The Graf Zeppelin accomplished several aviation firsts, including the first commercial transatlantic flight, and a round-the-world flight. The airship had a luxurious gondola with private cabins ...

But Hitler’s Germany did make progress towards building an aircraft carrier. This was the Graf Zeppelin—named for Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, best known for developing the eponymous airship.

The Hindenburg, along with its highly successful predecessor, the Graf Zeppelin, made numerous trans-Atlantic crossings in their brief but illustrious careers. Constructed out of an aluminum alloy ...