the name of the Rosendahls' home.

Box 5 contains picture-postcards, photos of Wing Club events, and prints of Fiji Island.

Box 6 focuses on the Rosendahls' Norwegian Elkhounds which they bred and raised; the sire was a gift to "Rosey."

In Box 7 are photographs of three of CER's friends. The Commander Bolam photographs chronicle part (10/27/1948 - 8/12/1952) of his Naval career--from his first division (n.d.) through training at Lakehurst to command at NAS Weeksville, North Carolina. Karl Lange's photos and memory book were occasioned by his retirement from Goodyear, which was celebrated at the University Club in Akron, Ohio. The celebration of Peter E. Wiberg's 90th birthday on October 15, 1948 is recorded in nine personal photographs.

Admiral Rosendahl first visited Germany with Jean in 1938 to commemorate the 100th birthday of Count Zeppelin. Rosey and his wife later made approximately six other trips which are documented in Box 8 of the personal photographs.

Subseries 2. includes photographs of rigid airships operated by the U.S. Navy, divided into sub-subseries by individual airship: A. USS Shenandoah, B. USS Los Angeles, C. USS Akron, D. USS Macon.

Sub-subseries A. The photographs of the USS Shenandoah, the first of the US Navy's rigid airships, portray its parts, construction, flight, and crew. Patterned after the German Zeppelin airship L49 (LZ96), which had been forced down and captured over France in 1917, the American airship was originally called ZR-1 and later "Daughter of the Stars." After construction at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, the parts for the rigid were shipped to NAS Lakehurst for assembly. Photographs in boxes 10-11 are from the Naval Aircraft Factory, Books I and II respectively. Box 12 also includes airship parts listed in an index from Goodyear.

On September 4, 1923, the Shenandoah flew its maiden voyage. Photographs, which arrived in a scrapbook, depicting maneuvers, training, and moorings, are found in box 9. When ZR-1 encountered a storm on September 3, 1925, Commander Zachary Lansdowne and navigating officer C.E. Rosendahl attempted to no avail to save the aircraft. The airship broke into three parts. Whereas CER and six crew members free ballooned to safety and twenty-two others descended safely, the fourteen remaining airship men, including Lansdowne, died in the wreckage. Photographs in Box 9 depict the wreckage as well as portray the survivors.

Sub-subseries B. Mrs. Grace Coolidge's christening of ZR-3, the USS Los Angeles, is documented in Box 13 of the photographs. Others in the single box of ZR-3 photographs include the commissioning, the crew, Canal Zone trip, and maneuvers. This airship was delivered to the US under a reparations agreement with Germany after WW-I. On March 9, 1926, Rosendahl became Executive Officer, and on May 10, he assumed command of USS Los Angeles. On May 9, 1929, CER was relieved as Commanding Officer by Lt. Commander Herbert Wiley.

Sub-subseries C. Photographs of the USS Akron depict the ringlaying ceremony at Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation in Akron, Ohio. As indicated by the airship's name, Akron was the construction location where Goodyear took the photos of construction. Other photographers whose works are included are F.W. Tupper, Jack Woods, and Dr. W.B. Klemperer. Activities chronicled in this group, consisting of 2 MS boxes, are moorings, landings, and taking off. These photographs show not only the wreckage of the USS Akron (ZRS-4), but also the survivors of the crash. Rear Admiral Herbert V. Wiley, with whom CER corresponded, was the only officer to survive the crash on April 4, 1933, in which 73 of 77 men aboard died. The manuscripts, it might be noted, contain articles by CER about the USS Akron and USS Macon.

Sub-subseries D. Construction photographs are also found in the 1/2 size MS box of the USS Macon, ZRS-5. These prints, which span the years 1931-1935, reflect activities such as Mrs. Moffet's naming of the airship, hook-on in flight as well as arrivals and departures from various Naval Air Stations. As commanding officer of the USS Macon, Admiral Wiley again escaped death when the dirigible fell into the sea on February 12, 1935.

Subseries 3. includes photographs of rigid airships operated by Germany, divided into sub-subseries by individual airship: A. Graf Zeppelin, B. Hindenburg, C. Other German Airships.

Sub-subseries A. Soliciting contributions from the German public and government, Dr. Hugo Eckener was responsible in large measure for the construction of the Graf Zeppelin, LZ 127. Eckener's motivation was based upon his conviction that the airship was a viable form of passenger transportation. Between 1928 and 1929, the LZ 127 flew fifty long-distance flights. Admiral Rosendahl was aboard the first westward flight of the Graf Zeppelin. One of the more famous flights, which occurred in 1929, was the circumnavigation of the globe. Among the sixty-three passengers were C.E. Rosendahl (by invitation of Eckener), Lady Drummond-Hay, and the polar explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins.

