USS Macon Mapping and Survey Expedition 2015

Eighty years ago, the U.S. Navy's last great airship crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared. The USS Macon's location was lost until researchers discovered its remains 1,500 feet below the surface of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 1990. The first archaeological survey of the wreck site took place in 2006, and this year, on August 18, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is working with the U.S. Naval History & Heritage Command and Ocean Exploration Trust in collaboration with OceanGate Foundation to archaeologically survey the wreck site of this "flying aircraft carrier" and its four Curtiss Sparrowhawk biplanes. The survey will be conducted from the E/V Nautilus, and will be livestreamed on the Nautilus Live website.

USS Macon: The Last Great Airship NAUTILUS Live USS Macon History

historic photo of USS Macon and the crew — In 2015, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary commemorated the 80^th anniversary of the loss of the USS *Macon* ZRS-5 and its four Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplanes, and the death of two U.S. Navy sailors on February 12, 1935.

Credit: NOAA-MBNMS

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photo of US Macon in flight. — USS *Macon* ZRS-5 inflight. The airship was 785 feet in length and was referred to as a "flying aircraft carrier." Underneath the airship is an aircraft secured in the hangar bay opening just aft of the control car.

Credit: Robert Schwemmer, Maritime Library

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submerged view of sparrowhawk — Submerged view of he port wing of one of the four Curtiss Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplanes recorded at the USS *Macon* site in 2006. The U.S. Navy star is still visible 71 years after the loss of the airship and four biplanes.

Credit: NOAA-MBNMS/MBARI 2006

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photo of uss macon crew — U.S Navy officers serving on board the USS *Macon* ZRS-5. Photograph taken in Monterey, California circa 1935. Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wiley is seated in the front row center.

Credit: Wiley Collection, Museum of Monterey

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photo of LA times front page of the Macon plunging at sea — *Los Angeles Times* February 13, 1935 front page reporting the loss of the USS *Macon* ZRS-5.

Credit: *Los Angeles Times*

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image of the macon factsheet — USS *Macon* factsheet.
Credit: NOAA

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photo of crew working on the USS macon engine — USS *Macon*’s propulsion system included eight German-built Maybach 12-cylinder gasoline engines with Allison out-drives with attached propellers. The engines were mounted internally, each with its own engine room. The control car held eight engine-order telegraphs for communicating with the engine rooms.

Credit: Robert Schwemmer, Maritime Library

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photo of macon control room — USS *Macon*’s ZRS-5 control car interior looking forward.

Credit: Wiley Collection, Museum of Monterey

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uss macon engine submerged — Submerged view of one of eight German-built Maybach 12-cylinder gasoline engines located on the seafloor. The spark plug wires are still clearly visible, assisting the science team in verifying the number of cylinders.

Credit: NOAA-MBNMS/MBARI 2006

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independence fact sheet — 2015 USS *Macon* Suvey Project Proposal

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submerged view of a biplane — Submerged view of the “skyhook” located at the center of one of the Curtiss Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplanes.
Credit: NOAAMBNMS/ MBARI 2006

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photo of one of the sparrowhawk biplanes — Curtiss Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplane. The aircraft’s “skyhook” had a guide bar that assisted the pilot in capturing the trapeze lowered from the USS *Macon*’s hangar bay. The Squadron exhibited its own designated color on top of the wing chevron, engine cowl and wheel spats. Sparrowhawk BuAer No. 9058 exhibited true blue.

Credit: Wiley Collection, Museum of Monterey

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photomosaic of biplanes submerged — Photomosaic of two Sparrowhawks F9C-2 biplanes recorded on the seafloor at the USS *Macon* wreck site during the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute archaeological expedition in 2006.

Credit: MBARI-NOAA/MBNMS-Ken Israel Integral Consulting Inc.

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photo of sparrowhawk biplanes inflight — Curtiss Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplanes flying over Hangar One at Moffett Airfield in Sunnyvale, California. At the time of the loss of the USS *Macon*, four of the five Sparrowhawks assigned to the airship were lost.

Credit: Wiley Collection, Museum of Monterey

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photo of trapeze illustration — Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wiley is credited for designing the emblem painted on the Sparrowhawk’s fuselage depicting the “men in the flying trapeze.” The larger person represents the airship, while the smaller person represents the Sparrowhawk.

Credit: Wiley Collection, Museum of Monterey

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photo of the Macon — USS *Macon* ZRS-5 attached to its mooring mast. The airship’s stern section was attached to a rail system on the airfield so the ship could weathervane, or move with the wind direction.

Credit: Wiley Collection, Museum of Monterey

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mooring mast submerged — Submerged view of the USS *Macon*’s mooring mast receptacle assembly, the most forward part of the airship and possibly the last section of the ship to sink. The tapered cone would mate up with the land-based mooring mast.

Credit: NOAAMBNMS/ MBARI 2006

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photo of rov argus — *Argus* is a stainless steel towsled-style ROV that will be used in conjunction with ROV *Hercules*. *Argus* absorbs the roll of the ship, steadying ROV *Hercules* and also provides additional cameras and lighting during the USS *Macon* survey.

Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust

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photo of rov hercules — During the 2015 mission to survey the USS *Macon* site, the ROV *Hercules* will be used to map, survey and recover an artifact with its two manipulator arms.

Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust

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photo of ship nautilus — E/V *Nautilus* in port in San Diego during the California Borderlands Cruise. The 211-foot ship is equipped with the latest ocean technology including satellite communications, and hosts the crew and science team.

Credit: Robert V. Schwemmer, NOAA

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