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I'm always impressed at how quickly and at how many nearby ships drop what they're doing and rush to the aid of ships in distress. It warms my heart a little. De France could have turned away for the sake of sparing compensation for travelers, but I think most travelers would understand the need to save those in dire need. I remember watching Deadliest Catch and whenever a mayday went out, all the captains halted operations to help out their fellow fishermen. People who make their livelihood on the water know how dangerous and precarious the water can be and any delay can cost many lives. To them, I salute.
@@jmorrison146 it's more than the law...it's the right thing to do. But for the waves of fate, it could very well be your ship needing that help the next time.
Even ships that oppose each other in war do it. The sub that sank the Lusitania did it in 1915. The sub that sank the Laconia did it in 1942 but was strafed by planes while loaded with survivors which the Donitz Order came from, putting a stop to it. During ww1 the AuxCruiser Wilhelm der Grosse was known to have alerted ships that it was about to fire on to get everybody off(wasn’t uncommon). Pretty sure the Bismarck did it for the survivors of the HMS Hood and in return the remaining survivors of the Bismarck were picked up by the Royal Navy ships that had just hammered it into submission at almost point blank range in 1941. The point being is the mariners code extends even in war time in which the law means jackshit. It’s just what sailors do.
@Captain Frank Abagnale, PAA. Are you actually a Captain? It's more of an unwritten rule at sea that you help anyone in bother, no matter what nationally even in war. Personally I've been involved in 2 rescues where the boat has sunk. Not sure what history books you have read? The U-boat never rescued anyone from the Lusitsnia. The Hood had 3 survivors which the Bismark certainly didn't rescue. The Bismark had 100+ survivors which were picked-up by the RN, hundreds more were left in the water as they thought they seen a U-boat.
The teenage Spanish girl getting knocked onto the other ship and then waking up is INSANE. The man waking up to find an abandoned wrecked ship and not knowing if he was in a nightmare or reality was even more insane. And them both living is honestly unbelievable! I don’t know why this hasn’t been made into a blockbuster movie yet. Because the story is nothing like Titanic. There are unique stories to tell.
I found the moronic couch potatoes that wants everything made into a damn movie. Try getting off you're couch and living instead of wanting every tragedy turned interested a movie. How about you go through something tragic and they have a movie made about it?
I adore the decision of the Captain of the Il De France to fully illuminate his ship as they approached, wanting to announce as loudly as possible to the desperate souls still aboard the Doria that hope, and help, had truly arrived. Seeing that glow must have felt like seeing a rescue vessel dispatched by God himself.
One author, writing about the sinking, said that "Ile de France" was like a great actor making a dramatic entry onto a stage. When she turned her lights on, it was like she was saying "It's alright. We're here now. It'll be alright."
In 1959 the Ile de France was retired and sold to a scrapyard in Japan. In 1960, she was loaned to a film crew as a 'prop' for the movie "The Last Voyage" where she suffered explosions, one of her funnels pulled over, and was partially sunk. When the filming ended, she was returned to the scrapyard and dismantled. What a sad ending for her.
Thus is the life of a liner. She did receive two merchant marine awards for her habit of showing up to rescue efforts and will always be immortalized in stories like these, which is more than any liner or cruiser could ask for.
To an extent its a case of "Titanicification": whenever a ship sinks media comb every ounce of material written on it with immodest glee trying to find the claim that the vessel was unsinkable. Most often claims that a ship was called such are extrapolations from actual remarks that are a lot more conservative and if they are direct are usually spoken offhand by people who have no real grounds to be listened to (like line execs). Even the Titanic herself was never actually called unsinkable by her builders. The closest that ever came to happening was the WSL rep in New York saying he felt the ship couldn't sink...after it already had.
Man, what a contrast in captians. When I think of Italian ship wrecks and their captians, the Costa Concordia comes to mind, it's captian was one of the first to bail, while the Dorias had to be dragged off by its crew.
@@danielseelye6005 The crew of the Greek-Flagged Oceanos were even more reprehensible, abandoning ship without advising the passengers that the ship was in peril.
@@AMacLeod426 Uumph! Probably the most criminal maritime disaster in Korean history. All the students were ordered to stay in their cabins as the Sewol quickly sank. Most were online as they died.
SS _Île de France_ was apparently known as the "Saint Bernard of the Seas" after participating in several rescues, including _Andrea Doria's._ She received Cross of Chevalier du Mérite marine and the Merchant Marine Gallant Ship Award.
@@danielseelye6005 That should be the end of all well known workhorse ships throughout their sailing careers. Only technological prototypes, like HMS Warrior, or very rare ships, like HMS Victory, one of the few first rates left existing from specific nations which were different, should be preserved.
The Île de France switching on her lights must have been one hell of a sight. It may send uncomfortable shivers down my spine personally, but seeing this gigantic ship appear in almost a flash of bright light from the pitch black must have been as awe inspiring as spectacles get.
Even in 1956 and with all passengers secured, Cpt. Calamai still refused to abandon his post and was going to go down with his ship. A gentleman through and through.
This takes me back to a nice dinner I had once. Sat with an old man who told me stories of his time in the US Coast Guard. He served in the early 60's aboard an old Fletcher class destroyer given to the USCG. On nice sunny days the captain would let the crew set out deck chairs and sun bathe on the stern. On one of these days he was pulling out chairs and noticed how nice some of the chairs were and how there was a ships name inscribed on them. The inscription read "ANDREA DORIA". He asked the boatswain about it. Turns out the captain had responded to the ANDREA DORIA sinking and spent several days in the area searching, during which he had taken some souvenirs of the floating wreckage. That is my little story of the ANDREA DORIA.
In my mind’s eye, I could almost see the Il de France, fully illuminated, cutting through the fog. That little detail, so easily missed in another retelling, gave power and meaning to yours. This really had heart, capturing the tragedy in vivid detail! Well done!
I agree. The whole “Turn on the lights” aspect of Andrea Doria story is my favorite part. Something about is just so vivid, and as you said makes for a great mental image.
I always get a shiver down my spine when i see the Bismarck cutting through the fog in the Sabaton video ( minus the lights ). Probably it was a similar sight when the Il de France arrived .
When I was in high school, my religion teacher had a model of the Andrea Doria on his desk. When I asked him about it, he told me that he was on the Doria when it sank; he didn’t remember too much because he was a child at the time but it was cool to learn a bit about what it was like on the ship during her final voyage.
I can imagine that last conversation on Doria's bridge running like this: "That is all, gentlemen: I am ordering you off the ship. I shall stay and go down with her." "No, sir: either you're coming with us or we're going with you." Says a lot about how the guy ran his ship and how respected he was. Also, I'm far from the most emotional guy ut there, but the actions of the De France put a lump in my throat.
So fun fact. The Plymouth Norseman concept car was actually on this ship when it sank. The plans for the car and most photos and files for the car are gone and it has essentially been erased from existence.
There appear to be a few photos of the prototype as well as some concept paintings online. It looks so incredibly cool, exactly what you’d imagine a mid 50s concept to look like
A hell of a better captain than some others we can mention, even if he did make mistakes. The crunched bow of the Stockholm is still an impressive picture decades later.
@@sniptaclar5568this is not the ship you're referring to but similarly the Vesta (ship that sunk the infamous Arctic in 1854) suffered a crushed front and somehow managed to make it back to port!
@@sniptaclar5568USS Minneapolis is one. HMS Javelin lost both her bow and stern. And therefore definitely a bunch more that I can’t think of off the top of my head.
I honestly got emotional hearing about the arrival of the Île de France. And I’ve read two books on this disaster. That moment still gets me every time.
@@lovmi2byz91 This reminds me of a heartbreaking video recorded by a mall's surveillance camera. An escalator broke down and a woman with a toddler fell in partially. She got stuck while the machinery still kinda half-worked. Fortunately for the child, it happened near the foot of the escalator and the woman threw the kid into the arms of mall personnel. Seconds later, she was gone. Without the split second decision, the death toll would've been two.
@@talldarkmannnteresting how internet slobs can sit in their sweaty basements playing Monday morning quarterback regarding the impossible decisions that a person is forced to make during unimaginably horrifying situations. I would like to see you face any kind of similar circumstance and actually fend for yourself, rather than just complain, let alone have to be responsible for another person. What incredible arrogance.
I'm an IT2 in the Navy. These videos are incredibly well-written and informative. Absolute joy to watch. Sometimes, I don't even hold the fact that you're a coastie against you.
@@spartanforce7 Yeah we use it. Lots of nukes overthink stuff; we have procedures and each step has a basis for the action in the Reactor Plant Manual. If something doesn't work per procedures, call a supervisor. We try and break nukes of it when they get to the boat.
@@averagejoe112 We have the same problem with new ITs. Had an ITSN take apart half a server room looking for a dead UPS, turns out the cable was just unplugged.
