Jul 18, 1943 - The airship K-74, while on a night patrol off the Florida coast, attacked a surfaced U-boat. In the gun duel that followed, she was hit and brought down -- the only airship lost to enemy action in World War II. The German submarine, U 134, was damaged enough to force her return to base, and after surviving two other attacks on the way, was finally sunk by British Wellington aircraft on 24 August, near Vigo, Spain. Isadore Stessel was the only man of the airship fleet to be lost to enemy action. He was attacked by sharks while in the water waiting for rescue vessels. The remaining crew was rescued alive.