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January 31, 2005
Releasing the Penguins
The crew has left Punta Arenas and is currently in mid-air, expected to arrive home at their various base camps later today.
Our first attempt at shooting and blogging Live from the Dive was a success, albeit a somewhat mixed one. The video's were pretty awesome but various little snafu's with missing gear, separated crew, and troublesome hotel internet connections meant we weren't able to get up quite as many reports as we would have liked. For a first attempt at it though we take our hats off to Christine, and we can't wait to see the other footage she and Chris Kingston shot for us so we can share it here with you in the coming weeks.
The job sounds like it's a lot of fun, and it is, but it's also one of the toughest ones going, long hours under difficult circumstances doing something that is very rarely done, reporting here back to you "Live from the Dive". One of Christine's many tasks is to take the stack of release forms we gave her and make sure that everyone included in her videos signs one. It's one of the joys of the job, endless paperwork and legal clearances. After watching this clip though we're starting to wonder if maybe we should have been a bit clearer in our instructions regarding releases... No doubt about it, Christine is giving us 300%.
Posted by administrator at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2005
In Memory of the Officers and Ship's Company of the HMS Doterel
There is a memorial plaque to the Officers and ships company of the HMS Doterel in Punta Arenas.
You can also find a very interesting discussion about the Bibles that were given to the families of the victims, and the fact that the plaque apparently contains some inaccuracies over in the Shipwreck Central discussion forums.
Posted by administrator at 05:45 PM | Comments (0)
The Penguins of Magellan
Our friend, the Penguin.
The Chonos is back in Punta Arenas and Christine has been able to spend time with the Sea Hunters as Mike and Warren made some night dives on the wreck. Their Internet connection closes for the weekend at noon today, (thanks Austro Internet!), but hopefully Christine will have some time to text blog later today and tomorrow from the dial up connection at the hotel.
Earlier in the trip Christine and Jim Delgado had a chance to visit a penguin colony, and in a change of roles it was Marine Biologist Christine who was able to point out some interesting things about the Magellan Penguin to Archaeologist Jim.
Posted by administrator at 05:36 PM | Comments (1)
Take a Bow Warren!
The last couple of days have been full of intense action as the dive of the Doterel winds down. Yesterday, Mike and Warren dove in the afternoon and at night, and again this morning. As chilly (ha ha don't go there) as it is on shore, the weather on the water is unforgiving. Yesterday the divers experienced sun, then rain and finally a pelting hailstorm... this is not a mission for the weak of heart!
Yesterday while prepping for a dive Warren's bottom timer/depth gauge snapped off his wrist and catapulted into the ocean. When scouring the bottom for it a few minutes later, in an exciting turn of events he found the bow of the ship. Francisco, one of Chile's most notable commercial divers and the owner of the Chonos was thrilled with Warren's discovery. To his knowledge, Warren is the first diver to have found the bow of the ship.
Jim was busy conducting his own investigation into the mysterious sinking of the Doterel through interviews and in the Museums of Punta Arenas. When it originally went down here far from it´s British roots, a radical Irish group called the Fenians took credit for the explosion that sank the ship. Jim has made his own exciting discoveries while here however, and the history of this wreck is indeed a tangled web of intrigue. Those details will be revealed in a later episode, friends!
Francisco and his wife Eliana hosted a dinner for the entire crew last night at their beautiful home overlooking the Straits of Magellan. In conversation it came up that their son is a pilot, and ironically he will be the pilot on my Lan Chile flight back to New York Sunday. Maybe I should talk to him about that luggage, I’ve been wearing everybody else’s clothing since we got here.
Keep checking in, we’ve got lots more photos and footage to share from this latest Chilean dive adventure!
Posted by Christine Barker at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
January 28, 2005
Surveying The Wreck of the Ambassador
I had the most amazing experience a few days ago. Jim Delgado, marine archaeologist extraordinaire, and I went to the beached wreck of the Ambassador. This fascinating shipwreck is on the shores on the Straits of Magellan and I got a private lesson on it from Delgado himself. All he needs is a wreck and the information he can give you is incredible, what an amazing experience.
