What Happened To The Nautilus?

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Published 2024-04-12
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For centuries, the North Pole remained elusive. Early attempts to reach it were primarily motivated by the search for a navigable route through the Arctic to Asia, known as the Northwest Passage. Later, explorers focused specifically on reaching the Pole itself. But for centuries, reaching it seemed impossible. The polar environment was extremely unforgiving. Located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, the North Pole is covered by a vast expanse of sea ice which constantly changes due to wind, ocean currents and seasonal melts. Explorers tried to reach the pole using ships, dogsleds, and even traveling by foot. The first verified, and officially recognized expedition to reach the North Pole didn’t occur until 1926 (although several explorers claimed to have reached it earlier). It was first reached using the airship Norge, which flew overhead, but did not land on the surface.

In the late 1920’s, accomplished explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins became convinced that a submarine would provide the ultimate means of reaching the North Pole. A submarine could travel for extended periods beneath the ice, avoiding the extreme hazards above which had caused earlier expeditions to fail. Carrying the latest scientific equipment, the submarine’s crew could conduct valuable meteorological, oceanographic, biological, magnetic, and spectrographic experiments.

Wilkin’s submarine would be called the Nautilus. It was a retired WW1-era submarine that had been extensively modified by renowned Naval Architect Simon Lake. The Nautilus featured a heavily reinforced bow, a shock absorber and sledge runners to protect it from collision with sea ice. A diving compartment and airlock was also added to allow divers to explore the depths while the submarine remained submerged. Most importantly, the Nautilus was fitted with three ice drills, allowing the submarine to recharge batteries, refresh air and even allow the crew to exit while the submarine still remained below the ice.

The Nautilus and her crew of 20 men began their expedition to the North Pole in June of 1931.
None of them realized how grueling their journey would be, and almost immediately things began to go wrong.

All Comments (21)
  • @RaYmOnDrOiD
    Bro saw the current state of the history channel and said: ”Fine, I’ll do it myself.”
  • @NobleOmnicide
    This is the type of content I wish YouTube would promote. This channel continues to publish some of the best content on the internet. Hands down.
  • @Wangpi3ce
    6:50 "Mechanical issues be damned, it was time to get going." That isn't a phrase you want to hear on any vehicle, much less a submarine planning to journey under an ice sheet. I wonder if they told the crew about that particular detail before they set off?
  • @SirAaronFox
    I am sorry but that thumbnail is f*cking incredible!
  • @squidwardfromua
    Bros were among the last ones who couldn't say "I'm too late to explore Earth and too early to explore space" Glad they survived
  • @mikestrohm3271
    I have surfaced through the polar ice on three occasions with Royal Navy subs and those were fraught with danger so to see someone attempt the same nearly 100 years ago is breathtaking. The fact that this boat used diesels, which needed air to operate, was incredibly risky as coming across a polynia could be very hit and miss without upward looking sonar to aid discovery of an area of open water.
  • @0therun1t21
    This thing fills me with dread, I can't believe anyone got on board. Under the ice is no place to be, not even for one second. 12:14 Aw hell no!
  • @paleoph6168
    1:47 These illustrations are wonderful! It's like looking at an actual book.
  • @YoUnOkNoWoK
    What’s wrong with this world is that people only care if you succeed and people don’t care about you if you fail(your just forgotten) such a sad world.
  • You're a good story teller. I knew the ending and still felt tense in parts. Excellent video.
  • @aaronho1914
    The combo of how you tell it, the graphics, music, and other audio effects is just chef's kiss. Love your stuff and it's amazing quality!
  • @hisquiten
    mustard's videos are like wine.. the more you wait the better they gets..
  • @Jake-jd7bd
    My grandfather was on the Skate in the 50s when the two subs (2nd sub being the "new" Nautilus) went out to surface through the polar ice for the first time. He was one of four civilians on board and even got a spot in the arctic named after him. My grandmother never really knew what he was doing since it was so secretive during the cold War. Family didn't even find out till many years later once things started being declassified after 25 and then 50 years later.
  • @DW-nf9qe
    Wilkins must've been the CEO of Ocean Gates great grandfather.
  • @natedetailscars
    Idk if anyone else remembers those Incredible Cross-Sections books from the 90s, but Mustard always captures the feeling of flipping through those as a kid with these videos.
  • Nice quality video but you’re waaay off concerning Wilkins’s legacy. He’s renowned as one of the greatest explorers in history. After the Nautilus expedition (which is actually regarded as a huge accomplishment as he was the first person to prove submarines could operate under the polar ice cap), he went on to make significant achievements in polar aviation and geographic & environmental studies, and during WWII he innovated new equipment and techniques for cold weather reconnaissance operations. He was also an important science advocate and authored numerous books that shape our modern understanding of the polar regions. Sir Hubert Wilkins was an absolute legend. It’s unfortunate that you made him out to be hapless and obscure.
  • @masonwagner768
    Wow. An incredible channel consisting almost entirely of nothing but high quality videos diving into my special interest; the design and engineering behind unique forms of travel. You've even got a video on airships! I'm seriously so excited. I can't wait to burn through your youtube catalogue and then give Nebula a shot. Thanks for the quality content, you really made my day!