The Disaster itself
The crash site
On 24 August 1921, airship R.38/ZR-2 exploded and crashed into the River Humber in front of thousands of onlookers in Hull, killing 44 of its 49-strong British and American crew.
While returning to Howden along the Humber, a final test of extreme movements to the airship’s steering to simulate the stresses of bad weather caused the light structure to break apart, resulting in catastrophe.
Rescue started immediately as tugs and small boats rushed out. The process of recovering bodies and wreckage was to continue for some time; not all the bodies of UK personnel were recovered. Some first-hand written accounts are recorded on this web site along with photographs of people in small boats going out to rescue the crew.
The bodies of all the American service personnel were found and returned to the US. One 2nd/3rd hand report we heard was that once all the American bodies were found the search for the remaining British crew was called off.
From Darren Howlett’s collection.
This R.38 website is kindly supported by Humber Museums Partnership and Arts Council England.