The stepped stern of the Doria and Normandy are absolutely beautiful. 22 dead divers is a huge number. Nice job on telling the story. Things can change in a split second.
Andrea Doria sends a siren call to certain types of divers. Heck if she were in a more accessible location in warmer waters and over 100’ shallower - I’d consider diving her myself. As is, any sensible diver assessing risks would decline. Surprisingly enough diving Andrea Doria is far more deadly than cave diving. My guess difference is due to physical restriction on cave diving (locked gates in many), education efforts, and availability of fabulous cave-diving training.
@@MrRjh63 - Believe you are right. So far she’s taken fewer lives than the actual Mt Everest. Likely because fewer people dive than walk, narrower name recognition, and need for specialized training. Technical dive I nstructors almost universally preach risk mitigation, judgement and self awareness. Thus possibly dissuading potential victims. Takes support to get out to Andrea, which really isn’t easily available - while there seems to be an industry aimed at getting people up and down Everest. Seems there’s a constant traffic jam at base camp on Everest while I suspect single digit annual diver count on Andrea. Likely a considerably higher death rate, but so many fewer idiots🤣
My parents were to honeymoon in Italy and had booked passage on the Andrea Doria. The morning after the disaster my mom was about to mail her wedding invitations when her mother heard of the accident on the radio. She changed her wedding date and honeymoon. It was a big deal in our little town, and was written up in the local newspaper.
the amount of times ive thought to myself in the last few months “I wonder when the next Maritime Horrors video will drop” I watch 2 aviation disaster channels but you are the only maritime channel that can keep me intrigued about a subject I’m so unfamiliar with. Great videos!
Love the narration as always. One suggestion to help us non-mariners is to show rough positioning of the ships and key elements, possibly projected paths. Helps those of us without naval backgrounds understand the scene and why things happened the way they did.
Super agreed. I got so lost during the explanation of where each ship thought they were in relation to each other. The port to the starboard and .89 degree turn and that. So confusing lol.
If I recall correctly the first dive team to reach AD was from Life Magazine, from a chartered boat named Top Cat. The photos were published in Life. They also retrieved the larger-than-life statue of Admiral Doria, which was displayed at a bar in New Bedford for a while.
The first divers reached the Doria a day or two later. One of whom was the heir to the Gimbal’s department store chain. He cut a hole in the hull to penetrate the wreck. The hole is still used to enter the wreck and is known as “Gimbel’s hole”
From what I could find online, the statue was recovered from the wreck in 1964. After the bar in New Bedford it was displayed at a hotel and then a bar in Florida. It was restored and returned to Italy in 2004.
May I suggest a video about the sinking of M/S Estonia in 1994. It's probably the most infamous shipwreck in Finland/Sweden/Estonia with only a bit more than 100 survivors out of a thousand, and there's an interesting controversy surrounding it.
Yes please, that would be very interesting given recent information that has surfaced (pun intended 😁). And also on a sort of personal level, as my parents almost boarded the Estonia. But upon arriving at the docks, they realized that their passports were forgotten or something to that effect
Captains from recent (in)famous sinkings like Concordia and the Sewol ferry could learn a thing or two from the Doria's captain, being the last one off the ship instead of the first.
@@kirgan1000 Agreed, however I didn't say anything about the logbook, nor his competency. I was talking specifically about staying with the ship and making sure everyone else got off first. Something Sewol and Concordia's captains failed grossly at.
@@kirgan1000 I’m just glad he focused on being proactive and useful after the mistakes were made. What had happened had happened-was best to fix everything at that point.
Thanks, great job on this maritime tragedy! I was seven years old when this happened and spending the summer at my grandmother's home on the Cape not far from Nantucket and the Andrea Doria, but I remember hearing about it on the news and never forgot it! Glad they were able to save the lives they did. Must have been horrible for that 35 yr old when he realized he was the only one left on the ship. It's a miracle he was saved! May those who lost their lives rest in peace.
An amazing retelling of the disaster. As a navigational officer, I find the actions of both crews to be fascinating. It is easy to see the complacency of the crews.
The Doria was the first maritime disaster to grab my attention as a teen. I read everything I could at a few local libraries (yes...paper books!). This interest lead to learning about other passenger, then commercial, ship disasters. So fascinating were the stories, and the explanations how such tragedies could happen, that it turned into a 6 year tour in the US Coast Guard. This video was excellent! Only available facts with no assumptions or suspicions, just a real telling of what happened. The good (actually great) things, and the bad actions of the "hotel" staff. The actions and heroism of the real "crew" is what one would expect from those brave men. Doing what they could to keep the Doria afloat and the lights on as long as they did. Many people were saved by the engineers remaining at their posts. The officers did what they could...though so issues should have been handled better, such as the passengers left mustered on the port side while lifeboats were being loaded and launched only from the starboard side. The many photos I've seen where we can see the actual size of the whole cut just under the bridge of the Doria's starboard side!!! Amazes me she remained above the water as long as she did. Again, great video! I'll be looking forward to you next upload as I bringe your past posted stuff.
🤔 it's kind of impressive, just for the wrong reasons. The truth is, a screw up is really only as good as your resources and the chain of events they can create 🤷
A very detailed book about the sinking explained that the radar, which was very new, was giving a reverse picture on the radar. While the watch relayed correct position, the 3rd officer, currently in command gave orders to turn via radar information. Unfortunately INTO the path of the Norwegian Liner. The Stockholm. The Andrea Dorea disaster became famous because so many different nationalities of ship responded to the distress call. So many were saved.
I have always been fascinated with the Andrea Doria story, just like that of the Titanic. One thing this fine narration missed was that, in her hold, the Doria was carrying the Chrysler Norseman. A concept car, designed and built in the Ghia factory in Italy, featured a very unique cantilevered roof. It was a one of a kind automobile due to be shown at the New York Auto show. Since all the designs were included with the car, and lost along with it, Ghia chose not to rebuild it.
Wow... That was interesting. You know that young girl that fell on the other ship. Her biological daddy was a news anchor and he had to give the news out about the trash knowing his daughter was on that ship and he didn't miss a beat. That had to be rough. I'm pretty positive I am not mistaken. Getting old; it's hard to remember things. Lol. 😅
I'm so glad that you're back. I discovered your channel about a month and a half ago and have watched just about everything. I've been waiting for more. I can't imagine how much time and research you put into these videos. Thank you! They are a wonderful tribute to all who perished in these tragedies and to those that survived and rescued survivors. We'll done!
The story about the man asleep in the hospital. Truly sent a chill down my spine and body. Especially him being a sailor, so he knew immediately how bad of a situation he was in.
Actually, the MV Astoria (ex-MS Stockholm) was retired from cruising service last year due to COVID. Now she’s awaiting to he transformed into a floating hotel. Bonus fact: Stockholm later also found her career in Genoa, the hometown of the Doria, serving an Italian company. She was hated by the local residents
@@tertiaritus Genoa built the Doria and during the investigation and trial the Stockholm claimed that the Doria was unseaworthy. Do not insult the craftsmanship of a town and expect love in return. By the way the Doria was cut across her keel and stayed afloat 11 hours. She was seaworthy.
The Andera Doria always fascinated me. As a child, I remember watching a tv show (maybe Jaques Cousteau?) that I can't remember the name of, where they filmed a dive on the wreck. I watched it any time it was on, snuggled on the sofa with my Dad, hating that I had to blink because I'd miss that split second of the footage.
Great to have you back. Loved the video. One small correction and some additional facts to the sinking: As far as I'm aware, Linda Morgans mother actually survived her injuries and was reunited with her daughter after the accident. However, like Linda, she suffered quite a bit from the tragedy, having lost her husband and one daughter and would die a few years later on the same date of the sinking of the Andrea Doria. (My source is the book Ghost Liners, but I haven't read it in years, so maybe I'm wrong about that one.) Linda and her family were supposed to have dinner with the captain this evening, but because of the fog, the captain couldn't leave the bridge and it didn't happen. Linda had a small notebook, that she used the get autographs for people she meet and had wanted the captain to sign it. Linda's father was ABC Radio Network news commentator Edward P. Morgan. He had to report the tragedy on the radio while not knowing if his daughter was still alive. The crew member from the Stockholm who found her on the bow of the ship visited her in the hospital, where her father embraced him and said: "Hombre, hombre. Man, man, how can I ever thank you?"
Fun Fact: The Nantucket lightship was actually off-station during the collision and was infact steaming out to relive it's temporary replacement. It received the distress calls and despite the ability to make good speed to the wreck, was ordered to maintain course as to not create further confusion to other ships by being not where it was expected.