Keep your eye on the blog because I went one on one with some penguins and it will be up soon. Enjoy this video and stay tuned to Live from the Dive because the adventure continues……..
Posted by Christine Barker at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)
The True Cost Of Lost Luggage
Back when all of us were without luggage, Susan asked me to pick up some essentials for her while I was in town. It doesn't pay to be vulnerable in the presence of a film crew.
Posted by Christine Barker at 04:54 PM | Comments (0)
January 27, 2005
Quick update
Quick note to let you know that Susan (producer linea extraordinaire) and I are off to meet Mike, Warren and Jim as they steer the Chonos into the historic port of Punta Areanas. I´ll be sure to get reports about the wrecks they´ve looked at in the last two days!
Posted by Christine Barker at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2005
A Passage to Punta Arenas
Ah! The agony and the ecstasy of starting a new job in a new place with new people... here's a glimpse into the 'just getting there', and the start of a beautiful new friendship between myself and Jim Delgado...
Off to buy some underwear, if you can believe it. I did mention the lost luggage, right? Hopefully tomorrow you can join Jim and me on the wreck of the Ambassador, a tea clipper built in the spirit of the Cutty Sark.
From Punta Arenas, this is Christine Barker, Live from the Dive, signing out.
Posted by Christine Barker at 05:03 PM | Comments (0)
Sailing Toward the Doterel
Today Mike, Warren and Jim will dive the wreck of the Canton. Tonight, they're camping onshore in Tierra Del Fuego and having a bonfire to commemorate the indigenous peoples who communicated with smoke from fires. Legend has it that Magellan saw this and called the area Tierra del Fuego, or land of fire. Actually, I've also heard that he originally called it "Land of Smoke" but that back home the Queen took dramatic license and renamed it Land of Fire.
Tomorrow, they will be headed into Punta Arenas harbor to dive the wreck of the Doterel...let's hope the weather holds up for them, it's a beautiful day today!
Posted by Christine Barker at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)
The Southern Cross
The helicopter ride went today. Jim Delgado and I flew from the Punta Arenas airport along the Straits of Magellan. We actually passed a top the Southern Cross, which marks the southern most tip of South America, it was just beautiful. It was a clear day and the sky was 40 different shades of blue; it was amazing.
The helicopter ride was about an hour to the Chonos, the boat the Sea Hunters are on. The helicopter landed on the beach where Mike and Warren arrived by the zodiac, to meet myself and Jim. I also met Francisco, who is the ships Captain. He has an amazing reputation for being incredibly knowledgeable about all things relating to shipwrecks in the area. I was able to interview him, while I was onboard, so keep an eye out for that.
The team experienced gale force winds over the last view days. The seas have been very rough; but today it has been absolutely beautiful. Warren couldn’t believe the change in the weather, he said he hadn’t seen this much sun the entire time they have been out here. The weather has been crazy, sunny, then raining, then sunny again but now it is getting quite warm. It’s a gorgeous day to be out here.
On the way back in the helicopter I was alone because Jim stayed on board with the team. They will soon be heading out to the site of the HMS Doterel. So, I got to sit in the front seat, which was really neat. It was a great experience I had never been in a helicopter before this week; it has been a really exciting trip for me.
The Sea Hunters should arrive at the Doterel in 2 or 3 days; in the interim are going to be diving another wreck along the way. The team will go ashore at Tierra Del Fuego to camp for the night.
Everything is going well. It started off as a really rough trip but our luck seems to have turned around. I received an email from a friend who wrote “You are in Chile; I thought it would be warm.” But what they didn’t understand is that we are on the southern most tip of the continent, about 1300 km north of Antarctica. The temperate is really quite cool here, between 40-50 degrees and a bit cooler when you are out on the water. This area is known for its treacherous weather conditions; the winds pick up out of no where, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Experiencing the weather here first hand certainly sheds light on why this area has such a formidable reputation for Mariners. Around Cape Horn you have the confluences of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans combined with the winds coming up from Antarctica; enabling the weather to change on a dime. The seas can get very rough, very fast.
