Title -  USS Akron, Airship of the United States Navy
 
Description -  USS Akron, airship of the United States Navy, over the city of San Francisco, California.  USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a helium-filled rigid airship of the U.S. Navy which operated between September 1931 and April 1933.  It was the world's first purpose-built flying aircraft carrier, carrying F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes which could be launched and recovered while it was in flight.  With an overall length of 785 ft (239 m), the Akron and its sister ship the Macon were among the largest flying objects ever built.  Although the LZ129 Hindenburg and the LZ130 Graf Zeppelin II were some 18 ft (5.5 m) longer and slightly more voluminous, the two German airships were filled with hydrogen, so the US Navy craft still holds the world record for helium-filled airships. The Akron was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on the morning of April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers. This accident involved the greatest loss of life in any airship crash.
 
Description Source -  U.S. Navy
 
Year -  c. 1932