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4 Lieutenant Tyler stated that except for a 2-1/2 years' sea cruise, he has been associated with lighter than air ships in some form or other since the year 1916. During this time he served five years on the Airship Los Angeles and in the fall of 1935 he went to Europe with the Navy Balloon Team, at which time this Team competed at Warsaw, Poland in the International Balloon races. Following the Balloon races, he stated he went to Friedrichs- hafen, Germany, where the Hindenburg Airship was built, and at that time, he was taken on a tour through the Hindenburg by the son of Dr. Hugo Eckener, the German Airship techniciane During this tour, Tyler informed that he was observing and obtaining information on the operative apparatus of the ship, as well as ite general mechanical features. On thie tour, he stated +hat ha wae given free sccess to all partes of the Hindenburg. ‘WE: dare anaes: - x wie 4A eee wee ee ee Se Fh Sas Regarding the crash of the Hindenburg at Lekehuret, New Jersey, on the evening of May 6, 1937, Lieutenant Tyler related that word had been received at the Neval Base, Lakehuret on Mey & that the time of the landing of the Airship Hindenburg had been changed from 6;00 &eme on the morning of May 6. Prior to the receipt of this information, all of the ground equipment at Lakehurst had been retested and found to be in satisfactory condition. A It was decided that the Hindenburg was to lend at 6;00 peme on Mey 6, rather P than at 6,00 aem.; that this 6:00 p-m. was Eastern Daylight Saving Tim, and at 5:00 pem., Daylight Saving Time, general quarters was sounded, and the ground crew assembled to receive final instructions for the grounding of ee the Hindenburg. Bac According to Tyler, the ground personnel was broken up as follows, Six men making up the met orew, ten men making up the yawl : line captains, two men on the number one yawl guide, two men on the number two yaw] guide, six men on the min wire guide, four men on the yawl guide coupling party, forty men on the forward car yaw) guide, thirty men on the stern yawl guide, thirty-four men on the forward landing lines of the port side and thirty-four on the forward landing starboard side, thirty-three on the stern landing port side, twenty-three on the stern landing starboard side, one on the passenger exit, one a truck driver, and five on the tractor that was mounted on rails. eee. According to Tyler, each of these details -wes supervised by commanding officers and ell of these group leaders had had previous experience with the landing of lighter than air craft, and all of them were at least of the rank of chief petty officer. is 1