Another famous passenger, who later played a role in the US's entry into WW-II, was Ryunosuke Kusaka of Japan. Kusaka, along with other Japanese military officers, was later credited with planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the war CER renewed his friendship with Kusaka through his correspondence which sought information about the attack. Photographs of Kusaka, as well as correspondence between the two, are found with the Pearl Harbor Manuscript, where CER arranged them.

Whereas the photographs documenting the Around the World Flight are found in Box 17, additional printed materials, such as wine lists and dinner menus, are located in a box in memorabilia.

Although most items in Box 17 pertain to the 1929 flight, the first three folders contain published photographs of LZ 127. The last four folders contain photographs of German airship personages with the exception of P.W. Litchfield, President of Goodyear. Identifications are more specific on the folders than inventory, but the researcher is advised to seek verification for some photographs.

Additional photographs of the Graf Zeppelin appear in Box 19, which contains what the Archives staff has termed "miniature photographs" or "miniatures." The Staff was unable to identify positively whether some of these were taken during circumnavigation. Box 19 also has postcards and other photographs of the "queen of the skies." Information about the numerous flights of LZ 127, particularly the Polar Flight, can be found in the Clara Adams Collection, Box 11. Among her German airship books was one entitled Zeppelin-Weltfahrten, Books I and II, which includes miniature photographs. For the few photographs in the collection of the Graf Zeppelin II, LZ 130, a researcher should note the Klemperer ones in Box 19. Any other photographs of German airships, their operations of hangars, are in this box with the exception of those of the Hindenburg, LZ 129.

Sub-subseries B. Box 18 contains the Hindenburg, LZ 129, photographs, most of which were taken on the day of disaster, May 6, 1937. After passing the Empire State Building at 3:30 p.m., the airship headed towards Lakehurst, where commanding officer C.E. Rosendahl awaited it. Shortly after the landing ropes were moored at 9:25 p.m., a flame shot up from topside, just ahead of the top vertical fin, and within forty seconds the conflagration was over. A total of 13 passengers and 22 crew members (one ground crew) died, whereas 23 passengers and 39 crew members survived the inferno. Some died later in the hospital as did Ernst Lehman. The photographs by various photographers document the disaster as well as the wreckage and ceremonies following the disaster. The last two folders contain published photos of construction. The collection houses an incomplete transcript (copy) of the investigation as well as Hermann Goering's letter thanking Jean Rosendahl for her kindness to the German disaster victims.

Sub-subseries C. contains photographs of other models of rigid airships operated by Germany.

Sub-series 4. Box 20 houses British airship photographs as well as two pieces of correspondence from J.G. Struthers and a confidential report from R.H. Leigh. It also includes a document compiled by Struthers, RAF, classified secret, dated April 1918 and entitled Notes on Aids to Submarine Hunting. Folders 1-9 contain materials on British airships which include Turner and Drinkwater photographs. Materials in folders 10-17 were removed from a scrapbook labeled British airships (R series). The final section has photographs of airships from various countries that embarked upon Polar Expeditions: F 19, F 26, and F 27. Some of the dirigibles depicted in the prints are French and Italian.

Addendum: Official Military Visits to Foreign Countries

During the summer of 1928, CER studied the construction of airships at Cardington, England and Tempelhof, Staaken, and Friedrichshafen, Germany. At Friedrichshafen he participated in the trials of the airship Graf Zeppelin. As US Naval Observer, he made the first westward crossing of the North Atlantic in that ship in October 1928. In August 1929, he had additional duty in preparation of the world flight from Lakehurst of the Graf Zeppelin. In addition, he was a Naval Observer on several crossings of the airship Hindenburg.

Sub-series five houses material on non-rigid airships and is divided into sub-subseries: A. Balloons and Blimps, B. Blimps: Goodyear, C. Blimps: Class A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, L, TC, ZMC-2, D. Blimps: Class K and 1944 Scrapbook, E. Blimps: Class Ma and N, Air Sea/Rescue, Air to Ground, F. Naval Air Fields, Landing Fields and Installations.

Subs-subseries A. Box 21 of the photographs includes Kite, Racing, Weather, and U.S. Army Balloons, which span the years 1961-1962. Prints depict racing in Houston, the National Balloon Race, Kelly Field in Texas, Pittsburg, and the G.W.P. Custis, which flew the Potomac between Mount Vernon and Washington, D.C. The Navy's free balloon races are noted at N.A.S. Lakehurst between the years 1917-1930. The photographs labeled Jones indicate the name on the backs of the photos. Not only are the U.S. Army Balloon photographs contained in this box but also the few photos of Army Blimps are found there as well.

