Their Last Suppers: Legends of History and Their Final Meals (16 page)

For about $720, passengers on the
Hindenburg
enjoyed a degree of luxury and personal attention that surpassed that of the great ocean liners of the day. There are many stories of passengers asking the crew when they were going to take off several hours into the flight, so smooth was its passage.

There were two decks for the seventy-two passengers, although on this trip it was carrying only thirty-six passengers and a crew of sixty-one.

Deck A, on the lower level, included the passengers’ bedrooms (thirty-four double and four single berths), a reading and writing room that contained a baby grand piano made of aluminum and covered in antelope skin for lightness, and a spacious dining room. The sides of the lounge and dining room had sloping full-length windows, giving a majestic view of the countryside and oceans below Normally traveling at an altitude of only 1,000 feet, the
Hindenburg
gave the passengers a clear view without any noise at all.

Deck B contained the toilets, the kitchen, crew quarters, a bar, and even a pressurized smoking room that had to be entered through an airtight door.

Shortly after midnight the
Hindenburg
entered a fierce storm over the North Sea, and Captain Pruss ascended over the clouds to about 2,100 feet to ride out the weather, then descended back
to the regulation 1,000 feet at breakfast time. The passengers were constantly entertained. After breakfast bouillon was served at 11 a.m., checkers and cards were played, and drinks were served constantly. The hand-picked staff were chosen for their friendliness and efficiency, and Captain Lehmann often entertained the passengers with his prowess on the accordion. Tours of the ship were given twice a day, and the passengers marveled at the sophistication, power, and beauty of this engineering feat. There was even a ship’s dog at the rear of the vessel.

The
Hindenburg
began to face strong headwinds on its way to the eastern seaboard, adding extra time to the trip and frustrating the officers, who prided themselves on their famous punctuality. However, the passengers were oblivious to any problems as the five chefs on board and the staff, under Chief Steward Kubis, attended to their every request.

At 3:07 p.m. on Thursday May 6, the
Hindenburg
arrived over New York City, showing its passengers the Empire State Building, the Bronx, and Central Park. A heavy storm began to hit its landing site at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, and after consulting with the commanding officer, Charles Rosendahl, Captain Pruss decided to circle to the north for a while to await better landing conditions.

The hundreds of people who had gathered since early in the morning marveled at the size and grace of this airship as it turned around the Statue of Liberty; it was truly an awesome sign of the emerging power of Nazi Germany.

The passengers on board, being informed of the delay, merely shrugged and went for a long, leisurely lunch while looking out of the windows at the distant skyscrapers of New York.

At around 5 p.m. Captain Rosendahl sounded “zero hour,” summoning the more than 200 ground support staff from their dry quarters to prepare for landing. However, Captain Pruss had drifted a little too far away when the airfield informed him that conditions were favorable for landing at 6:12 p.m. Shortly after 7 p.m. Rosendahl sent the airship its last message, “Conditions definitely improved, recommend earliest possible landing.”

The
Hindenburg
was on its final approach, and events began to unfold rapidly.

At 7:07 p.m. it executed a sharp turn at full speed to the west at about 700 feet altitude.

At 7:11 p.m. it vented some hydrogen to bring its descent in line with the mast, awaiting docking.

At 7:12 p.m. the captain reduced the speed to idling and reversed engines to slow down; the altitude and speed were perfect, the crew were in their positions in the tail ready to release the rear landing wheels, and others had the tow ropes ready for dropping.

At 7:17 p.m. the
Hindenburg
dropped 2,400 pounds of water on the onlookers underneath as it trimmed its ballast and floated majestically to the docking tower.

Now only about 900 feet from the tower and 300 feet up, the crew dropped the first mooring rope, which was grasped by the eager ground staff.

The passengers and their waiting families were waving to each other when suddenly, at 7:25 p.m., witnesses saw a small flame appear in the rear tail section of the airship. Within seconds the ship was half consumed by a raging orange fireball. The passengers and crew had little time; many threw themselves through the windows to their death 300 feet below, but the airship hit the ground quickly, enabling some to stagger out of the inferno to safety.

Within 24 seconds the
Hindenburg
was completely consumed by flames. The horrific pictures and commentary by Herbert Morrison, the radioman who was reduced to tears watching it, were shown around the world the next day, effectively ending trans-Atlantic airship flight for years. Captain Lehmann, his clothes smoldering, was carried from the wreckage, saying over and over, “I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it.” He died 2 days later from horrific burns, which covered more than 80 percent of his body.

It is incredible that only thirty-six people died (although many others had horrific injuries). To this day no definite conclusion has been reached on the causes of the tragedy.

