A Flight of Fancy (Part One)

LVI

The passengers rarely, or never, saw the crew areas of the Hindenburg.

 

The R.M.S. Mauretania of 1907 was the world's largest steamship for a time, and the world's fastest for over 20 years, but her top speed of less than 30 mph was poky compared to the Hindenburg's 85 mph. Both ships were of equivalent length and overall size

Unlike the Graf Zeppelin, Hindenburg's passenger decks and flight decks were in separate areas of the ship. Although passengers could ask for tours of the bridge, the navigation room, and other areas, the habit was not encouraged on the newer airship.

Flight operations were confined to the gondola. The gondola was divided into three areas, the control room (bridge), the navigation or chart room, and a small general purpose room toward the stern.

A cutaway diagram of the Hindenburg’s bridge

The gondola of the Hindenburg, with its nose wheel. The rear lower stabilizer also had a wheel

The radio room and weather station sat directly above the gondola within the hull, and were accessible via a fixed stairway in the general purpose room.

The radio room and weather station lay above the gondola and inside the hull. The Hindenburg had the most modern communications equipment in the world, most provided by Deutsche Telefunken

Captain Ernst Lehmann in the Chart Room

The mail room of the Hindenburg

Crew accommodations were also within the hull, specifically within the keel, which also contained the mail room, luggage and cargo areas and mechanical rooms. With typical German efficiency, spaces were organized by duties: The riggers and technicians had dormitory cabins spaced along the keel, while the officers' space was near the gondola (the captain had a small private cabin in the same vicinity). The engineers and motormen had dormitory cabins located near the engine gondolas. The stewards' cabins were adjacent to "A" Deck, the larger of the two passenger decks.

Crew space in the Hindenburg was small, cramped, and unheated, but was relatively palatial compared to that on the Graf Zeppelin and other airships. The Chief Steward (who was also the Head of Passenger Services for the airline) even had a small passenger-type cabin and office space to himself on "B" deck.

A crewman's bunk on the Hindenburg. Note the wine bottles

Emilie Imhof, the world’s first Stewardess

When Emile Imhof, the world's first female Flight Attendant (Stewardess) was hired in the midst of the 1936 season, Ms. Imhof was primly given cabin space on "B" Deck as well, away from the rough-hewn conditions in the hull proper.