My blood chilled a bit in watching this well-done documentary. I can identify with misreading a radar. In the mid-70s I was aboard an old YG (~120' converted to a salmon processor) in a winter crossing of the Gulf of Alaska. As the Engineer on board, I was the #2 and standing the night watch on the bridge. Weather was a bit rough and we spotted a ship dead ahead on radar though still at a fair distance. We altered course slightly to starboard in order to pass port-to-port. A while later it appeared the blip was still dead ahead. The seasoned mariners will immediately recognize what's happening here and that the boat ahead of us was on a crossing course. Had we simply maintained our heading, they'd have crossed ahead of us. But in my ignorance (remember, I'm the Engineer and my seamanship training consisted of a lesson in which is the pointy end, I knew NOTHING about plotting another vessel's course from a radar blip) we altered course to starboard again. In the end, we figured out what was going on and avoided a collision but passed WAY closer than two boats need to be in the middle of the Gulf. I was REALLY ignorant and a lot of people almost payed a nasty price for it. I thank my lucky stars I survived that trip (and a number of other interesting experiences in Alaska). After many years, I ended up as an Electrical Engineer in the aviation industry but treasure the experiences I got (some more hard-won than others!) aboard boats. I love learning about how accidents evolve and learning how to keep doing what's right and change doing what's wrong. Fair winds and following seas to all.
The Andria Doria history was so well told. Thank you for covering it, you are a wonderful narrator. Before I retired from nursing l had a patient who was a passenger on the Andria Dorian’s final voyage. She was a sweet elderly lady who mostly spoke Italian but she was able to say that she was a child at the time and it was a beautiful ship.
@@edeliteedelite1961 Doesn't matter if it's been done many times, each person puts their own touch on the story, bringing different elements to the forefront and telling it a different way.
@@edeliteedelite1961 I think the only one he said he'll never do is the Titanic because it's basically beating a dead horse with a dead horse, while kicking another dead horse.
I remember the first time I read about the Andrea Doria I was reading about the adventures of deep-sea wreck diver Bill Nagle taking the bell off the wreck and the stories about the beautiful ship wrecked off of Nantucket really grabbed me. I'm so happy for any mention of the ballsy divers of the Doria
@@MegCazalet Read: Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (True story!!) It also includes dives to the Andrea Doria & many color photos. Your library might have it. It was on the Best Sellers list for a very long time when it came out in 2004. (Includes famous divers John Chatterton & Bill Nagle)
The writer of this channel is to be commended for being an excellent story teller, on top of a good researcher. Great sense of drawing pertinent info together.
Glad to see you back. As I always say to other youtubers with a random posting schedule: take your time, we're here. We're not going anywhere. You post a new video, we watch it. Simple as that. And for videos of this quality it's worth the wait. Well done. About the collision, some things will never be known and I very much doubt the logs could be recovered at all given the time past and the environment down there. Fault lies on both sides, that is clear. Things could have been done better. When you cut some slack on the rope, accidents happen. Having read and watched so many cases where ships nearby went on their way in spite of the distress calls of a stricken vessel, the example set by the Ile de France and the other ships still echoes as one of humanity and kindness. Cheers, mate.
i'm not going to lie, hearing you talk about how the Île de France appeared from the fog, lights beaming to let the survivors know they were saved, it almost brought a tear to my eye. Captain Blancart was a hero, as were all the sailors who aided in the rescue. And you've done a wonderful job in telling the story both of the unfortunate souls who were lost as well as the rescue of so many on the ship. This channel is one of my favs and I love seeing these videos.
That merchant mariner takes the olympic gold medal for heavy sleeping. I assume he'd been medicated, but still, man, imagine sleeping through a collision, and five hours of noisy evacuation and a forty degree listing.
Commenting at 4:48 in and can I say that you have won yourself the title of my favorite maritime youtuber? You don't just talk about the tragedy and aftermath/rescue effort, you talk about the ship and what she *was* and how many of these ships were extraordinary vessels but things happened.
38:27 after hearing about all the staff leaving the passenger behind in half empty life vessels (and similar stories in other maritime tragedies)… I get a sense of hope for humanity when the other ocean liner showed up to help. Also how the captain did everything he could to find enough life boats for everyone (who still could) to get off the boat and not leaving himself until everyone was safely off. Chivalry and honor unfortunately are severely lacking in todays society. Makes me wish I could live in times when it was more common sometimes.
I was just thinking the other day man I haven’t seen a video from maritime horrors in a while and here it is glad you’re back I always enjoy your videos!
When I was a little boy in the mid-sixties, one of my folks' friends was a fisherman from Hyannis and gave my mom some clothes that he had found in the water off Nantucket. It was a green velvet set of boys lederhosen, handmade and embroidered with flowers and other designs that must have taken a long time to make. I wore it once during an October fest celebration when I was three. A few years ago, my elderly mom stopped by the house with a box of my old belongings, and it included the lederhosen. It was the first time I heard the real story and that it was recovered shortly after the collision. It sits folded in a cedar cabinet now, and when I see it, I think of nothing but the boy who it belonged to, and I hope he is living a full and happy life.
I remember reading about this when I was in primary school in the early 1990s. When I got to high school, I found the library had a copy of William Hoffer's 'Saved: the Story of the Andrea Doria - The Greatest Sea Rescue in History'. I think by the time I left a few years later, I'd read the book several times. It's amazing that the Stockholm (under its various names and forms) has been in service for 72 years. She was laid up in 2020 when the pandemic started, and currently up for sale.
It was deliberately kept "alive" to show how tron design of Swedish vessel was. Stockholm was built for a North Atlantic service with stronger bow design against ice. Andrea Doria and all other Italian vessels served only warm southern waters.
Dude it's so crazy I never heard of the Andrea Doria until yesterday when I watched a documentary about scuba divers who died trying to retrieve dishes and cups from the sunken ship.
@@joejakubec9708 There’s nothing wrong with being 12 years old. No need to shame someone (at any age!) for showing genuine enthusiasm in learning about history. They should be encouraged, not belittled with condescension.
@joejakubec9708 I'm knocking on 40s door and dude is firmly in my vocabulary, dude, I know I'm a grumpy prick about many things but damn dude, you take the cake.
Thank you so much for not using a crappy AI narrator. Channels like this are so hard to find now. You have to sift through fifty bad content farms before finding anything quality like this. The struggle is so real
This event had slipped from my mind, as I was 11 years old when it happened. My dad had hired a carpenter to do some work in our house. Family members of his were on that ship, and that made their welfare very personal. I cannot remember his name, but the ships names brought instant recognition. Also the pics, especially the LIFE magazine cover pic, made me recall the intensity of the event. Thank you for your diligent research, and excellent presentation.
I’ve heard this story at least a hundred times but I am still BEYOND pumped that my man Maritime History is here to tell it properly!! I will literally go crash a ship if you ever run out of stories to tell. Just let me know brother and I’ll be headed for blue water!!!
I am glad the Ile de France responded so promptly and effectively. The captain should, indeed, be the last off a sinking ship (if still conscious & able to function), but there is no need for the captain of a ship to go down with her.
Wow I knew about the miracle girl and the captain doing his duty, but I either forgot or I learned today about the seaman sleeping in the med mess. Waking up like in real life Passengers the movie for awhile anyways. Glad o watched yet another episode about the Doria
I just found your channel and I am absolutely loving it. I've always been fascinated by maritime disasters since I was a kid. (I was the 10 year old Titanic nerd back in the day who watched every Titanic documentary out there and read every book the library could give me.) Your attention to detail is marvelous and you really bring these events to life. I'm sure you get lots of topic suggestions but one disaster that doesn't get a lot of attention because it was kind of hushed up during WW2, is the collision of the RMS Queen Mary and the HMS Curacoa. I would love to see you cover that. Either way, keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for making these videos and re-igniting my childhood interests of shipwrecks again. While they are tragic, I regain a little bit of faith in humanity from hearing the rescue efforts everyone went through to make sure as many people got to safety as possible. I've been listening to all your videos while at work and it definitely makes my days go by faster. Keep it up, and you've just got yourself another Patreon supporter!
Fascinating story. I remember seeing Andrea Doria postcards in one of the cupboards in my house when I was growing up. I asked my parents about it and they told me that my Dad had sailed to America on one of her voyages. I am a first generation Italian born in American. My parents said how beautiful the ship was. I wish I would have kept those postcards. You do wonderful work retelling the stories. I also watched the Edmond Fitzgerald episode.
The captain of the De France is a literal legend. What a godsend angel that man was, and all the crew who eagerly and quickly jumped into action. I almost choked up when the documentary mentioned how they pulled up with all their lights on and what an answered prayer this must have been
Andrea Doria Rescue Memories "At least an hour after our arrival on the scene, I saw a dim form of a large ship emerging from the darkness and moving quite rapidly in our direction. There were no lights visible other than the required red and white running lights. The red lights being visible indicated that this ship was going between the "Andrea Doria" and the "Thomas." When it got into position,we could feel the vibrations as the huge ship backed down full astern and came to a stop. For a few seconds, this ship remained almost totally dark. Then, all in unison, every light on this ship must have been turned on including a huge sign in lights that read "Ile de France". At the exact same time, every lifeboat began to be lowered and touched the water at precisely the same moment. The fleet of lifeboats then began moving en masse toward the "Andrea Doria." The arrival of the "Ile de France" was like grand theatrical production. The star of the "Andrea Doria" tragedy, she announced her arrival on the scene in a grand way. It was like she was saying, "I am here and all is under control." The majority of the crew and passengers aboard the "Andrea Doria" were rescued by the "Ile de France."--- Memories of the event by Ernest R. Melby, EM1 USN, crew member of the USNS "Private William H. Thomas.