Sub-subseries B. The Goodyear blimp photographs, (June 1917 - May 1976), comprise the first class of student pilots as well as the Volunteer, Resolute, Columbia, and Pilgrim. This classification also includes the dedication of the Mayflower Hotel in Akron, Ohio and P.W. Litchfield, President of Goodyear and a strong supporter of the blimp program.

Sub-subseries C. Vice Admiral Rosendahl collected photographs of each class of blimps used by the Navy and some used by the Army. The folder listing delineates these which range from about (1915-1917) to 1948. A Japanese firm, it should be noted, bought several L-Class Blimps in 1973.

Sub-subsereis D The K-Class, designed and built by Goodyear for the Navy, was used primarily for anti-submarine warfare. This class also escorted convoys and assisted in air and sea rescue work. These photographs in Box 24 show the blimps at work, landings, aerial views, and equipment. Box 25 contains the 1944 Scrapbook, spanning the months March through September, which is primarily devoted to K ship activities. Some activities depicted are rescues and experimental practice with life harnesses. Also included in the photographs are those of the K-9 and K-14 crashes. After WW- II, the U.S. Naval Reserve used K-Class airships for advertising as did American firms who purchased them. Photographs of advertisements are found in Box 25 as well as later airships that were modifications of the wartime K-Class. The ZP4K, for example, might be said to be the final extension of the modified K-Class. Between December 28, 1953, and November 24, 1954, the Bureau of Aeronautics altered airship designations resulting, for instance, in the ZP2K becoming the ZSG-2 and the XZP4K becoming XZSG-4 or ZSG-4. The date of these photos is 1950-1956.

Sub-subseries E Available information indicates that the U.S. Navy ordered only four of M-Class airships, used during and after WW-II, the photographs of which date from January 5, 1943, to February 21, 1949. The N-Class, beginning with the ZPN-1 (later designated ZPG-1), was the prototype of a series designed for long range Early Warning service. The designation of ZP2N became ZPG-2. Modifications continued and ZP2N-1W was designated ZPG-2W. The last airships used by the Navy were N-Class, that is ZPG-3W's. Photos of the M and N classes cover the years 1950-1961. Box 26 contains photos of Air/Sea Rescues which run from May 13, 1944 - April 23, 1961. Cities and sites photographed from blimps categorized Air to ground during the period of June 6, 1949 to March 31, 1952 include San Juan, New York, Washington D.C.; U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and N.A.S. Weeksville, N.C.

Sub-subseries F The subject category of hangars contains not only specifications for steel and wood construction but also photographs of particular blimp hangars which range from April 12, 1920 - November 10, 1944. Among these photos is one of the DN-1, the first Naval airship; other photos of DN-1 are found with A-Class airships (Box 23). In the accident category is a photo of the wreck of C-7, the first helium-powered airship. The folder listing notes the particular airship involved in an accident from July 28, 1920 through February 14, 1958, while the 1944 Scrapbook includes additional photos of K-Class accidents. The folder listing for mooring masts indicates the owner or kind portrayed.

Box 28 of the photographs depicts Naval Air Stations, arranged alphabetically, as well as other landing fields and installations used by the U.S. Navy. The date span for this group is July 6, 1920 - March 22, 1957.

Box 29 is devoted entirely to NAS Lakehurst, particularly to projects of the Civil Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration. Although these photographs range from November 27, 1932 to March 5, 1940, the most active years are 1935-1937. Some of the projects shown, in various stages, are of building and expansion, renovation, and ground improvements.

Another group of photographs taken at Lakehurst focuses on Naval Military activities from 1920 through November of 1974. These comprise early prints of Hangar #1, the power plant, and aerial views of the station. Activities such as blimp erection, bomb runs, and fire-fighting are among the photographs. Included as well is an economic analysis conducted in the 1960's.

Sub-series 6. Box 31 photographs depict the damage the USS Minneapolis received in the Battle of Tassafaronga (November 30, 1942) and subsequent temporary repairs at the Island of Tulagi as well as dry dock ones at Pearl Harbor. Rosendahl commanded the USS Minneapolis from August 1942 through April 1943. The register, along with the first folder in this box, contains a list of events of USS Minneapolis. Additional photographs in the box portray other ships, such as the USS West Virginia that CER served aboard. Box 32 contains the submarine and very few HTA photographs that CER collected.

