Airships played an important but overlooked role in World War II, and with this study their contributions to antisubmarine warfare are examined in depth for the first time. Aviation historian William F. Althoff takes a close look at the U.S. naval airship s admirable wartime record. In analyzing its development and use, he credits the collaboration between the naval aviators and scientists from such government-sponsored institutions as the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) for the urgent evolution of the modern anti-submarine airship. He explains key NDRC projects that exploited lighter-than-air platforms for airborne tests and special devices and that were hurried into production in the race against the Germans to gain a technological advantage in the Battle of the Atlantic. These efforts, he argues, helped turn the tide against the U-boat menace and saved countless lives, ships, and cargoes.

William F. Althoff is the author of USS Los Angeles: The Navy's Venerable Airship and Aviation Technology, among other books. A former Ramsey Fellow in naval aviation history at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, he has conducted research on polar aeronautics during several visits to the Arctic. He resides in New Jersey.