Excellent Video!! I never imagined you'd start delving into what I consider part of "The Ballard Collection". (Titanic, Empress of Ireland, Lusitania, Britannic and Andrea Doria) The Doria is in a very sorry state today.. The ocean has not been kind to her over the last 65 years and today her wreck looks much like the Lusitania does - a big pancake of crushed metal that has collapsed onto itself due to the relentless ocean currents that surround Nantucket. The rapid deterioration of the hull has already begun and what's left of her will unfortunately be a pile of rubble on the seafloor by 2040. Thank you for doing such a thorough video that goes above and beyond in giving her justice. The story of her tragedy will remain in the thoughts and hearts of people long after we've gone thanks to people like you.
The reason i subscribed to this channel is simple. One day, learn about the Edmond Fitzgerald, go into a frenzy of videos. Found Maritime Horrors just put out a video for the Fitz. Then here comes the Bradley and Morrell videos. Absolutely loved the presentation and how well the channel constructed the videos. This past week, learn about the Andrea Doria, especially how it’s the”Mount Everest” of scuba diving. Learned about Peter Gimbel’s 1980’s TV doc and the hole he cut into the ship to get the safe. Known as “Gimbels hole” Mainly how the “Fine China” from the AD is HIGHLY sought after by scuba divers. Always felt like i wanted to know more. Here comes Maritime Horrors in the clutch. Thanks for the video!
I was wondering what came of you. After seeing the length of the video, I can see why, on top of your other responsibilities. Absolutely well done, brother. Glad to see you're still at it.
Even though this is a sad and horrible event, knowing that so many ships came and managed to rescue most of the passengers and crew is such a nice end.
I love those sleek lines of the Andria Doria. Ships aren’t beautiful anymore. Thank you Île de France. The Captain of the Andria Doria was a real captain. I remember he had to be practically forced off his ship. I love ocean liners and have travelled on quite a few. I have been on ships that have lost their engines, been in hurricanes, outrun hurricanes and was on a ship that made a collision avoidance manoeuvre that caused the ship to list alarmingly. The rougher the weather the more I liked it.
Piero Calamai died in 1972. His last words on deathbed were a delirious "I passeggeri, sono salvi i passeggeri?" (the passengers, the passangers are safe?).
Excellent! I was hoping you would get to this one. The Andrea Doria - Stockholm incident has long been one of my favourite maritime disaster stories, not through any morbid reasons, but because it happened not long before I was born. I saw a video about it, way back in the mid 1980s, and I was fascinated right there and then. Don't ask me why - I just don't know, but I feel some strange affinity with the ship. Weird, I know. I still have that video recording, but the video format is well and truly obsolete. I need to get a video player to allow me to copy the video to a more modern format.
It’s funny but I’d always remembered seeing a black & white movie about it as a kid. But from what I know there aren’t any dramatic reenactment movies like there are for Titanic, rather just a documentary or two. I probably saw a couple of photos of the damaged ships and that’s what I remember as a movie.
STOP CALLING SHIPS UNSINKABLE! these people never learn! EVERYTIME they call a ship that, it immediately sinks. Why is it so hard for them to realize that almost every ship they called unsinkable has gone down?!
The absolute heroine of this tale was the Île-de-France. How wonderful must her lights have seemed as she arrived to save the day! Plus, French onion soup in a time of stress is amazing! Edit: One thing, the Azores rhymes with doors.
Check out our newest patches and pick one up for yourself!
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Do the Nantucket Lightship Collision
I have 2 suggestions for future videos:
RMS Lusitania (1915)
Achille Lauro (1985) [not a sinking but still a maritime horror]
Sooo how many collisions happen that we don’t hear of and 90-99% live?!?! Would be good to know!
What is the music you use and can you put a link to it?
Why is there an article about the Titanic below the video player? Last time I checked, the Andrea Doria was not the Titanic....
I'm always impressed at how quickly and at how many nearby ships drop what they're doing and rush to the aid of ships in distress. It warms my heart a little. De France could have turned away for the sake of sparing compensation for travelers, but I think most travelers would understand the need to save those in dire need.
I remember watching Deadliest Catch and whenever a mayday went out, all the captains halted operations to help out their fellow fishermen.
People who make their livelihood on the water know how dangerous and precarious the water can be and any delay can cost many lives. To them, I salute.
Its the law.
@@jmorrison146 it's more than the law...it's the right thing to do. But for the waves of fate, it could very well be your ship needing that help the next time.
@@norahc. exactly that.
Even ships that oppose each other in war do it. The sub that sank the Lusitania did it in 1915. The sub that sank the Laconia did it in 1942 but was strafed by planes while loaded with survivors which the Donitz Order came from, putting a stop to it. During ww1 the AuxCruiser Wilhelm der Grosse was known to have alerted ships that it was about to fire on to get everybody off(wasn’t uncommon). Pretty sure the Bismarck did it for the survivors of the HMS Hood and in return the remaining survivors of the Bismarck were picked up by the Royal Navy ships that had just hammered it into submission at almost point blank range in 1941.
The point being is the mariners code extends even in war time in which the law means jackshit. It’s just what sailors do.
@Captain Frank Abagnale, PAA. Are you actually a Captain? It's more of an unwritten rule at sea that you help anyone in bother, no matter what nationally even in war. Personally I've been involved in 2 rescues where the boat has sunk. Not sure what history books you have read? The U-boat never rescued anyone from the Lusitsnia. The Hood had 3 survivors which the Bismark certainly didn't rescue. The Bismark had 100+ survivors which were picked-up by the RN, hundreds more were left in the water as they thought they seen a U-boat.
The teenage Spanish girl getting knocked onto the other ship and then waking up is INSANE. The man waking up to find an abandoned wrecked ship and not knowing if he was in a nightmare or reality was even more insane. And them both living is honestly unbelievable! I don’t know why this hasn’t been made into a blockbuster movie yet. Because the story is nothing like Titanic. There are unique stories to tell.
Reason titanic is a blockbuster is cause of the themes of romance and love, wouldn’t be too many themes of that to make it relatable here
It would be like a “stranger things” esque movie
how assinine of you
@@M-fk5eg yeah, I get that. They could intertwine an interesting story or someone journey with what actually happened like Titanic.
I found the moronic couch potatoes that wants everything made into a damn movie. Try getting off you're couch and living instead of wanting every tragedy turned interested a movie. How about you go through something tragic and they have a movie made about it?
I adore the decision of the Captain of the Il De France to fully illuminate his ship as they approached, wanting to announce as loudly as possible to the desperate souls still aboard the Doria that hope, and help, had truly arrived. Seeing that glow must have felt like seeing a rescue vessel dispatched by God himself.
One author, writing about the sinking, said that "Ile de France" was like a great actor making a dramatic entry onto a stage. When she turned her lights on, it was like she was saying "It's alright. We're here now. It'll be alright."
it did both that and light her up to be more easily visible to other ships in the area, avoiding more collisions :)
As well as the mention that she provided both wind- and water-break for the Andrea Doria's passengers.
After getting injured on a different ship. I think I'd retire...
Religion has nothing to do with that
In 1959 the Ile de France was retired and sold to a scrapyard in Japan. In 1960, she was loaned to a film crew as a 'prop' for the movie "The Last Voyage" where she suffered explosions, one of her funnels pulled over, and was partially sunk. When the filming ended, she was returned to the scrapyard and dismantled. What a sad ending for her.
Thus is the life of a liner.
She did receive two merchant marine awards for her habit of showing up to rescue efforts and will always be immortalized in stories like these, which is more than any liner or cruiser could ask for.
She remains immortalized in film.
Ah the SS Claridon. ❤
At least she went out with a bang.
That was a good old disaster movie.
People really need to stop deeming ships “unsinkable”
To an extent its a case of "Titanicification": whenever a ship sinks media comb every ounce of material written on it with immodest glee trying to find the claim that the vessel was unsinkable. Most often claims that a ship was called such are extrapolations from actual remarks that are a lot more conservative and if they are direct are usually spoken offhand by people who have no real grounds to be listened to (like line execs). Even the Titanic herself was never actually called unsinkable by her builders. The closest that ever came to happening was the WSL rep in New York saying he felt the ship couldn't sink...after it already had.
I think it's more that people need to stop finding creative new ways to put unsinkable ships in sinkable conditions :P
@@TacticalOni Split the difference and do both?