Sub-series 7. The photographs in Box 33 are all believed to be from other collections. The researcher should note that the first three folders contain prints of early aviation pioneers, such as Mrs. Henry Breckenridge, the first woman pilot. Herr Zaschka invented the precursor of the helicopter while Monsieur Farman is shown with his first aeronautical machine. A thank-you letter from CER to P.M. Jackson, Sr. documents that the latter collected the photographs depicting nose repairs to the USS Shenandoah, the USS Los Angeles in flight, and early scenes at NAS Lakehurst. The Jackson Collection includes prints of the photographer Clements whose images are included elsewhere in CER's photographs. The Sherman Fairchild photographs, which are named for the photographer, appear to be part of a larger collection. These historical prints portray the French airship Republique (1909), Baldwin's California Arrow (1904), and Zeppelin No. 4 (1908). They also include a photograph of Teddy Roosevelt with an airship.

Admiral Rosendahl received in December of 1944 the camerascope and photos from Ernest Muehleck, who in turn received from J.D. North of Boulton and Paul, Ltd., Norwich, England. These pictures depict the construction of the R-101 in November 1928. Although the register does not include a folder list for these photos, Box 34 contains contact sheets of them.

Sub-series 8. Box 35 contains approximately 55 slides for the booklet They Were Dependable, yet an enclosed note indicates that 2 are missing: one is for the preface page and the other is for the final page. Also included in the box is a container of approximately 19 glass plate negatives of dirigibles.

Box 36, OS, houses published photographs and proofs from books and articles designed for the purpose of public relations. In particular, the US Navy publications promoted the War effort (WW- II). Some of the publications are incomplete, yet the staff has tried to describe them, as fully as possible, in the folder listing.

The second series, Manuscripts/Research, is divided into twelve subseries: 1. What About The Airship/They Were Dependable/Airshipper, 2. Memoirs, 3. Far Away Places, 4. SNAFU, 5. A History, 6. World War II, 7. Pearl Harbor, 8. Comparison of HTA and LTA in Transoceanic Commerce, 9. Manuscripts-Articles, 10. Manuscript-Statements [Congress, Federal Agencies, and Press], Sub-series 11. Manuscript-Speeches, Sub-series 12. Manuscript-Others.

The manuscripts, by CER and others, contain a variety of works in various formats. CER's unpublished manuscripts appear as holographs, typescripts (with or without the author's or an editor's handwritten revisions), typescript carbons, and mimeographed texts. No extant copy of the manuscript or typescript exists for Up Ship, the Admiral's first volume published by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1931. The manuscripts included the master typescript of What about the Airship? His second published volume by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1938. Fragile bound volumes of both are housed in the Rosendahl Room of the HAC.

Included with the manuscripts are articles (published and unpublished) by and about CER, editorials, and interviews. Official testimonies before committees or inquiries of the U.S. Congress, the House or the Senate, or before federal agencies are grouped with press releases. These official statements are separated from his public speeches to American and foreign organizations. CER's radio speeches, both foreign and domestic, are housed in a separate box. Manuscripts by others comprise the remainder of boxes in this series. The subseries are as follows:

Boxes 39-61: CER's MSS

Boxes 62-64: CER's Articles Box 65: CER's Statements Boxes 66-68: CER's Speeches Boxes 69-72: MSS: Others Boxes 39-59: CER The unpublished manuscripts present difficulties for the researcher, as they did for the processor. An early manuscript, it appears, was seminal to later ones. Completed prior to December of 1955, the manuscript appears with the title Airshipper or Rosendahl the Airshipper along with the criticism of Hugh Allen, former Public Relations Representative for Goodyear. To maintain provenance, duplicate chapters, particularly I through IV, remain with Allen's criticism rather than with the other typescript copy. The work begins with CER's involvement in LTA activities and proceeds to the launch and flights of the USS Shenandoah as well as its loss, the operation of the USS Los Angeles, the story of British airships, and the arrival and departure of the Graf Zeppelin's flight to the US. The early manuscript also includes circumstances about the loss of the USS Akron and USS Macon, the "destruction" of the US airship program, and the role of blimps in WW-II, especially Guadalcanal.

What appears as an expanded or revised version of the early manuscript is labeled Memoirs, most chapters of which are dated, or dated revised, in 1956-1957. As the ascribed title indicates, the slant of this work is autobiographical. This typescript includes, at least in one version, the same "Prologue" and many of the same chapters, though some differ, as the typescript CER titled Far Away Places. Even though some duplicate chapters are marked 1956-1957 in Far Away Places, and most bear the date 1958-1959. Yet, another revision date is 1962.