It is a really amazing area; Mike was saying that he is thrilled to be on the Straits of Magellan. This is his first time sailing through here and the journey is proving to be an exciting on for us all.
Posted by victoria at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)
The apple has landed!
Just trying a test live blog with photos form the heli ride...
Posted by Christine Barker at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)
January 25, 2005
Live Dive Update - Jan. 25, 2005
What a trip. If you've been reading along you are no doubt aware of the "exciting" start we had to this dive. All of our luggage was delayed in Canada due to a wildcat walkout by Air Canada employees. We're happy to report that thanks to the hard work of line producer Susan MacDonald and others, the luggage did arrive very late on Friday night, so work has been proceeding. Not so lucky was Christine Barker, whose own luggage, including some camera gear, was also lost coming from New York in a totally unrelated incident. When it rains...
Mike and Warren Fletcher, (along with Shipwreck Central cameraman and "man about town" Chris Kingston), boarded the "Chonos" and travelled up the west coast of Chile to the location of their first dive target. They have been diving targets along the way and will return to the most promising targets when they come back south to dive the Doterel later this week. The underwater video they are shooting will eventually show up here, but not until Christine has been able to rendezvous with Chris and get some of those tapes. Then of course they have to digitize and upload it to here, so you can expect some dive video later in the week or early next. We'll keep it coming.
Speaking of rendezvous. Today Christine and Jim are making another attempt at meeting the Chonos via helicopter. Unfortunately there is limited space on the boat, so Christine will be returning to Punta Arenas, meeting up with them again when they arrive to dive the Doterel. She has some interesting plans for how to spend those few days, more on that later.
How would you spend a couple of days in Punta Arenas? Feel free to use the comments below to let us know.
Posted by administrator at 04:55 PM | Comments (2)
So Who the Heck is Christine Barker?
As we await new video this afternoon from our intrepid videoblographer Christine Barker, it might be a good time to share with you the video that Christine first sent us as part of her job application.
(It originally had some pretty cool music with it as well, but due to rights restrictions we had to ask Christine to remove it so we could post it here. Just think "Bossa Nova")
You'll be seeing a lot more of Christine from now on, but until then you'll have to make due with this. We think you are going to like her as much as we do.
Posted by administrator at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2005
Now We're Rolling
Okay, now we´re rollin! The hotel´s internet service couldn´t handle the photos, and the last place I went to only had floppy drives in their PC's (que?). I´m writing from an internet cafe (sans the cafe) across the street from the Museo de Magallenes where Jim is researching the wreck of the Doterel. I´m heading over there after I share some of yesterdays´adventures with you to interview him about his discoveries there.
Jim and I headed to the airport yesterdy to board a helicopter which was to take us to meet Mike and Warren aboard the Chonos. The plan was to land on the shore of the Straights of Magellan, where Mike would retrieve us by Zodiac. We got a taste of why the region has such a formidable reputation....forty minutes into our helicopter ride Mike called the pilot´s cell phone from a satellite phone aboard the Chonos and directed the pilot to turn back.
Though the weather appeared alright where we were, further down the straights the wind, waves and rain were gale force. It´s exactly this reason that the Straights of Magellan and the Cape Horn passage are infamous among mariners and home to countless wrecks. Even here in Punta Arenas, we´ve seen the wind pick up considerable force in a matter of minutes in the few days we´ve been here.
Mike called this morning at 5:30 am. We were up and ready to go, but he determined that tomorrow the weather should be more suitable for the helicopter trip to meet the Chonos. He and Warren have been diving wrecks along the Straights en route to the wreck of the Doterel.
Yesterday was actually my first ride in a helicopter, and it was great. I saw no less that five rainbows appear over the straights, it was an exciting ride.
Off to the Museum to meet up with Jim Delgado!