You call it unsinkable, you're just asking for a tragedy.
@@cherylmarcuri5506 It's kind of like testing God by saying its unsinkable. You're just begging for it
Man, what a contrast in captians. When I think of Italian ship wrecks and their captians, the Costa Concordia comes to mind, it's captian was one of the first to bail, while the Dorias had to be dragged off by its crew.
Did you notice the similar actions of the crews of both Italian flagged ships?
@@danielseelye6005 The crew of the Greek-Flagged Oceanos were even more reprehensible, abandoning ship without advising the passengers that the ship was in peril.
[MV SEWOL HAS ENTERED THE CHAT]
@@AMacLeod426 Uumph! Probably the most criminal maritime disaster in Korean history. All the students were ordered to stay in their cabins as the Sewol quickly sank. Most were online as they died.
Two different Italys... Producing very different men.
SS _Île de France_ was apparently known as the "Saint Bernard of the Seas" after participating in several rescues, including _Andrea Doria's._ She received Cross of Chevalier du Mérite marine and the Merchant Marine Gallant Ship Award.
holy cow, SS île de France was truly an heroic loyal there
@@MysticianLuna_VG And yet faced such an ignominious end being scrapped.
@@danielseelye6005 yeah, i feel bad for ile de france
@@danielseelye6005 That should be the end of all well known workhorse ships throughout their sailing careers.
Only technological prototypes, like HMS Warrior, or very rare ships, like HMS Victory, one of the few first rates left existing from specific nations which were different, should be preserved.
@@shauntempley9757 We're talking about the _Íle de France,_ not No-Name-Tramp #5
The Île de France switching on her lights must have been one hell of a sight. It may send uncomfortable shivers down my spine personally, but seeing this gigantic ship appear in almost a flash of bright light from the pitch black must have been as awe inspiring as spectacles get.
The king has returned.
This kid is good. The best of RUclips.
The Captain
@@apancher The _Commodore._
The Admiral!
El Presidente....
Imagine sleeping through an entire ship crash and waking up only after everyone except the captain and officers had abandoned ship. Crazy stuff.
28 days later - marine edition
Truly a bruh moment of the ages
That would be me probably. I've slept through a fire alarm.
Too much Wine and Pasta.
A good Twilight zone script..
Even in 1956 and with all passengers secured, Cpt. Calamai still refused to abandon his post and was going to go down with his ship.
A gentleman through and through.
Very touching, wow. 🥲
Quite unlike his fellow countryman during the sinking of the "Costa Concordia"
@@danielseelye6005 Yeah, Schettino came to mind at several points during the video 😂
For sure.
That idiot Schettino from the Costa Concordia could have learnt something from his countryman!
Through and through not true and true. Simple mistake
This takes me back to a nice dinner I had once. Sat with an old man who told me stories of his time in the US Coast Guard. He served in the early 60's aboard an old Fletcher class destroyer given to the USCG. On nice sunny days the captain would let the crew set out deck chairs and sun bathe on the stern. On one of these days he was pulling out chairs and noticed how nice some of the chairs were and how there was a ships name inscribed on them. The inscription read "ANDREA DORIA". He asked the boatswain about it. Turns out the captain had responded to the ANDREA DORIA sinking and spent several days in the area searching, during which he had taken some souvenirs of the floating wreckage.
That is my little story of the ANDREA DORIA.
Well...Waste Not, Want Not. 😋
Nice, the ol' Fletcher class was put to good use it seems, alongside the deck chairs.
Remarkably, I also heard this anecdote from a Coastie in Boston.
In my mind’s eye, I could almost see the Il de France, fully illuminated, cutting through the fog. That little detail, so easily missed in another retelling, gave power and meaning to yours. This really had heart, capturing the tragedy in vivid detail! Well done!
I agree. The whole “Turn on the lights” aspect of Andrea Doria story is my favorite part. Something about is just so vivid, and as you said makes for a great mental image.
It’s the moment I literally welled up. And I know this tragedy well. But that moment in the account got me unexpectedly.
The whole Ile de France part gave me goosebumps
I always get a shiver down my spine when i see the Bismarck cutting through the fog in the Sabaton video ( minus the lights ). Probably it was a similar sight when the Il de France arrived .
Special shout-out to the engineers on these vessels. Always seem to be the heros on board keeping electronics going as long as possible
When I was in high school, my religion teacher had a model of the Andrea Doria on his desk. When I asked him about it, he told me that he was on the Doria when it sank; he didn’t remember too much because he was a child at the time but it was cool to learn a bit about what it was like on the ship during her final voyage.
I can imagine that last conversation on Doria's bridge running like this:
"That is all, gentlemen: I am ordering you off the ship. I shall stay and go down with her."
"No, sir: either you're coming with us or we're going with you."
Says a lot about how the guy ran his ship and how respected he was. Also, I'm far from the most emotional guy ut there, but the actions of the De France put a lump in my throat.
I can only imagine there was one Junior Officer in the back with one foot out the door and had to be like "Oh we're staying?"
@@joeybernal1729 Regardless, what a show of honor
So fun fact. The Plymouth Norseman concept car was actually on this ship when it sank. The plans for the car and most photos and files for the car are gone and it has essentially been erased from existence.
It’s a very fascinating car. Shame it’s disintegrated to practically nothing now
Fascinating - I've never heard about this before. Thanks!
There appear to be a few photos of the prototype as well as some concept paintings online. It looks so incredibly cool, exactly what you’d imagine a mid 50s concept to look like
@@adammanning8882 it’s like a Plymouth fury mixed with an impala and a bel air while looking way more aggressive
@@Sc0tt_e mixed with the roof line of an AMC Marlin
A hell of a better captain than some others we can mention, even if he did make mistakes.
The crunched bow of the Stockholm is still an impressive picture decades later.
It has always amazed me that it not only didn't sink but was able to get back to port on its own and still sails today.
Reminds me of the warship that had its bow blown completely off but still getting to port. Can’t remember which one
@@sniptaclar5568this is not the ship you're referring to but similarly the Vesta (ship that sunk the infamous Arctic in 1854) suffered a crushed front and somehow managed to make it back to port!
@@sniptaclar5568USS Minneapolis is one. HMS Javelin lost both her bow and stern. And therefore definitely a bunch more that I can’t think of off the top of my head.
The captain of the Andrea Doria has not made any mistakes. The fault is of the crew and the captain of the Stockholm
I honestly got emotional hearing about the arrival of the Île de France. And I’ve read two books on this disaster. That moment still gets me every time.
This sinking changed the passenger liner/cruise ship industry. The reason why is unlike previous sinkings, it was filmed as it sunk.
What was changed?
That bit about the dad throwing his infant to the crew but they didn’t hear him was heartbreaking
I would've jumped with my child in my arms. That poor dad
@@lovmi2byz91 a very ignorant decision by the dad...but the child paid for it...
@@lovmi2byz91 This reminds me of a heartbreaking video recorded by a mall's surveillance camera. An escalator broke down and a woman with a toddler fell in partially. She got stuck while the machinery still kinda half-worked. Fortunately for the child, it happened near the foot of the escalator and the woman threw the kid into the arms of mall personnel. Seconds later, she was gone. Without the split second decision, the death toll would've been two.
@@talldarkmannnteresting how internet slobs can sit in their sweaty basements playing Monday morning quarterback regarding the impossible decisions that a person is forced to make during unimaginably horrifying situations. I would like to see you face any kind of similar circumstance and actually fend for yourself, rather than just complain, let alone have to be responsible for another person. What incredible arrogance.
That was some poor instinct right there. I bet the man never forgave himself 🙁
I'm an IT2 in the Navy. These videos are incredibly well-written and informative. Absolute joy to watch. Sometimes, I don't even hold the fact that you're a coastie against you.
MMN1 here. These are great videos.
I didn't know he was a coastie! sad.
@@averagejoe112 Yep, he's a former BM if memory serves. Question: do you Nukes still use the phrase "Don't Nuke It", or is that a topsider thing?
@@spartanforce7 Yeah we use it. Lots of nukes overthink stuff; we have procedures and each step has a basis for the action in the Reactor Plant Manual. If something doesn't work per procedures, call a supervisor. We try and break nukes of it when they get to the boat.
@@averagejoe112 We have the same problem with new ITs. Had an ITSN take apart half a server room looking for a dead UPS, turns out the cable was just unplugged.
I didn’t even know he was in the service. It’s actually awesome he has such a passion for these little parts of history
The stepped stern of the Doria and Normandy are absolutely beautiful. 22 dead divers is a huge number. Nice job on telling the story. Things can change in a split second.
Normandie
Andrea Doria sends a siren call to certain types of divers. Heck if she were in a more accessible location in warmer waters and over 100’ shallower - I’d consider diving her myself. As is, any sensible diver assessing risks would decline.
Surprisingly enough diving Andrea Doria is far more deadly than cave diving. My guess difference is due to physical restriction on cave diving (locked gates in many), education efforts, and availability of fabulous cave-diving training.