Recent scientific tests have shown that the silver aluminum paint on the
Hindenburg
had the same flammable properties as solid rocket fuel. Others have speculated that lightning ignited the gas the airship released, others that sabotage had been used to discredit Nazi Germany.

The FBI released a 337-page investigation into the disaster, alleging that Lehmann himself set the explosion with a clockwork fire bomb as part of an elaborate plot to obtain helium from the United States. The bomb was supposedly set to go off when the airship was empty, but the 2-hour delay threw off the timing of the plot. We may never know. In any case, the days of the great airship adventure were over.

MENUS

On its last voyage, the
Hindenburg
carried 300 pounds of Beluga caviar, 220 pounds of fresh butter, 220 pounds of fresh fish, 800 eggs, 220 pounds of cheese and marmalade, and 55 gallons of mineral water, among other stores. Under Chef Xavier Maier, the
Hindenburg
represented the finest standards of service and presentation for one of the flagships of the new Germany.

Last Menu of the
Hindenburg

Pâté à la Reine

Salad Carmen

Indian Swallow Nest Soup

Beef Broth with Marrow Dumplings

Pan-Fried Black Forest Trout

Cold Rhine Salmon with Potato Salad

Roast Gosling Meunière

Duckling Bavarian Style with Champagne Cabbage

Venison Beauval with Chateau Potatoes

Tenderloin Steak with Goose Liver Sauce, Chateau Potatoes

Pears Condé with Chocolate Sauce

Turkish Coffee, Cakes, Cheeses, Liqueurs

Captain Lehmann’s Dinner, May 5, 1937

Pâté à la Reine

Fish in Black Butter

Duckling Bavarian Style

Venison Beauval

Chateau Potatoes, Champagne Cabbage

• Mince all three meats finely and put them in a bowl. Add the zest of orange and lemon, crushed garlic, thyme, olive oil, vinegar, a generous pinch of powdered bay leaves, and plenty of black pepper. Mix thoroughly and stir in wine. Cover and leave to marinate overnight.
  
• Season with salt; I find 1 tsp about right, but try a small nugget of the mixture to check. Turn the pâté into a terrine of about 2 ¼ pint capacity. Pack the mixture well down into the corners of the dish and use a spoon to hollow out slightly the center top. Cover with greaseproof paper and foil, and stand the dish in a roasting pan containing enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake at 325°F for 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours.
  
• Using a bulb baster, remove and reserve most of the juices that surround the pâté. Replace the greaseproof paper and foil, press the pâté lightly with 1 ½ to 2 lb weights, and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Then drain off any remaining juices that have not been reabsorbed by the pâté. Mix all the venison juices that you have collected with the juice of the orange and measure.
  
• Add a splash of water if necessary to make ½ pint in total. Dissolve the gelatin powder in the mixture and use it to glaze the pâté, adding a few bay leaves and kumquats to decorate if desired.
  

• Make sure that the fish is completely dry; season with salt and pepper inside and out.
  
• Place half the butter in a large frying pan and cook the trout for about 2 to 3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and place on heated serving dish.
  
• Put the remaining butter in the pan, heat until it becomes a nice golden color (don’t burn it), add the lemon juice, capers, and parsley for 1 minute more.
  
• Spoon over the trout and serve immediately.
  

Venison is the meat of any antlered animal such as deer, elk, moose, or caribou.

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Quickly sear the steaks and cook on reduced heat for about 3 minutes each side.
  
• Mix the brandy and Worcestershire sauce and pour over steaks, simmer for about 1 minute, flame, and serve immediately.
  

• Peel potatoes. Using a paring knife, cut into 8-sided jewel shapes (alternatively, cut into thick, evenly shaped wedges).
  
• Place butter, oil, and rosemary in a large rimmed baking sheet.
  
• Set the pan in 425°F oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until butter is sizzling.
  
• Pat potatoes dry, place in heated pan, and stir to coat with butter mixture.
  
• Bake, stirring occasionally, 35 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.
  
• Season with salt and pepper.
  

• Salt and pepper the ducks. Place in baking pan, add half of the onion and half of the celery, place other half in body cavities. Place the bacon, 2 slices per bird, across breast.
  
• Add water, herb seasoning, and bouillon cubes to pan. Cook at 300°F for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Smaller ducks should cook 2 hours.
  
• When ducks have cooked, remove and wrap in aluminum foil to retain heat.
  

• Follow recipe for Baked Duck, then after ducks have baked, remove and pour pan drippings into saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, add flour, and blend.
  
• Fold in sherry and cream. Remove from stove. Split ducks in half, place into baking pan, cover with sauce, baste, and heat for 5 minutes.