Posted by administrator at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)
January 22, 2005
Helicopter Ride Tomorrow
What a great day! I picked up Jim Delgado from the airport and he and I will be joining Mike and Warren on the Chonos tomorrow via a helicopter drop off on the banks of the Straights of Magellan. They´ve been navigating the Straights, diving various shipwrecks as they make their way to the Doterel.
Jim brought me to a beautiful tea clipper beached on on the straights about an hour north of Punta Arenas. The Ambassador was a tea clipper built in the spirit of the Cutty Sark. The wreck sits like a majestic monument to the past, I was amazed at how much Jim could tell just by looking at it. The footage from that will be up soon, keep a eye out for it! I didn´t want him to leave the area without seeing it´s most charming inhabitants, the Maggellenic penguins, so the Oslo Notway adventure will be up as soon as I can find an ethernet connection in the Southern most city of continental America!
Did I mention that Americana music outdated by twenty years is all you hear here in Punta Arenas? Quite a blast from the past...I feel like I´m six years old again :). Susan and I passed a karaoke bar today, maybe we can get our musical sound man John to sing us a song when he gets back form the Doterel dive!
Logging off, your faithful Videoblographer,
Christine
Posted by Christine Barker at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)
January 20, 2005
Welcome to Punta Arenas
After a relatively uneventful passage to Santiago, all hell broke loose. At approximately the same time yesterday evening, I boarded a flight to Punta Arenas, concerned that the rest of the crew was conspicuously missing from the flight. At the same time, somewhere else in the twilight zone vortex that is the Santiago airport, the rest of the crew was boarding a plane to Punta Arenas and wondering what had happened to me.
Why there were two planes to the same destination at the same gate numbers but on different floors remains mysterious, as does the ongoing mystery of the whereabouts of my luggage.
I grabbed a cab from the aero Puerto to meet the crew at our hotel after we just missed each other at the airport (I know this because two members late reported seeing a woman dressed just like me and wearing the same clothes. At the time, they commented that the woman looked like me...it was me). I entered the cab to a blaring Spanish rendition of the Captain and Tennille’s "Love will Keep us Together". Toni screaming¨"I will, I will I wiiiiill...." was replaced by "Yo soy, yo soy, yo sooooooy......" Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation from traveling 26 hours straight but I found it very amusing.
I arrived at the hotel moments later just thrilled to finally meet Mike, Warren, and the rest of the crew. My flight blunder was topped by the fact that the airlines had misplaced all sixteen cases of the film equipment that should have left Halifax. Susan had already leaped into action and was making calls to trace the equipment. Without it, our shoot is shut down. I met the Sea Hunters crew in the midst of madness, after all having traveled far, and it was clear to me that I am joining a great and capable crew of people. Amidst it all they were cheerful and composed. Nothing like a crisis to see the salt of a Sea Hunter.
Posted by Christine Barker at 09:35 PM | Comments (0)
Luggage Woes Explained - Wildcat Strike
A wildcat strike by Air Canada employees in Toronto is apparently the reason we have no luggage. How long before Air Canada has no passengers?
Posted by administrator at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)
More Luggage Woes
We heard from Christine last night at 10:55 pm AST, 11:55 in Punta Arenas, and the luggage woes continue. Not only are the Sea Hunters looking for 16 bags of camera equipment and dive gear that apparently never left Halifax, Christine is also looking for her own bags that never made it to Punta Arenas. This morning they were scheduled to unpack the gear and get down to "Chonos", the boat they've chartered. Something tells me that the morning is going to be spent doing triage and tracking down luggage. We'd love to be able to share some of John Davis's thoughts here, but unfortunately most of them are unprintable. You've gotta love it. Hopefully Christine can get her hands on the powerbook and camera that we sent down for her, and be able to report here herself soon. Do you have any lost luggage stories of your own? Feel free to use the comments area below to share them.
Posted by administrator at 12:55 AM | Comments (0)
January 19, 2005
The Bag Hunters
Well we told you it was going to be exciting, but we were hoping it wouldn't be this exciting.
We have learned by phone that the Sea Hunters have arrived at the Santiago airport, but 16 bags of luggage and equipment have not. We won't name the offending airline, but it rhymes Air Canada.