A notation in the manuscripts indicates that CER extracted chapters from Far Away Places for SNAFU: The Strange Story of American Airships, yet most of the chapter, or revision, dates of the latter are 1958-1959. The Admiral may have been working simultaneously on these two, or possible three, manuscripts. Another unpublished manuscript contains chapter, or revision, dates that span 1957-1959. This manuscript had three titles: one version is "God Bless the Blimps," another is "How Soon We Forget and the final "A History of U.S. Navy Airships in World War II." The early titles seemed to have lost favor to the final one, which is a variant of an earlier subtitle. "A History of U.S. Navy Airships in World War II" contains chapters dated 1960

In turn, "A History...." appears to have spawned a more detailed study of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This unpublished work is hereafter referred to as the Pearl Harbor Manuscript, the dates of the chapters span the years 1969-1974. To maintain provenance, the drafts, research materials, and correspondence about Pearl Harbor remain together. Inquiries about Pearl Harbor led Admiral Rosendahl to renew his friendship with Ryunosuke Kusaka, a Japanese military officer who assisted in planning the attack. Kusaka and Rosendahl were passengers on the Around the World Flight of the Graf Zeppelin. The Pearl Harbor materials contain references and photographs of the World Flight. The researcher should note that some official Navy memoranda, which CER pulled from other places, appear with the Pearl Harbor materials. Three copies of the unpublished manuscript were donated to the HAC by Dr. Wiltie Creswell, a nephew of CER. One copy, noted in the box/folder listing, is labeled complete.

Boxes 60-61

In Box 60 of the manuscripts is a mimeographed study of Pan American Airways Trans-Pacific Service dated June 1939. The twelve-page study--for "private use, not for publication or reproduction"--appeared seminal to at least one later detailed comparison of flying boats and airships in trans-oceanic commerce. The latter mimeographed study, dated 8/27/1941, compares "clipper" flights (Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic, and Latin America) with Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg ones across the north and south Atlantic. Factors of comparison are "speed, schedule- keeping ability, reliability, safety, comfort, and costs." The Admiral states that the airships would not necessarily replace HTA (heavier-than-air) aircraft but would provide and "additional, appealing service." Additional reports and studies of airships for commerce - apparently solicited from private corporation and individuals by government committees - are housed with CER's research materials.

Box 61 contains a comparative study of HTA and LTA for commercial purposes which, in the final draft, bears the title "Miss Mars" and later "Message from Mars." Shortly after two official press releases appeared (12/10 and 12/1943) about the Naval Air Transport "Mars" cargo flying boat, CER wrote an article (12/17 and 22/1943) comparing the "Mars" with the Hindenburg. CER's collection does not contain a published copy of this article.

Boxes 62-68

The articles, statements, and speeches are in chronological order and items of particular significance are noted.

Boxes 69-70

These boxes contain correspondence, drafts, charts, and reports used in Dr. Wolfgang B. Klemperer's study entitled "Technical Problems Confronting A Resumption of the Construction of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin-type Airships." An appendix of the final reported (dated 12/31/1964) contains a resume of each contributor: G.E. Bockrath, B.H. Carmichael, V.H. Pavlecka, W. Pfenninger, and T.H. Troller. The preface contains the following statement of purpose: "The present report was prepared in compliance with a specific order received from an organization seriously interested in resumption of the construction and operation of Zeppelin-type rigid airships (dirigibles) and their further development."

Box 71

How P.C. Barnes' manuscript entitled Airships, A Discussion and copy (offset) came into Rosendahl's possession leaves an unanswered question, particularly since it is a study of British airships. A feasible explanation is that the Vice-Admiral acquired it for the proposed LTA Museum. A cover sheet on the copy included two names, both preceded by "Property of." The first name is J.H. Hykes, USN, and the second is Mr. Halliburton. These two names have been struck through and replaced by "Lt. Commander C.E. Rosendahl." Whereas the copy remains in relatively good shape, what appears as the original typescript shows considerable vermin damage. Yet both contain photographs, some of which have faded. The date March 30, 1919 appears only on the copy; therefore, this date has been placed in brackets on the original. A search of the National Union Catalog of Imprints fails to verify the publication of the manuscript.

Folders 2-5 contain the original typescript while folders 6-9 contain the copy. While attempting to ascertain whether either manuscript or copy is complete, the archivist observed that a section entitled "Introduction" appears to correspond, although the page numbers differ, to that of the Table of Contents labeled "Concerning Rigid Airships." Page 14 of this section is missing. This section, in folder 10, is found in the copy only. Internal evidence suggests that the section contained some confidential material which may explain its withdrawal from the original.

