The Solution?
During this flight, K-74s onboard radar located a German submarine running on the surface.
U-134 left the area, limping back to its base in France on the surface.
War artist Fritz Freidel created this amazing illustration depicting the fight between K-74 and U-134. Image: NARA
She never made it home.
As for K-74, the damaged blimp crashed into the sea.
The rest of the crew was rescued.
This U.S. Navy airship is on an anti-submarine patrol over the essential convoys during July 1942. Image: Author’s collection
Before withdrawing from the area, crewmen from U-134 boarded K-74s floating gondola and photographed parts of the wreck.
These images were passed to another U-boat along with the description of the battle with K-74.
The U.S. Navy did not know of their existence until they were discovered in West Germany in 1957.
One of the smaller U.S. Navy “L-ships” shepherding a tanker in US coastal waters. Image: NARA
As far as is known, no BARs were ever mounted on K-ships on active duty.
K-ship blimps at the U.S. Navy airship hangar in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Image: NARA
A triumphant U.S. Navy blimp covers a surrendered German U-boat off the coast of Cape May at the end of WWII. Image: NARA
An experimental addition of an M1918 A2 BAR in a socket mount on a U.S. Navy blimp gondola during October 1943. Image: NARA
Another view of the surrendered U-boat and its blimp captor off the coast of Cape May during May 1945. Image: NARA