As you can imagine this throws a major wrench into our plans, but this isn't the first time this has happened to the Sea Hunters, and with the amount of travel we do it probably won't be the last. If you want a lesson in how a documentary production team triumphs in the face of adversity you've come to the right place.
The team is now on a 5-hour milk-run flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, the base for this expedition, and will be checking in to their hotel well after midnight. At least they don't have to worry about excess baggage costs, or finding the time to unpack.
We can't wait to get Christine's report., at least her camera and laptop were taken as carry on.
Posted by administrator at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)
Announcing the ShipwreckCentral.com RSS Feed
Were you aware that there is an RSS feed available for the Shipwreck Central Live Dive reports? The updates will be coming fast and furious from Chile, and an RSS newsreader can help you stay on top of them.
RSS files provide news updates from a website in a simple form for your computer. You read these files in a program called an aggregator, which collects news from various websites and provides it to you in a simple form. But what aggregator to use? Here are some choices:
Top Picks
Mac OS X: NetNewsWire
This elegant Mac-like aggregator is easy to use and powerful.
Windows: SharpReader
Simple, but gets the job done.
Linux: Straw
The best aggregator for GNOME.
Web: Bloglines
Check all your feeds from any web browser.
Posted by administrator at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
Hello from Santiago
(Christine Barker left from New York last night and will be joining up with the Sea Hunters at the Santiago Airport today. When they do get together Christine will be handed the LiveDive Powerbook and the rest of the Videoblographer gear, which will allow her to post here directly. Until then, here is an email we just received from Christine.)
Hello!
I'm in Santiago airport waiting for the Sea Hunters!
Packing, as you know, is an underestimated skill. It is decidedly an art that I have yet to master. I realized in the "limo" to the airport that I had neglected to pack a hairbrush or a strap for my sunglasses. I use the term limo loosely...it was a classic NYC version, rattling, circa 1970, cigarette holes in the velour burgundy upholstery...you get the picture.
The thing with etickets as that they really give you very little information. As my eticket said I was to be on an American Airlines flight, I foolishly went to the AA international departures terminal. Having been victimized at JFK before, I asked the limo driver to wait while I went to check if we were indeed at the right terminal. Note to self....check terminal first, pay limo driver after. Yup, wrong terminal, no driver.
It's wonderful that in the renovated terminals of JFK you can buy booze, makeup, perfume, Swarvoski crystals, an entire iZod wardrobe and a large bronze cast replica of Jane Poupelet´s sculpture "woman bathing", but God help you if you want to buy a hairbrush. Or sunglass straps. I've lost more sunglasses leaning over the sides of boats...I dread that blopblupe sound they make as they disappear into the sea.
So I've been on two planes so far, and each time when we landed, albeit shakily, people clapped. Did they expect it not to land? The planes did seem a little ancient, there were ashtrays in the bathrooms. Really. And the Chilean immigration card asks you very few things, but they want to know your marital status (que?) and what you do for a living. Oddly, I did not tempt fate by writing "Videoblographer".
I´ll go write my bio now and send that off later.
Ciao!!
Christine
Posted by administrator at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)
Introducing Christine Barker, your new Videoblographer
As you are may no doubt be aware, we have been hard at work behind the scenes here at SWC getting ready for the new season of "The Sea Hunters", and a massive expansion of Shipwreck Central which is beginning this week.
We had over 200 applications for our call for a "Videoblographer", the person who will be travelling with the team, reporting back to you, "Live from the Dive". We were absolutely blown away, both by the number of applicants, (well, it's a cool job so you'd expect a fair bit of interest), but also by the quality of the applicants. It made our job extremely difficult in choosing just one person, because there were a number of people who would have been just great.
At a fairly late stage in the process we received this email, and it piqued our interest to say the least. In our follow up discussions we quickly realized that we had found our person.
So without further ado and in her own words, we'd like to introduce to you the newest member of our team, in the same way that we first heard of her, Videoblographer, Christine Barker.
