A K-Class blimp operated by the US Navy. (Photo: USN [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

Tillamook Air Museum: Preserving the History of Airships in World War II

Airships played a valuable role in WWI, acting as bombers to surveillance craft. However, most countries had phased out their use of airships once the Great War ended as they were no longer needed in most aerial combat scenarios due to advancements in aircraft. In addition, the hydrogen which fueled many of these airships was quite dangerous. The Hindenburg, a hydrogen-filled commercial airship, exploded in New Jersey in the late 1930s. This incident helped bring an end to an era,…