Though the majority of the airships included in the work are of British design, some are French, German, and Italian. The work contains not only a table of contents, but also a list of 65 photographic illustrations. Barnes discusses in detail the design of rigid as well as non-rigid airships, while explaining and describing the fabric, aluminum dope, and general items as cars, rigging, and grounding of riggings. The contents span the years 1900 to 1919.

Box 72

Box 72 contains manuscripts and galley proofs by others. One folder contains What Appears to Be? Hugh Allen's partial manuscript entitled Why Doesn't America Have Rigid Airships? Questions arise over whether it was published and whether it was intended to be an official Goodyear publication (See letter in folder 1). What is known is that Allen served as Director of Public Relations for Goodyear for numerous years; he offered editorial advice to CER; and he promoted airships for commerce. Another short sketch by Hugh Allen entitled "Outline of Suggested Airship Story" appears in mimeograph format without a date. It is questionable whether this sketch bears any relationship to the previous one.

The other manuscripts in this box are listed in the box/folder inventory. The researcher should note that folder 5 holds the galley proofs for A.A. Hoehling's Who Destroyed the Hindenburg, published in 1962 by Little, Brown, and Company. A legal controversy appears to have arisen about the publication or contests of the volume. Box 65 contains CER's legal deposition for A.A. Hoehling vs. Universal City Studios.

The third series consists of eight sub-series: 1. Personal Clipping Files, 2. Philately, Autographs and Mementos, 3. US Airships, Blimps, and Ships, 4. Clubs: Programs and Awards Banquets (Includes Correspondence), 5. Ocean County, New Jersey Centennial (1850 - 1950), Location of Toms River, N.J., CER's residence - Flagpoint, 6. NAS Lakehurst, 7. Museums and Archives, 8. Newspapers and Newsletters.

Sub-series 1. includes information about Rosendahl's life and career.

Sub-series 2. contains material related to stamps and postal material as well as autographs from famous subjects.

Sub-series 3. consists of badges, fabric, postcards and other items representing the craft that Rosendahl served or traveled on.

Sub-series 4. houses formal banquet programs, menus, and invitations.

Sub-series 5. documents the centennial celebration of Ocean County, New Jersey.

Sub-series 6. Contains historical information about NAS Lakehurst.

Sub-series 7. consists of correspondence and brochures from various aviation museums.

Sub-series 8. includes issues of various newspapers and newsletters related to aviation topics.

The fourth series is correspondence. The Vice Admiral's official correspondence, unless otherwise noted in the box and folder inventory, is contained in Boxes 98-132. Most of CER's and Jean's personal notes and letters from friends are included in Memorabilia. The distinction between personal and official correspondence overlapped at times because most of the Rosendahls' friends were associated with the military, particularly LTA. Such is the case of the German correspondence. From CER's initial and subsequent trips to Germany, he met and maintained friendships with German personages associated with zeppelin and other airship activities. Regardless of their personal tone, these letters have been placed with official correspondence because rarely do they fail to mention some aspect of airship activity, either foreign, domestic or international. The notable exception is the location of the correspondence between CER and Ryunosuke Kusaka. Because inquiries about Pearl Harbor led Rosendahl to renew his friendship with Kusaka, a Japanese military officer who assisted in planning the attack, the correspondence is shelved with the Pearl Harbor manuscript and research materials. The Kusaka-CER correspondence contains references to and photographs of the Around the World Flight of the Graf Zeppelin, on which both were passengers.

The correspondence, because of its volume, is arranged in alphabetical order with few exceptions. CER sporadically kept his correspondence in chronological order; these letters appear in Box 98. Personal handwritten notes indicate that he stripped the correspondence files for reference in his manuscripts. The other notable exception is that CER filed his book publishers and movie scripts correspondence in these designated subjects, which overlap and have been placed at the end of the correspondence. Because the movie scripts correspondence relates to his personal military career as well as the production of training films (LTA), it has been placed in proximity to the series of Official Naval Records: Logs and Official Memoranda. The researcher should note that cross references appear on the folders.

The fifth series consists of Rosendahl’s personal flight logs, diaries, military personnel records, orders, and Official Memoranda. The researcher should note that Official Memoranda (O Memo) are shelved in the following boxes as well as in correspondence and manuscripts. Official memoranda comprises records stating policy or written in an official capacity for/about/by military or congressional personnel. These records contain reports, summaries, charts, and some correspondence. CER's withdrawal of materials for research created organizational problems. His arrangement includes subjects, year dates, and date spans from two to twenty years. The folders in the boxes appear in chronological order with year dates first, month/day/year dates following, and finally span dates. For example, the order is 1942, then 1/24/1942, and 1942 - 1948.

