Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. military ordered the construction of 200 blimps to patrol for enemy submarines prowling along our coastlines. In 1942 alone, German U-boats sank 547 merchant ships off the East Coast.
The Richmond Naval Air Station, 20 miles southwest of downtown Miami, eventualy became the world's largest blimp base. Spread over 2,100 acres, it was home to 900 personnel and 25 blimps.
Patrolling the Florida Straits
At dusk on July 18, 1943, two of the Navy's blimps took off on a mission to escort a tanker and a freighter through the perilous Florida Straits. The airships were armed with a 50-caliber machine gun and four depth charges.
Around 11:30 p.m. an ominous blip appeared on the radar screen in the blimp carrying Lt. Nelson Grills and his nine-member crew. Emerging from a bank of clouds, they saw a U-boat on the surface cruising directly toward the two ships, which were less than half an hour away.
Engaging the Enemy
The blimp descended to a height of 250 feet to engage the enemy. Crew members standing watch on the German sub spotted the approaching airship.
The U-boat soon opened fire with 20-mm machine guns and an 80-mm deck gun. Although its depth charges failed to deploy, the blimp gamely fought back and returned fire with its machine gun. Reeling from the attack, the airship slowly limped away. But both of its engines were damaged and it started losing altitude.
Mayday
The blimp settled into the water shortly before midnight and quickly began to sink. After radioing in a "Mayday", the crew members donned life vests and abandoned ship. Lt. Grills became separated from them and was swept away by a strong current.
The rest of his men spent the night bobbing in the waves next to the blimp's deflated bag.
The next morning they waved frantically to a search aircraft that passed overhead. A rescue helicopter was immediately dispatched to the scene.
But the chopper didn't arrive in time to save bombardier Isadore Stessel, who was attacked by a shark and killed. Lt. Grills spent 19 hours in the water before he was rescued.
A Sunken U-boat and a Hurricane
The U-boat, which sustained significant damage during the skirmish, was eventually sunk by two Royal Air Force bombers while making its way to a base in France for repairs.
In 1945 a powerful hurricane slammed into the Richmond Naval Air Station, destroying all 25 blimps stationed there.
Kirk Brown - Kirk Brown is award-winning freelance writer with two decades of diverse media experience. He has worked as a reporter and editor at daily ...
