Convincing the Americans to sell Germany helium

[NeoVisionist]

Dan Grossman's comprehensive website throws light on the issue of helium for German Zeppelins in the 1930s.

http://www.airships.net/

The Hindenburg, planned before the Nazi takeover but not completed until years later due to the slow release of necessary state funds, was planned to use US helium in a hybrid hydrogen/helium arrangment, but helium was not forthcoming. Reasons aren't 100% clear cut; it seems early 30s US policy on helium as a strategic resource could perhaps have been less black & white than historians tend to believe- Dan Grossman's website suggests payment was a key factor. Certainly before the Nuremberg laws the US had no real reason to deny Germany helium, especially for a civilian airship.

Germany had the winter and summer Olympics of 1936 to prepare. The opportunites both for propaganda and the establishing of commerce ties with competitor nations shouldn't be underestimated. The olympic torch was in OTL lit by mirrors in Greece and relayed by runners all the way to Berlin that summer, a first for the event. The Germans had the ME261 built to ferry the flame all the way to Tokyo for the abortive 1940 Olympics- a fine aircraft which could have served the Luftwaffe well in a few key roles- so the idea of ferrying the flame by air wasn't unheard of.

In TTL, after consolidating power Hitler decides that the propaganda value of ferrying the flame from Los Angeles, site of the previous Olympics, to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, site of the February 1936 winter Olympics, via the new airship, along with the 55 US participants would create a symbolic economic link between the US and the new Germany; the clincher is US helium, essential for the ferrying of a flame onboard an intercontinental airship which happens to be carrying the entire US winter Olympic team besides. I see little reason why US industry wouldn't lobby Congress to allow the sale, precipitating further US-German economic collaboration, and assuring Germany an admittedly limited supply of helium for safe transatlantic service and later, radar airships which would give the German air defence network greater flexibility.

The torch relay could still be carried out; Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Berlin via the new Autobahn, with a runner for each participating nation, the final one German.

[Takao]

Regretfully my friend...But, you should read your own sources. Helium, while safer, was not near as effective as hydrogen. See the website you have posted(yes, I am long familiar with it), specifically this page:
http://www.airships.net/helium-hydrogen-airships/

Second, there was no US industry producing helium at the time, the only plants producing helium were government owned.
http://images.library.wisc.edu/EcoNatRe ... seibel.pdf

[NeoVisionist]

Hence the hybrid hydrogen/helium idea, with cheaper, high-lift hydrogen surrounded by a series of inert helium bags, the hydrogen being vented-off as in OTL as the helium expands or maybe used to boost the engines to help the airship on its way to altitude (The Hindenburg flew very low, but a radar airship would seek height). Water from exhausts could ostensibly be condensed using crystals, a lighter technology than the condensors American airships had pioneered a decade earlier. An inert nitrogen blanket could have also substituted the helium, with the concurrent loss of payload and increase in security.

After the Hindenburg disaster, Roosevelt wanted to sell Germany peaceful helium but a single dissenting voice- pre Anschluss mind- changed things. After the deaths of dozens, caught on camera, this strikes me as an oddly obtuse political move. Didn't Roosevelt's party care about the US-German voters?

[thaddeus_c]

never seen any realistic use for airships (by Axis) during WWII.

if the alliance (excuse me collaboration) with USSR had continued they might have served useful role ferrying men and materials with Japan or Vichy Indochina?

[maltesefalcon]

never seen any realistic use for airships (by Axis) during WWII.

Tend to agree with above. Rigid airships would not pay off. They would have no chance if confronted by modern aircraft.

While there were still no Allied escort carriers, there could be limited use for smaller and cheaper blimps as long range recon for Uboats. As in WW1 they would likely be under DKM control so Goering wouldnt be able to interfere with their development or use.

[T. A. Gardner]

There are two areas where having a few dirigibles would have helped the Germans:

At sea, having one or more available to do stuff like land weather parties, or assist U-boats, would have been useful.

Another mission would have been flying contact between Germany and Japan. Transfer of technology, shipping small quantities of critical materials, or just moving key personnel between the two would have been useful. Here, the route would have had to have been an artic great circle, but that's doable.

Early war, using one or more to do ocean reconnaissance in the Atlantic would have been very useful. Equipped with a radar set for surface search it could have found shipping over a vast area of ocean.

[thaddeus_c]

Another mission would have been flying contact between Germany and Japan. Transfer of technology, shipping small quantities of critical materials, or just moving key personnel between the two would have been useful. Here, the route would have had to have been an artic great circle, but that's doable.

previously posted to this effect but with continued Soviet consent, the Japanese were very cautious on this front.

IF the German-Soviet collaboration had continued a base was proposed for Kamchatka (very remote rather than developed port of Vladivostok.) during a few summer months the Northern Sea route could be used, airship service would have been useful the rest of the year.

[T. A. Gardner]

Another mission would have been flying contact between Germany and Japan. Transfer of technology, shipping small quantities of critical materials, or just moving key personnel between the two would have been useful. Here, the route would have had to have been an artic great circle, but that's doable.

previously posted to this effect but with continued Soviet consent, the Japanese were very cautious on this front.

IF the German-Soviet collaboration had continued a base was proposed for Kamchatka (very remote rather than developed port of Vladivostok.) during a few summer months the Northern Sea route could be used, airship service would have been useful the rest of the year.

These could have continued even after the Soviet Union was invaded. The route would have been North over Norway and then over the Artic Ocean and over Soviet territory to Japan. The Soviets had no real means of detecting or countering a flight taking place in such remote portions of Siberia and Kamchatka. It likely would have been possible to fly over portions of Alaska for the same reason. At least until the US figured out the Germans were doing it.

[NeoVisionist]

Could a helium or hydrogen airship hope to fly high enough to evade interception (40000+ feet)? A heavy pressurised cabin would be required though, also a fire risk.