The sixth series is divided into two sub-series: 1. General History, and 2. Rigid Airships.

Subseries 1. including BUAER LOG was generated by the Bureau of Aeronautics for the restricted use by its personnel and later personnel under the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air). Because the newsletter chronicles activities of personnel (assignments), squadrons and patrols as well as accidents, it has been included with LTA history. These official histories result from CNO letter of 17 August 1944 requesting Chief of Naval Airship Training and Experimentation to prepare the history of LTA. In turn, all NAS and fleet airship groups submitted monthly reports that focused on WW-II and extended to 1960. The researcher should note that group and unit divisions were reorganized, resulting in changes of names and commission status. Some histories include photographs.

Sub-series 2. is divided into seven sub-subseries: A. USS Shenandoah, B. USS Los Angeles, C. USS Akron, D. USS Macon, E. Graf Zeppelin, F. Hindenburg, G. Metal Clad Airships.

Sub-subseries A. includes information about the flight and crash of the USS Shenandoah.

Sub-subseries B. houses information about the USS Los Angeles and its construction.

Sub-subseries C. contains memos and documents about the loss of the USS Akron.

Sub-subseries D. consists of weather, aerology, logs, and maintenance notes of the USS Macon.

Sub-subseries E. includes trip data and planning for the flight of the Graf Zeppelin.

Sub-subseries F. includes historical information, plus the United States Government’s official investigation into the crash of the Hindenburg.

Sub-subseries G. houses engineering and design proposals for airships using metal components in their lifting bags and envelopes.

The seventh series entitled "LTA Training" consists of the following materials: Class rosters and photographs, Training handbooks and syllabi, Flight Manuals, Training aids for instruction

These materials, generated by the Bureau of Aeronautics of the US Navy and by Goodyear, span the years 1924 - 61, although the chronology of materials becomes more consistent in the 1940's. The researcher should note various yearly omissions. These manuals were used at the NAS Lakehurst facility, though the collection includes some from Headquarters Naval Air Basic Training Command at Pensacola, Florida.

Boxes 181-82 contain rigid airship training manuals and history of training airships. Box and folder contents lists designate particular non-rigid airships. The instructional aids provided the learning resources for those who received the designation "Naval Aviator Airship", both pilot and maintenance crews. As the technology of the airship progressed, the training materials likewise became more complex. From the offset or stencil hand-out of the 1920's the materials evolved into printed manuals of various mechanical and electrical components of specific airships. Goodyear produced customer training manuals for individual non-rigid airships during the 1950s. Each folder containing these manuals is labeled with the Goodyear designation.

The eighth series contains training, operations, and maintenance manuals for the various systems and components of airships and their ground handling equipment, to support their basic operation and piloting.

The ninth series includes U.S. Naval Light-than-Air Operations Reports printed on transparencies for projection. The following is a list of abbreviations used throughout the reports:

AFR Atlantic Fleet Regulations AR Assembly and Repair BAM Bureau of Aeronautics Manual BOM Bureau of Ordnance Manual BPM Bureau of Naval Personnel Manual BUAER Bureau of Aeronautics BUORD Bureau of Ordnance BUPERS Bureau of Naval Personnel BuWeps Bureau of Weapons CESF Commander Eastern Sea Frontier CFAWL Commander Fleet Air Wings, Atlantic Fleet CGFS Commander Gulf Sea Frontier CI Communications Instructions CinClant Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet C/L Circular Letter CND Commandant Naval District CNO The Chief of Naval Operations CoMinch Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet CSF Commander Sea Frontier CSFL Commander Service Force, Atlantic Fleet CSFL(SC) Commander Service Force, Atlantic Fleet Subordinate Command FAW30-I Fleet Airship Wing 30 Instructions FAWL Fleet Air Wings, Atlantic Fleet FAWLI Fleet Air Wings, Atlantic Fleet, Instructions FISA Federation Internacionale des Societies Aerophilateliques GO General Order JAG Judge Advocate General MMD Manual Medical Department NACA National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics NARTU Naval Air Reserve Training Unit NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NATCC National Air Transport Coordinating Committee NCB Naval Courts and Boards OPNAV Naval Operations SecNAC Secretary of the Navy SfLAB Service Force Atlantic Fleet Activities Bulletin SRO Service and Repair Officer USNR U.S. Navy Regulations

The tenth series of technical manuals was generated by the Bureau of Naval Aeronautics and Bureau of Naval Weapons. Although these bureaus originated as separate entities, the U.S. Navy later combined them. Therefore, the materials for the units have been combined. The technical manuals include handbooks of maintenance instructions and illustrated parts breakdown as well as overhaul instructions. The manuals are arranged into two sub series. Individual airships which includes Flight Logs and service records comprises a sub series. The other is component parts. Within subject headings these manuals are filed in chronological order and, where applicable, under the date of revision, the date of these runs from 1945 - 1961, though most were produced in the decade of 1950.

