Get Nebula for 40% off using my link: https://go.nebula.tv/mustard
Watch hours of exclusive Mustard videos here: https://nebula.tv/mustard
Rare historical photographs courtesy of the Daniel Oliver Gallery and used with permission. Visit: https://danieloliver.gallery/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MustardChannel
Mustard Merchandise: https://mustardchannel.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MustardVideos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mustard-109952378202335
By the early 20th century, Imperial Japan had established itself as the dominant force in Asia. Through ruthless military conquests, the small island nation greatly expanded its borders. The rising imperial power soon set its sights on conquering much of East Asia. By 1921, nearly a third of Japan’s national budget was dedicated to building one of the most powerful navies in the world.
In response to Japan and other world powers rapidly expanding their naval strength, the Washington Naval Treaty was signed in 1922 to impose restrictions on the size and number of warships. However, American military planners were not convinced—rightfully so—that Imperial Japan would adhere to these new restrictions for very long. The United States, surrounded by two enormous oceans, seemed increasingly vulnerable.
In War Plan Orange (first outlined in 1919 and revised in subsequent years), military planners devised strategies for a possible war with Imperial Japan. Particular attention was given to key targets like the United States’ West Coast, Pearl Harbor, and the vital Suez Canal. With millions of square kilometers of open Pacific Ocean, it was possible for the Imperial Japanese Navy to go undetected for weeks before launching a surprise attack. Scout cruisers were the U.S. Navy’s primary means of searching for enemy fleets, but they were too slow, too few in number, and too costly to adequately cover the vast Pacific. Aircraft of the era also lacked the range to scout large sections of the ocean. In response, Admiral William A. Moffett, Chief of the U.S. Bureau of Aeronautics, advocated for a radical alternative.
Under Moffett’s direction, the United States began experimenting with rigid airships in 1923. Airships appeared to be the ideal solution for enhancing the Navy’s long-range scouting capabilities. As “scout cruisers of the air,” airships combined the extended range of surface vessels with speeds nearly as fast as aircraft. The Navy’s first two rigid airships, the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) and USS Los Angeles (ZR-3), helped pioneer the operational intricacies of airship use in a military setting. Navy crews trained for long-range day missions and practiced mooring to ships at sea to replenish fuel and helium. The Navy also perfected the practice of carrying, launching, and recovering aircraft in mid-flight, which was considered vital for airship defense.
In 1929, construction began on two of the largest airships the world had ever seen: the USS Akron (ZRS-4) and the USS Macon (ZRS-5). Defended by machine guns and equipped with internal hangars capable of carrying five Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk biplane fighters, these airships were scouting warships in every sense. If they proved successful, there were plans to build at least a dozen more to help patrol the vast Pacific Ocean and keep America safe.
Thanks for watching!