You'll be hearing, and seeing, a whole lot more from Christine soon.
A friend that I haven't seen for two years forwarded me your listing with the subject heading "Ohmigawd This is perfect for you!". She's right, I'm an aquatic scientist, a film-maker, an actor, a writer, a scuba diver, and I can parallel park a 40' boat. Read on, pls.
I left a 12 yr. successful career as ecotoxicologist (specializing in aquatic environments) to pursue film-making. So I know aquatic life, I know science, and I looove talking about it.
A film I wrote, produced and directed a 16 mm film that plays on the Independent Film Channel...IE, I can do this - techy stuff, creative stuff, all of it.
I finished a feature script this year and got it into the hands of Michael Douglas (to consider producing it). He took the time to read it, and took the time to write me back. The letter started with "this is the hardest kind of pass letter to write because you really show talent"....see? I can write. Even Michael Douglas thinks so, and he's a very busy guy. And I'm resourceful - got the script to him, didn't I?
I'm a certified diver, and pretty close to getting my captain's license. In fact, although I live in NYC, I just sold my boat literally yesterday ( a 30' classic wood Chris Craft).
I love to travel. Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, seen lots of it. I won't bail on you.
I never, ever hard sell myself.....but I want this. I'm your woman! I'm even funny, I swear on it.
Interested?? I can send you a photo if so. I think look good on camera....I was in a hosiery commercial, if that's an endorsement!
Really looking froward to hearing from you,
Christine Barker
Posted by administrator at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)
6,435 km of Coastline: Welcome to Chile
The Sea Hunters departed last night for Punta Arenas, Chile. Our new edition, videoblographer Christine Barker, has traveled to Chile with the team to bring Shipwreck Central "Live from the Dive". She will be sending us video uplinks starting today or tomorrow, so check back, you don't want to miss her reports. The moment we hear from the Sea Hunters, so will you. Stay Tuned!
Posted by victoria at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)
January 17, 2005
Blizzard
I have not made it into Shipwreck Central Headquarters yet. So I am posting some pictures for you, post blizzard, from my house. It is still very messy out but I am sure the team's flight will go out tomorrow as planned.
Posted by victoria at 11:11 AM | Comments (0)
Blizzard Today, Strait of Magellan Tomorrow
As the Sea Hunters prepare to leave tomorrow for Punta Arenas, Chile and the Strait of Magellan, their preparations have been hampered by a blizzard. Stay tuned for more updates.
Posted by victoria at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2005
Two Shipwrecks for the Price of One: Runners and Raiders
Scattered on the ocean's bottom, thousands of kilometres apart, lie the remains of three vessels linked by their service to a tragic cause. Each is a testament to the desperate naval war waged during the American Civil War, and the innovations of a doomed Confederate navy. Join the Sea Hunters as they explore two vessels which smuggled goods to the rebel armies and the wreck of the most famous open sea raider of the war, the CSS Alabama.
During America's great Civil War, President Lincoln ordered the blockade of all southern ports in an effort to starve the Confederacy into submission. Necessity being the mother of invention, the Confederacy countered by developing a diversified naval strategy. Drawing on the steam technology of the day, two new types of ships were built. One was the blockade-runner, a fast vessel designed to slip past and outrun the ships of the Union navy. The other was the raider, a well-armed warship whose purpose was to strike at the Union commerce on the open sea. These new naval tactics would mark a place in the evolution of naval warfare.
When Confederate shore batteries opened fire on the besieged garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour, South Carolina on April 8th, 1861, the American Civil War began. The Confederacy faced a very real prospect of slow strangulation as the federal navy grew increasingly effective at intercepting vessels carrying supplies in and out of the south. This quandary would lead to the development of a new phase in the evolution of naval design. With the unofficial help of England, the south would create two new and very different classes of ship - the blockade-runners, for swiftly darting in and out of the harbours under the noses of the Union navy, and the open sea raiders, for the destruction of the enemy merchant fleet.