The eleventh series are the technical reports, authorized by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics and conducted at the Airship Experimental Center at Lakehurst, spanning the years 1935 through 1961, the year the Navy terminated its LTA program.

The Experimental Center, according to the Experimental and Flight Test Center Manual, formed "a composite of all other LTA engineering groups, adding to the sum total of knowledge in each engineering phase of airship equipment and armament by functional tests, development and research." The Center also acted "as a service organization for operating (airship) units requiring controlled tests and development." These reports, labeled TED (Technical Engineering Data) and TDM (Test Data Memorandum), include Progress and Final Reports. The Progress Reports, as well as the other Lakehurst Technical Reports, should be used with the Goodyear Engineering Reports. An index exists for the year 1944 while another index covers the years 1950-61. Both indices are shelved in the third box of the sub-series.

C.E. Rosendahl arranged a box of the reports as subject files while grouping together various contracted and non-contracted reports and years. The box listing contains the dates and subjects.

The twelfth series contains technical Goodyear Engineering Reports (GER) and Subcontractor's Reports. The reports should be used with NAS Lakehurst Airship Experimental Center reports, such as the TEDs (Technical Engineering Data), Design Memos, Progress Reports, and TDMs (Test Data memorandum). The Navy Bureau of Aeronautics contracted these studies of engineering data through Goodyear. Weight and balance data about individual airships have been placed with Goodyear Engineering Reports since the company conducted the initial studies before delivering the airships to the Navy. Later weight and balance data conducted during flight trials for the new airships - most of which were either tested or based at NAS Lakehurst - have been placed along side the Goodyear reports for the convenience of the researcher. If the researcher fails to locate weight and balance data in the Goodyear sub series, he/she should be advised to check for the information under Individual Airships, Lakehurst Airship Experimental Center reports. The researcher should likewise take note that reports for particular subcontracted parts for Goodyear manufactured airships appear with these Engineering Reports. Some of the companies who received the subcontracts for parts were Sperry, Vickers, and Curtiss Wright.

The thirteenth series includes reports, hearings, laws, studies, basic chemical information, and other material related to the use of a helium, and other lifting gasses, in lighter-than-air craft as well as other commercial uses.

The fourteenth series consists of manuals, regulations, promotion material, and managment of U.S. Naval Officers and enlisted men.

The fifteenth series houses whole journal issues as well as individual articles about lighter-than-air aviation and related subjects.

The sixteenth series includes hearings, briefings, bills and laws, investigations, and testimonies before the United States government on matters of aviation and naval policy.

The seventeenth series includes reports, statements, speeches, and expert testimonies on aviation and naval policy.

The eighteenth series contains clippings from a number of sources on topics of interest to Rosendahl.

The nineteenth series consists of artifacts collected by Rosendahl during his life and career in the U.S. Navy.

The twentieth series is composed of large-size material and organized into the following sub-series: 1. Graphics, 2. Paintings, 3. Posters, 4. Certificates, 5. Photographs, 6. Scrapbooks, 7. Blueprints, 8. Framed Photographs, 9. Artifacts, 10. Film, 11. Audio.

Sub-series 1. contains large-size graphics of aviation images.

Sub-series 2. includes original paintings and prints of artistic depictions of aviation activities.

Sub-series 3. consists of posters and calandear pages depicting aviation subjects.

Sub-series 4. houses certificates of membership in organizations, awards and decorations, and military rank promotions.

Sub-series 5. contains photographs of various airships and aviation related subjects.

Sub-series 6. consists of scrapbooks documenting Rosendahl's career.

Sub-series 7. includes blueprints of airships, surface warships, and aircraft.

Sub-series 8. consists of famed photographs of officers and enlisted men from the U.S. Navy's airship program.

Subs-series 9. contains physical objects related to Rosendahl's career and lighter-than-air aviation.

Sub-series 10. includes motion picture film of various blimp tests and activities, as well as footage of airship in action.

Sub-series 11. houses recordings of interviews, recollections, and news broadcast about lighter-than-air aviation.