The Mystery of the L-8

On the morning of August 16, 1942, a United States Navy “L-Class” airship took off from Treasure Island, San Francisco for what should have been a routine patrol. On board was a 2-man crew consisting of Lieutenant Ernest DeWitt Cody and Ensign Charles Adams, both of whom were tasked with patrolling off the San Francisco coastline for Japanese submarines.

In the months following Pearl Harbor, Japanese submarines had attacked and sunk a number of merchant ships off the west coast and had even bombarded the Ellwood Oil Field in California and Fort Stevens in Oregon. So, yes, nerves were at an all-time high, and L-8 was just one of a number of airships being deployed to counter this. As a side note, the L-8 had actually delivered vital B-25 modification parts to the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) after the carrier departed California to conduct the Doolittle Raid.

The Last Flight

On August 16, L-8 had left Treasure Island to conduct a patrol. At 7:38 a.m., L-8 radioed to Treasure Island and reported observing an oil slick four miles off the coast of the Farallon Islands. Thinking it may have been an enemy submarine, L-8 moved in to investigate, something that was witnessed by both a nearby freighter and a fishing vessel. Eventually, the airship moved off to continue its patrol. This, as it turned out, would be the last confirmed sighting of both Lt. Cody and Ensign Adams. The airship itself would be seen several more times throughout the morning by other aircraft and even a Pan Am passenger plane, but it’s unknown if the crew were still on board at this point.

At 11:15 a.m., L-8 reappeared off the coast of Ocean Beach and drifted towards the coastline at low elevation. Two surf fishermen tried to hold it down by its tie lines when it hit the beach, but they were unsuccessful, and L-8 drifted off inland. The two fishermen noted they could not see any signs of the crew. L-8 struck a nearby cliff, which knocked off one of its depth charges, causing it to rise back into the air.

The Investigation

An automatic valve inside L-8 had now opened and began releasing helium gas, causing the airship to take a sagging, V-shaped appearance as it continued to drift inland. Eventually, it came down in front of a house in Daly City. This was not a “violent” crash by any means, and it was clear to see that anyone could have walked away from it. However, when military personnel and local police gained entry to the control car, the 2-man crew was nowhere to be seen.

At first, it was believed that both Cody and Adams might have bailed out over the ocean, but none of the parachutes on board were missing. Nor was the rubber life raft missing as well. A search was made along the coast for the two men, but these attempts were unsuccessful, and to this day, their remains have never been found. Meanwhile, L-8 was repaired and returned to service.

Theories and Speculations

There are many theories as to what may have happened to the two men. From the logical to the downright fantastic, there was even a story that it was actually a murder/suicide, as it was rumored that Cody was having an affair with Adams’ wife. The most common theory is that the L-8 might have been suffering some kind of technical issue in flight, and the two men fell out and into the sea while trying to fix it.

~NC