@@finngamesknudson1457 Im sure her reputation of being the "Mount Everest of dives" also has added to the amount of thrill seeking divers.
@@MrRjh63 - Believe you are right.
So far she’s taken fewer lives than the actual Mt Everest. Likely because fewer people dive than walk, narrower name recognition, and need for specialized training. Technical dive I nstructors almost universally preach risk mitigation, judgement and self awareness. Thus possibly dissuading potential victims. Takes support to get out to Andrea, which really isn’t easily available - while there seems to be an industry aimed at getting people up and down Everest. Seems there’s a constant traffic jam at base camp on Everest while I suspect single digit annual diver count on Andrea. Likely a considerably higher death rate, but so many fewer idiots🤣
@@zeddeka We should cry, two of the most beautiful ships ever made.
My parents were to honeymoon in Italy and had booked passage on the Andrea Doria. The morning after the disaster my mom was about to mail her wedding invitations when her mother heard of the accident on the radio. She changed her wedding date and honeymoon. It was a big deal in our little town, and was written up in the local newspaper.
the amount of times ive thought to myself in the last few months “I wonder when the next Maritime Horrors video will drop” I watch 2 aviation disaster channels but you are the only maritime channel that can keep me intrigued about a subject I’m so unfamiliar with. Great videos!
Would you mind sharing what those aviation channels are? I’m always looking for more
"The History Guy-history that deserves to be remembered" is a pretty great channel
Nautical study is good so is great but move and part time explorer
@@griffinhunt2692 there is mini air crash investigation and he does some good work. Check him out.
You ever heard of Brick Immortar? He does civil engineering and, maritime disasters. Like the Minneapolis bridge collapse, South Korean Ferry tragedy
Love the narration as always. One suggestion to help us non-mariners is to show rough positioning of the ships and key elements, possibly projected paths. Helps those of us without naval backgrounds understand the scene and why things happened the way they did.
Agreed. It would help visualize what happened exactly
Super agreed. I got so lost during the explanation of where each ship thought they were in relation to each other. The port to the starboard and .89 degree turn and that. So confusing lol.
If I recall correctly the first dive team to reach AD was from Life Magazine, from a chartered boat named Top Cat. The photos were published in Life. They also retrieved the larger-than-life statue of Admiral Doria, which was displayed at a bar in New Bedford for a while.
The first divers reached the Doria a day or two later. One of whom was the heir to the Gimbal’s department store chain. He cut a hole in the hull to penetrate the wreck. The hole is still used to enter the wreck and is known as “Gimbel’s hole”
From what I could find online, the statue was recovered from the wreck in 1964. After the bar in New Bedford it was displayed at a hotel and then a bar in Florida. It was restored and returned to Italy in 2004.
Thank you! I was a year old when this happened, and though I’ve heard the name “Andrea Dorea “ all my life, I never knew her story!
May I suggest a video about the sinking of M/S Estonia in 1994. It's probably the most infamous shipwreck in Finland/Sweden/Estonia with only a bit more than 100 survivors out of a thousand, and there's an interesting controversy surrounding it.
truly a maritime horror story
852 died and 137 survived, and there's mayday call, truly terrifying
@@MysticianLuna_VG yes, she sank too quick for many people to get off.
Yes please, that would be very interesting given recent information that has surfaced (pun intended 😁). And also on a sort of personal level, as my parents almost boarded the Estonia. But upon arriving at the docks, they realized that their passports were forgotten or something to that effect
I thought the Corean ferry one was haunting but damn the Estonia sinking is tragic as well.
Captains from recent (in)famous sinkings like Concordia and the Sewol ferry could learn a thing or two from the Doria's captain, being the last one off the ship instead of the first.
Yes, he did show competency, but he did still make the mistake to not recover the log book.
@@kirgan1000 Agreed, however I didn't say anything about the logbook, nor his competency. I was talking specifically about staying with the ship and making sure everyone else got off first. Something Sewol and Concordia's captains failed grossly at.
@@kirgan1000 I’m just glad he focused on being proactive and useful after the mistakes were made. What had happened had happened-was best to fix everything at that point.
Thanks, great job on this maritime tragedy! I was seven years old when this happened and spending the summer at my grandmother's home on the Cape not far from Nantucket and the Andrea Doria, but I remember hearing about it on the news and never forgot it! Glad they were able to save the lives they did. Must have been horrible for that 35 yr old when he realized he was the only one left on the ship. It's a miracle he was saved! May those who lost their lives rest in peace.
An amazing retelling of the disaster. As a navigational officer, I find the actions of both crews to be fascinating. It is easy to see the complacency of the crews.
The Doria was the first maritime disaster to grab my attention as a teen. I read everything I could at a few local libraries (yes...paper books!). This interest lead to learning about other passenger, then commercial, ship disasters.
So fascinating were the stories, and the explanations how such tragedies could happen, that it turned into a 6 year tour in the US Coast Guard.
This video was excellent! Only available facts with no assumptions or suspicions, just a real telling of what happened. The good (actually great) things, and the bad actions of the "hotel" staff. The actions and heroism of the real "crew" is what one would expect from those brave men. Doing what they could to keep the Doria afloat and the lights on as long as they did.
Many people were saved by the engineers remaining at their posts. The officers did what they could...though so issues should have been handled better, such as the passengers left mustered on the port side while lifeboats were being loaded and launched only from the starboard side.
The many photos I've seen where we can see the actual size of the whole cut just under the bridge of the Doria's starboard side!!! Amazes me she remained above the water as long as she did.
Again, great video! I'll be looking forward to you next upload as I bringe your past posted stuff.
That’s so crazy to think that these ships can see each other from 17 miles out and still managed to crash right into each other😐
🤔 it's kind of impressive, just for the wrong reasons. The truth is, a screw up is really only as good as your resources and the chain of events they can create 🤷
A very detailed book about the sinking explained that the radar, which was very new, was giving a reverse picture on the radar.
While the watch relayed correct position, the 3rd officer, currently in command gave orders to turn via radar information. Unfortunately INTO the path of the Norwegian Liner. The Stockholm.
The Andrea Dorea disaster became famous because so many different nationalities of ship responded to the distress call. So many were saved.
I have always been fascinated with the Andrea Doria story, just like that of the Titanic. One thing this fine narration missed was that, in her hold, the Doria was carrying the Chrysler Norseman. A concept car, designed and built in the Ghia factory in Italy, featured a very unique cantilevered roof. It was a one of a kind automobile due to be shown at the New York Auto show. Since all the designs were included with the car, and lost along with it, Ghia chose not to rebuild it.
Wow... That was interesting. You know that young girl that fell on the other ship. Her biological daddy was a news anchor and he had to give the news out about the trash knowing his daughter was on that ship and he didn't miss a beat. That had to be rough. I'm pretty positive I am not mistaken. Getting old; it's hard to remember things. Lol. 😅
I'm so glad that you're back. I discovered your channel about a month and a half ago and have watched just about everything. I've been waiting for more. I can't imagine how much time and research you put into these videos. Thank you! They are a wonderful tribute to all who perished in these tragedies and to those that survived and rescued survivors. We'll done!
The story about the man asleep in the hospital. Truly sent a chill down my spine and body. Especially him being a sailor, so he knew immediately how bad of a situation he was in.
Actually, the MV Astoria (ex-MS Stockholm) was retired from cruising service last year due to COVID. Now she’s awaiting to he transformed into a floating hotel.
Bonus fact: Stockholm later also found her career in Genoa, the hometown of the Doria, serving an Italian company. She was hated by the local residents
She is the ship that goes on forever. We cruised on her in 2018 and were not impressed, I hope she is going to be improved.
Why was she hated?
@@tertiaritus Genoa built the Doria and during the investigation and trial the Stockholm claimed that the Doria was unseaworthy. Do not insult the craftsmanship of a town and expect love in return. By the way the Doria was cut across her keel and stayed afloat 11 hours. She was seaworthy.
@@patgoldammer7938 I see, thank you for a detailed response!
@@tertiaritus She sank the Andrea Doria.
The Andera Doria always fascinated me. As a child, I remember watching a tv show (maybe Jaques Cousteau?) that I can't remember the name of, where they filmed a dive on the wreck. I watched it any time it was on, snuggled on the sofa with my Dad, hating that I had to blink because I'd miss that split second of the footage.
Great to have you back. Loved the video.
One small correction and some additional facts to the sinking:
As far as I'm aware, Linda Morgans mother actually survived her injuries and was reunited with her daughter after the accident. However, like Linda, she suffered quite a bit from the tragedy, having lost her husband and one daughter and would die a few years later on the same date of the sinking of the Andrea Doria. (My source is the book Ghost Liners, but I haven't read it in years, so maybe I'm wrong about that one.)
