S8 Ep1187: Mark Piesing, author of N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia, recounts a secret meeting in Norway in July 1925 that brought together legendary explorer Roald Amundsen and Italian engineer Umberto Nobile to plan the first airship flight over th

Mark Piesing, author of N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia, recounts a secret meeting in Norway in July 1925 that brought together legendary explorer Roald Amundsen and Italian engineer Umberto Nobile to plan the first airship flight over the North Pole. Amundsen, seeking a final financial triumph and the completion of his polar legacy, joined forces with Nobile, a brilliant designer facing political pressure from Mussolini's fascist regime. Their initial 1926 expedition in the airship Norge was a success, but it sparked a bitter rivalry as Nobile was celebrated as a "new Columbus" while Amundsen felt sidelined. By 1928, Nobile returned to the Arctic in a new airship, the Italia, a mission fueled by nationalistic pride and individual obsession. After reaching the North Pole, the craft encountered fierce winds and heavy ice, eventually smashing into the frozen wilderness. The crash split the crew; six men drifted away with the airship's envelope and vanished forever, while ten survivors, including Nobile, were stranded on the ice. A massive international rescue effort ensued, leading to the tragic disappearance of Amundsen, who vanished while flying to save his rival. The Soviet icebreaker Krassin eventually rescued the remaining survivors. However, Nobile's reputation was permanently tarnished when he allowed himself to be rescued first, leaving his crew behind. Upon returning to Italy, he faced the wrath of Mussolini, as the fascist state used him as a scapegoat to deflect from the expedition's failure. (1)
1906 AMUNDSEN