Two blockade-runners rest in the warm, clear waters off Bermuda. Largely intact, these two wrecks offer unique insights into these highly specialized ships, and into the very nature of Bermuda's involvement in the American Civil War.
Now join us as we visit the last resting places of two blockade-runners and one of the most famous Confederate raiders in history, the CSS Alabama.
Airing Sunday, January 16 at 6:00 PM EST (CC) on History Television Canada.
Watch clips from this episode by finding the CSS Alabama on the map.
Posted by victoria at 11:07 AM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2005
Human Torpedoes: The Wreck of USS Mississinewa
On the Ulithi Atoll, South of Guam lays the wreckage of the USS Mississinewa, a fuel carrying cargo vessel. She was sunk on November 20, 1944 and carries the distinction of being the only vessel confirmed to have been sunk by a Japanese torpedo manned by a Kamikaze pilot who steered the torpedo, a “Kaiten” or “heaven Shaker” to its target and to his own death. Next to the wreckage of the Mississinewa lays a cylindrical object, which could only be the only “suicide torpedo” ever located in the field of battle. Sea Hunter James Delgado, one of the few scholars to study these unique craft, journeys to the Ulithi Atoll to determine just what lies on the bottom and what really happened to the “Mississinewa”.
Airing January 13 at 10:00:00 PM EST on National Geographic Channel Canada
Watch clips from this episode by finding the USS Mississinewa on the map.
Also read about the Sea Hunters experience in the Ulithi Atoll in the Live From The Dive blog.
See photographs from the Ulithi Atoll in the magazine.
Posted by victoria at 03:10 PM | Comments (0)
January 06, 2005
Leopoldville/Clayoquot: Death of Christmas Eve
Watch this episode, airing Friday, January 7th, on History Television. Check your local listings for times.
December 24, 1944, two U-boats in the Atlantic are still at work late on Christmas Eve. Off the coast of France one sinks the American troop ship Leopoldville sending over 800 GI's to their grave. The other, in an effort to close the convoy ports of North America, sinks the Clayoquot four miles off the shores of North America. Join The Sea Hunters as they dive the depths and tell the story of what happened and what didn't happen on Christmas Eve, 1944.
On December 16th, the last of Hitler's reserves, smashed through the American lines along the forests of the Ardennes and hurtled toward Antwerp and the sea. Throughout allied Europe, men who had been preparing for a quiet Christmas, perhaps the last of the war, were suddenly called into action.
The troop transport Leopoldville was one of the first to mobilize. She left England with over two thousand two hundred American soldiers on route to Cherbourg, France, and the embattled allied forces. But just a few kilometers from her destination, she was torpedoed and eight hundred and two men perished.
When Leopoldville was torpedoed there was mass confusion on board. What followed on board were feats of heroic bravery, and outrageous incompetence, which ultimately resulted in the loss of over seven hundred and sixty three soldiers and crew. Most of those killed were between the ages of eighteen and thirty-one. The survivors were given strict orders not to discuss what had happened that Christmas Eve. At first, families of the dead were told only that their loved one was 'missing in action', and later that they had died in combat, but no details were provided. The details were kept secret by the British and American war departments for over fifty years.
Across the Atlantic at Halifax, the Canadian minesweeper Clayoquot departed with a convoy of troops and supplies for the reeling allied forces. Tragically, on December 24th, she too was struck down by a German U-boat. Ironically, her sinking ultimately saved hundreds of lives. And those who survived that Christmas of 1944 no doubt pay tribute every Christmas Eve to the crew of the minesweeper that saved a convoy.
Clive's finding of the Leopoldville and the team's finding of Clayoquot, helps to write a final chapter in the events that transpired so many years ago.
To learn more about the Leopoldville and the Clayoquot, and to watch a clip from this episode, find them on the map.
Posted by victoria at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2005
National Geographic Interviews James P. Delgado
Right now on the National Geographic Channel's Canadian web site you can read an exclusive interview with The Sea Hunter's underwater archeologist, James P. Delgado. Read Article Now!
Posted by victoria at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)