Linda and her family were supposed to have dinner with the captain this evening, but because of the fog, the captain couldn't leave the bridge and it didn't happen. Linda had a small notebook, that she used the get autographs for people she meet and had wanted the captain to sign it.
Linda's father was ABC Radio Network news commentator Edward P. Morgan. He had to report the tragedy on the radio while not knowing if his daughter was still alive.
The crew member from the Stockholm who found her on the bow of the ship visited her in the hospital, where her father embraced him and said: "Hombre, hombre. Man, man, how can I ever thank you?"
Fun Fact: The Nantucket lightship was actually off-station during the collision and was infact steaming out to relive it's temporary replacement. It received the distress calls and despite the ability to make good speed to the wreck, was ordered to maintain course as to not create further confusion to other ships by being not where it was expected.
My blood chilled a bit in watching this well-done documentary. I can identify with misreading a radar. In the mid-70s I was aboard an old YG (~120' converted to a salmon processor) in a winter crossing of the Gulf of Alaska. As the Engineer on board, I was the #2 and standing the night watch on the bridge. Weather was a bit rough and we spotted a ship dead ahead on radar though still at a fair distance. We altered course slightly to starboard in order to pass port-to-port. A while later it appeared the blip was still dead ahead. The seasoned mariners will immediately recognize what's happening here and that the boat ahead of us was on a crossing course. Had we simply maintained our heading, they'd have crossed ahead of us. But in my ignorance (remember, I'm the Engineer and my seamanship training consisted of a lesson in which is the pointy end, I knew NOTHING about plotting another vessel's course from a radar blip) we altered course to starboard again. In the end, we figured out what was going on and avoided a collision but passed WAY closer than two boats need to be in the middle of the Gulf. I was REALLY ignorant and a lot of people almost payed a nasty price for it. I thank my lucky stars I survived that trip (and a number of other interesting experiences in Alaska).
After many years, I ended up as an Electrical Engineer in the aviation industry but treasure the experiences I got (some more hard-won than others!) aboard boats.
I love learning about how accidents evolve and learning how to keep doing what's right and change doing what's wrong.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
I appreciate that you took the time to make another great episode for us. Hope all those other things are going well for you.
Awesome username.😂
The Andria Doria history was so well told. Thank you for covering it, you are a wonderful narrator. Before I retired from nursing l had a patient who was a passenger on the Andria Dorian’s final voyage. She was a sweet elderly lady who mostly spoke Italian but she was able to say that she was a child at the time and it was a beautiful ship.
This one feels so contemporary compared to a lot of other ships you've done, but I'd love to see a video on the Costa Concordia in the future
Everyone knows everything about that already.
@@edeliteedelite1961 did this channel cover the Concordia?
@@edeliteedelite1961 Doesn't matter if it's been done many times, each person puts their own touch on the story, bringing different elements to the forefront and telling it a different way.
@@edeliteedelite1961 I think the only one he said he'll never do is the Titanic because it's basically beating a dead horse with a dead horse, while kicking another dead horse.
On the chance that you haven't seen it, check out "Cost of Concordia" by Internet Historian.
I remember the first time I read about the Andrea Doria I was reading about the adventures of deep-sea wreck diver Bill Nagle taking the bell off the wreck and the stories about the beautiful ship wrecked off of Nantucket really grabbed me. I'm so happy for any mention of the ballsy divers of the Doria
Is there a particular book or article you recommend?
@@MegCazalet Read: Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (True story!!) It also includes dives to the Andrea Doria & many color photos. Your library might have it. It was on the Best Sellers list for a very long time when it came out in 2004. (Includes famous divers John Chatterton & Bill Nagle)
Welcome back! This video was awesome and well worth the wait!
The writer of this channel is to be commended for being an excellent story teller, on top of a good researcher. Great sense of drawing pertinent info together.
Glad to see you back. As I always say to other youtubers with a random posting schedule: take your time, we're here. We're not going anywhere. You post a new video, we watch it. Simple as that. And for videos of this quality it's worth the wait. Well done.
About the collision, some things will never be known and I very much doubt the logs could be recovered at all given the time past and the environment down there. Fault lies on both sides, that is clear. Things could have been done better. When you cut some slack on the rope, accidents happen. Having read and watched so many cases where ships nearby went on their way in spite of the distress calls of a stricken vessel, the example set by the Ile de France and the other ships still echoes as one of humanity and kindness.
Cheers, mate.
i'm not going to lie, hearing you talk about how the Île de France appeared from the fog, lights beaming to let the survivors know they were saved, it almost brought a tear to my eye. Captain Blancart was a hero, as were all the sailors who aided in the rescue. And you've done a wonderful job in telling the story both of the unfortunate souls who were lost as well as the rescue of so many on the ship. This channel is one of my favs and I love seeing these videos.
Your videos are absolutely brilliant. It makes my day every time I get a notification of a new one.
We can stop searching the depths, he is found! So happy you're able to make another journey into Maritime history for all of us.
Probably my favorite channel on youtube, I've recommend this channel to many who love history, keep up the posts when you can!
This is probably the best most comprehensive documentary about the Andrea Doria that I have ever read or seen. Thank you sir. Very well done!
I listen to these vids while I work and it helps the time pass. The content is so interesting 👍🏼⚓️
That merchant mariner takes the olympic gold medal for heavy sleeping. I assume he'd been medicated, but still, man, imagine sleeping through a collision, and five hours of noisy evacuation and a forty degree listing.
The crew stealing the lifeboats gives me big Schettino vibes. And thus, a message for the crew " *Vada A Bordo, Cazzo!* "
that reminds me of a coastguard was saying to incopetent captain "Vada a bordo, cazzo!" (translation: "get back on board for [censored]'s sake!")
@@MysticianLuna_VG thats what I was getting at
@@maskedgaming2798 costa cocordia moments
@TheKweenII_09 way to ruin it mate. There's always one 🙄
Kramer: 51 people died
George: That’s no tragedy.
Yeah! How many people die on a regular cruise? Like 30?
I still find it funny how the MS Stockholm still sails around to THIS Day,
Commenting at 4:48 in and can I say that you have won yourself the title of my favorite maritime youtuber? You don't just talk about the tragedy and aftermath/rescue effort, you talk about the ship and what she *was* and how many of these ships were extraordinary vessels but things happened.
this channel is one of the best channels for maritime videos. not only are the videos informative, they are made with such passion that its addicting.
I'm glad you're back! Yours is some of the best content on yt. I like that you don't exclude much of the "small" details. Keep up the great work!
38:27 after hearing about all the staff leaving the passenger behind in half empty life vessels (and similar stories in other maritime tragedies)… I get a sense of hope for humanity when the other ocean liner showed up to help.
Also how the captain did everything he could to find enough life boats for everyone (who still could) to get off the boat and not leaving himself until everyone was safely off.
Chivalry and honor unfortunately are severely lacking in todays society. Makes me wish I could live in times when it was more common sometimes.
George Costanza's life story was once deemed by a panel of experts to be a more tragic experience than being a passenger on the Andrea Doria. FACTS
What's the line it sunk like an old person getting into the bath.
@@JMD501 "10 hours. It eased into the water like an old man in a nice warm bath, no offence" lol
So unfair that he had to lose that apartment. 😂
@@alexlocatelli2876 Well his name is Costanza, 'Lord of the idiots' lol
I was just thinking the other day man I haven’t seen a video from maritime horrors in a while and here it is glad you’re back I always enjoy your videos!
When I was a little boy in the mid-sixties, one of my folks' friends was a fisherman from Hyannis and gave my mom some clothes that he had found in the water off Nantucket. It was a green velvet set of boys lederhosen, handmade and embroidered with flowers and other designs that must have taken a long time to make. I wore it once during an October fest celebration when I was three.
A few years ago, my elderly mom stopped by the house with a box of my old belongings, and it included the lederhosen. It was the first time I heard the real story and that it was recovered shortly after the collision.
It sits folded in a cedar cabinet now, and when I see it, I think of nothing but the boy who it belonged to, and I hope he is living a full and happy life.
I absolutely LOVE these long form videos! So good to listen to!
I remember reading about this when I was in primary school in the early 1990s. When I got to high school, I found the library had a copy of William Hoffer's 'Saved: the Story of the Andrea Doria - The Greatest Sea Rescue in History'. I think by the time I left a few years later, I'd read the book several times.
It's amazing that the Stockholm (under its various names and forms) has been in service for 72 years. She was laid up in 2020 when the pandemic started, and currently up for sale.
It was deliberately kept "alive" to show how tron design of Swedish vessel was. Stockholm was built for a North Atlantic service with stronger bow design against ice. Andrea Doria and all other Italian vessels served only warm southern waters.
Ahhhh I've been patiently waiting for your return good sir 👏
Dude it's so crazy I never heard of the Andrea Doria until yesterday when I watched a documentary about scuba divers who died trying to retrieve dishes and cups from the sunken ship.
