What Happened To The Nautilus?

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.

[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.

[GC_Rallo]

The fact he was largely forgotten is a shame. Regardless of the fact they didn't make it to the poles, those men ventured further than anyone else and put up a record that took nearly 30 years to beat, and making that kind of trip with unproven, experimental, 1930's tech in a WWI era sub is just fucking terrifying. The phrase "We stand on the shoulders of giants" comes to mind.

[mikestrohm]

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.

[alanguillermo]

This whole story feels like one of those really tense and depressing movies with a complicated and sympathetic protagonist. I understand why Wilkins would press on and the pressure he was under. But it was dangerous and irresponsible to press on as far as he did. What a great video!

[Wangpice]

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?

[paleoph]

1:47
These illustrations are wonderful! It's like looking at an actual book.

[SirAaronFox]

I am sorry but that thumbnail is f*cking incredible!

[Dat_person]

'Sir the rudder is gone'
'Shut up perkins we're diving anyways'

[RaYmOnDrOiD]

Bro saw the current state of the history channel and said: *_”Fine, I’ll do it myself.”_*

[Blly_]

06:24 it's amazing how in just 6-7 decades, pole-exploring submarine went from "cannot go out far from port without breaking down a lot" into "body-crashing thru sea ice by simply surfacing".

[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.

[masonwagner]

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!

[StunningHistory]

“How does the rudder look?”
“Invisible, sir.”

[aaronho]

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!

[icegiant]

I could imagine a documentary of someone going out and raising the Nautilus, looking at the shock absorber on the front, the wacky ice drill, the guide arm thing on top, the diving area... couldn't you just see that thing sitting in a museum somewhere pointing out all this insane stuff... basically showing you that they were absolutely bonkers to try this with those dreamed up extras.

[hedgehog]

I can never get over the way the media treated these explorers, like how can you make fun of someone for like mechanical problems when they're literally risking their life doing this.

[AArdWf]

Its really difficult to express just how much this was one of the worst plans of all time and how incredible it is they didnt all die.

[crusamajour]

They should make this into a docu-series or something to vividly feel that cold, crew like this have always fascinated me

[orrinfreeman]

I've been a submarine enthusiast since I was a kid and I never heard this story! I am shocked I never came across mention of it in the submarine books I read as a kid. Thank you for sharing this forgotten history with us!

[FuturologyChannel]

This video quality is incredible! Respect.