What’s the documentary and where can it be watched? That’s a combination of two of my interests: diving and sinking ships!
For youngster it may be crazy. Real however.
Using the word dude and never hearing of the Doria makes you about 12 years old. Especially the word dude.
@@joejakubec9708 There’s nothing wrong with being 12 years old. No need to shame someone (at any age!) for showing genuine enthusiasm in learning about history. They should be encouraged, not belittled with condescension.
@joejakubec9708 I'm knocking on 40s door and dude is firmly in my vocabulary, dude, I know I'm a grumpy prick about many things but damn dude, you take the cake.
Thank you so much for not using a crappy AI narrator. Channels like this are so hard to find now. You have to sift through fifty bad content farms before finding anything quality like this. The struggle is so real
This event had slipped from my mind, as I was 11 years old when it happened. My dad had hired a carpenter to do some work in our house. Family members of his were on that ship, and that made their welfare very personal. I cannot remember his name, but the ships names brought instant recognition. Also the pics, especially the LIFE magazine cover pic, made me recall the intensity of the event.
Thank you for your diligent research, and excellent presentation.
I’ve heard this story at least a hundred times but I am still BEYOND pumped that my man Maritime History is here to tell it properly!! I will literally go crash a ship if you ever run out of stories to tell. Just let me know brother and I’ll be headed for blue water!!!
I am glad the Ile de France responded so promptly and effectively.
The captain should, indeed, be the last off a sinking ship (if still conscious & able to function), but there is no need for the captain of a ship to go down with her.
Wow I knew about the miracle girl and the captain doing his duty, but I either forgot or I learned today about the seaman sleeping in the med mess. Waking up like in real life Passengers the movie for awhile anyways. Glad o watched yet another episode about the Doria
I just found your channel and I am absolutely loving it. I've always been fascinated by maritime disasters since I was a kid. (I was the 10 year old Titanic nerd back in the day who watched every Titanic documentary out there and read every book the library could give me.) Your attention to detail is marvelous and you really bring these events to life. I'm sure you get lots of topic suggestions but one disaster that doesn't get a lot of attention because it was kind of hushed up during WW2, is the collision of the RMS Queen Mary and the HMS Curacoa. I would love to see you cover that. Either way, keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for making these videos and re-igniting my childhood interests of shipwrecks again. While they are tragic, I regain a little bit of faith in humanity from hearing the rescue efforts everyone went through to make sure as many people got to safety as possible. I've been listening to all your videos while at work and it definitely makes my days go by faster. Keep it up, and you've just got yourself another Patreon supporter!
Fascinating story. I remember seeing Andrea Doria postcards in one of the cupboards in my house when I was growing up. I asked my parents about it and they told me that my Dad had sailed to America on one of her voyages. I am a first generation Italian born in American. My parents said how beautiful the ship was. I wish I would have kept those postcards. You do wonderful work retelling the stories. I also watched the Edmond Fitzgerald episode.
The captain of the De France is a literal legend. What a godsend angel that man was, and all the crew who eagerly and quickly jumped into action. I almost choked up when the documentary mentioned how they pulled up with all their lights on and what an answered prayer this must have been
Andrea Doria Rescue Memories
"At least an hour after our arrival on the scene, I saw a dim form of a large ship emerging from the darkness and moving quite rapidly in our direction. There were no lights visible other than the required red and white running lights. The red lights being visible indicated that this ship was going between the "Andrea Doria" and the "Thomas." When it got into position,we could feel the vibrations as the huge ship backed down full astern and came to a stop. For a few seconds, this ship remained almost totally dark. Then, all in unison, every light on this ship must have been turned on including a huge sign in lights that read "Ile de France". At the exact same time, every lifeboat began to be lowered and touched the water at precisely the same moment. The fleet of lifeboats then began moving en masse toward the "Andrea Doria." The arrival of the "Ile de France" was like grand theatrical production. The star of the "Andrea Doria" tragedy, she announced her arrival on the scene in a grand way. It was like she was saying, "I am here and all is under control." The majority of the crew and passengers aboard the "Andrea Doria" were rescued by the "Ile de France."---
Memories of the event by Ernest R. Melby, EM1 USN, crew member of the USNS "Private William H. Thomas.
Excellent Video!! I never imagined you'd start delving into what I consider part of "The Ballard Collection". (Titanic, Empress of Ireland, Lusitania, Britannic and Andrea Doria)
The Doria is in a very sorry state today.. The ocean has not been kind to her over the last 65 years and today her wreck looks much like the Lusitania does - a big pancake of crushed metal that has collapsed onto itself due to the relentless ocean currents that surround Nantucket. The rapid deterioration of the hull has already begun and what's left of her will unfortunately be a pile of rubble on the seafloor by 2040.
Thank you for doing such a thorough video that goes above and beyond in giving her justice. The story of her tragedy will remain in the thoughts and hearts of people long after we've gone thanks to people like you.
The reason i subscribed to this channel is simple. One day, learn about the Edmond Fitzgerald, go into a frenzy of videos. Found Maritime Horrors just put out a video for the Fitz. Then here comes the Bradley and Morrell videos. Absolutely loved the presentation and how well the channel constructed the videos.
This past week, learn about the Andrea Doria, especially how it’s the”Mount Everest” of scuba diving. Learned about Peter Gimbel’s 1980’s TV doc and the hole he cut into the ship to get the safe. Known as “Gimbels hole” Mainly how the “Fine China” from the AD is HIGHLY sought after by scuba divers. Always felt like i wanted to know more. Here comes Maritime Horrors in the clutch.
Thanks for the video!
This was another awesome video! I've seen a lot of videos on the El Faro recently. I hope it's something that you end up covering.
I was wondering what came of you. After seeing the length of the video, I can see why, on top of your other responsibilities.
Absolutely well done, brother. Glad to see you're still at it.
Even though this is a sad and horrible event, knowing that so many ships came and managed to rescue most of the passengers and crew is such a nice end.
Very impressive, I’ve heard this story from multiple channels but your is the only one that showed pics/videos. Well done your an easy sub
Can't wait love these videos keep up the good work you're doing amazing 👏🏻 ❤️
Best narrative I've heard on RUclips of this terrible disaster!
It’s so amazing that many people survived. Most of these videos end in sadness with most people not surviving the accident
A well-told tale. Factual and detailed with a calibre of narration so seldom seen on YT. Thank you.
Il de France's captain made a real difference in the rescue.
Andrea Doria's captain was a sailor through and through.
This was very good, you tell these stories with truth and zero BS. GREAT JOB!
I love those sleek lines of the Andria Doria. Ships aren’t beautiful anymore. Thank you Île de France. The Captain of the Andria Doria was a real captain. I remember he had to be practically forced off his ship. I love ocean liners and have travelled on quite a few.
I have been on ships that have lost their engines, been in hurricanes, outrun hurricanes and was on a ship that made a collision avoidance manoeuvre that caused the ship to list alarmingly. The rougher the weather the more I liked it.
Piero Calamai died in 1972. His last words on deathbed were a delirious "I passeggeri, sono salvi i passeggeri?" (the passengers, the passangers are safe?).
Excellent! I was hoping you would get to this one. The Andrea Doria - Stockholm incident has long been one of my favourite maritime disaster stories, not through any morbid reasons, but because it happened not long before I was born. I saw a video about it, way back in the mid 1980s, and I was fascinated right there and then.
Don't ask me why - I just don't know, but I feel some strange affinity with the ship. Weird, I know.
I still have that video recording, but the video format is well and truly obsolete. I need to get a video player to allow me to copy the video to a more modern format.
This accident would make a good moive. SS _Île de France_ emerging from the fog banks lit up like New York would be an amazing scene.
It’s funny but I’d always remembered seeing a black & white movie about it as a kid. But from what I know there aren’t any dramatic reenactment movies like there are for Titanic, rather just a documentary or two. I probably saw a couple of photos of the damaged ships and that’s what I remember as a movie.
RUclips giveth, youtube taketh away, and RUclips giveth back, missed you man, so glad you're back
STOP CALLING SHIPS UNSINKABLE! these people never learn! EVERYTIME they call a ship that, it immediately sinks. Why is it so hard for them to realize that almost every ship they called unsinkable has gone down?!
Welcome back. It feels like you've been gone a lot longer than just a few months.
I'm looking forward to seeing 👀 the new stuff.
The absolute heroine of this tale was the Île-de-France. How wonderful must her lights have seemed as she arrived to save the day!
Plus, French onion soup in a time of stress is amazing!
Edit: One thing, the Azores rhymes with doors.
I've heard she basically went at maximum possible speed, even exceeding her rated top speed, to get there as soon as possible.
The way he says “Azores” is the way it’s said in Portugal
@@secouepaslekombucha There's a saying around these parts that comes in the form of a question. It's... "Pretentious? Moi!" 😆
@@danielkorladis7869 Yup! And arriving with all of her lights blazing was a lovely touch!