recently at his camp on the waterfront them.Lieutenant Schmidt in St. Petersburg, after an overhaul returned the legendary icebreaker "Krasin".This event led to recall one of the glorious pages in the history of the Russian fleet.After more than 80 years ago, the expedition was saved by Umberto Nobile, whose surviving members of polar captivity brought it "Krasin", which at that time commanded by Captain Carl Aggie and renowned polar explorer R. Samoilovich.
Umberto Nobile: career start
future famous engineer dirizhablestroitel born in the town of Lauro in Italy.After graduating from the University of Neapolitan specialty "electrical and engineering", he began working in the field of railway transport, and in 1911 he enrolled in the School of Aeronautics.After 7 years, Nobile and his colleagues Benedetto Croce and Giuseppe Valle founded his own company for the production of airships.The first draft of the new venture has been very successful, and aeronautic unit T-34 was acquired by the Italian army.
first polar expedition
In 1923, began construction of a new aircraft N-1, after which the test was called "Norway" and was transferred to the polar expeditions of Amundsen and Ellsworth.And command the ship volunteered Umberto Nobile, who had long dreamed of conquering the North Pole.
Start of the expedition was given in Rome, and was further route with stops in the cities of Pulham, Oslo, Leningrad, Vadsø and Svalbard.On the morning of May 11, 1926 the airship flew in the direction of the North Pole and reached it at night on May 12.Sagged over it 2.5 hours, the ship sailed in the direction of Alaska, where he was picked up by an Italian ship.The news of the conquest of the poles caused jubilation in Italy, Mussolini made a general Umberto Nobile.This fascist propaganda in every way to downplay the role of Amundsen.
Umberto Nobile: second polar expedition
In 1928 was built the airship "Italia", which from Milan to Svalbard flew a crew of 18 people, mostly Italians.In addition, the bay Kongsfjord sent the ship "Città di Milano", which was supposed to act as a floating base for explorers of the pole.This new, large-scale expedition of Umberto Nobile was conceived as a kind of revenge.The fact that he wanted to prove that the decisive role in the success of the last journey belonged to him - the designer and master of the vessel and not Amundsen, who was the head of the group.Details of the trip were later detailed in the book by Umberto Nobile "Wings over the pole", which became a bestseller.However, some experts argue that not all of the facts given there are true.In any case, in spite of the bad weather, a blimp with 16 crew members reached their destination in the night from 23 to 24 May 1928 and dropped the cross and the flag of Italy.
catastrophe in the Arctic
For many decades, the identity of Umberto Nobile and the death of "Italy" are of interest, as is still unclear the fate of some of the crew.In addition, not subsiding controversy over the behavior of the chief of the expedition during the evacuation.
So what events occurred in the Arctic during the period from late May to mid-July 1928?To answer this question, you should familiarize yourself with the facts presented by the participants of this trip.
So, having won the pole, the airship "Italia" started back in the heavy wind, which was blowing towards them.A few hours later the aircraft icy and fell on the ice.This broke a motor gondola, died Minder, 9 crew members, including a commander, were thrown on the ice, and six people left in the airship, the wind carried away in an unknown direction.
Polar Odyssey team, "the Italian"
be among the icy wilderness, 10 members of the crew began to fight for survival in the extreme conditions of the Arctic.Fortunately, they were able to save some food and equipment, and most importantly - they turned out to be a radio transmitter and a tent.Soon, however, there was disagreement between the survivors.As a result, their Swedish meteorologist Finn Malmgren, as well as the Italians A. Mariano and F. Zappa left the camp.
Fate group Malmgren
hit the road May 30, three members of the team were hoping to reach the station on the shore of the bay Kongsfjord on Spitsbergen.There they were going to report about the crash "Italy" and go along with the rescuers of their comrades.However, after two weeks the way Malmgren, who after the fall of the airship was broken hand, was so exhausted that he had asked the comrades continue their journey without him.They did so, and almost a month later, on July 12 found them Chukhnovsky Soviet pilot, who was among those sent to rescue expedition Nobile.
life in an emergency camp survivors with "Italy"
As has been said, by happy coincidence, during the fall of the airship dropped several bags, so distress proved to 4-person tent, a sleeping bag, a lot of food,including the 71 kg and 41 kg pemmican chocolate and a sextant, a pistol with ammunition, 3 timer and shortwave radio backup.In addition, a few days before his departure Malmgren was able to shoot the bear, and the people in the camp turned out to be some stocks of bear.
At the same time, first radio operator Biaggi failed to establish contact with the "Città di Milano", and later transferred them to the signals were not identified, and they are simply ignored.However, this ship still came out to rescue Umberto Nobile expedition, but as the exact coordinates of the location of the camp "Red Tent", as it was called then, were not known, the search was in vain.
Distress
June 3 Nicholas Schmidt, a radio amateur from Northern Dvina Governorate, caught a signal to a receiver station Biaggi and reported this by telegram to Moscow.Immediately Committee was set up help to the crew, "Italy", which was headed by Joseph Unshlikht, and on June 4 the information that Umberto Nobile and some of his team alive, gave the Italian Government.Thus, June 8 had been established radio contact between the "Città di Milano" and a radio operator, "Italy", which gave the exact coordinates of the camp.
Unsuccessful attempts
Today, the question of what an icebreaker expedition saved Umberto Nobile, the majority of people interested in the history of the Russian fleet, replied that it was the icebreaker "Krasin".But in fact, to help the crew of "Italy" was also sent to the Soviet icebreaker "Malygin", and from the first days after the disaster distress involved searches of the Norwegian whaling ship "Braganza" and "Hobby", chartered by the Government of Italy.
addition, Roald Amundsen, who for several years have been more than a strained relationship with Nobile, forgetting all offenses, from the first days after the disaster became engaged in raising funds for the organization of the rescue expedition.Finally, June 18, he flew on a plane "Latham-47" with a French military crew on board on Svalbard, but have not arrived at their destination.What happened - is not known to this day as the group went in search of Amundsen's Norwegian military found only an empty tank, and a float.
Mission Einar Lundborg
Important than glorified in the period between the two world wars, the icebreaker "Krasin" (1928 Expedition) - Nobile rescue expedition.However, the most general at the time was not on board.The fact is that on June 23 the Swedish military pilot Einar Lundborg brought him together with the dog Tina the Swedish airbase.This act of the commander, who had abandoned his subordinates, then often reproached Nobile, but, according to the members of the expedition have Lundborg had orders to take out only the general.
Rescue crew "Italy"
Whatever it was, June 23 "Krasin" went to the camp of Bergen in distress.On board the plane was the icebreaker, driven by Boris Chukhnovsky.It was he who discovered Mariano and Zapp, as reported by radio command "Krasin".However, during an emergency landing on the ice damaged aircraft landing gear and I was unable to take further part in the expedition to rescue the "Italian".
July 12 icebreaker took Mariano and Zapp, and in the evening the same day, and five other members of the second polar expedition of Umberto Nobile.Then they were transferred to the "Città di Milano" and access to the port of Narvik, returned to Italy by train.
Umberto Nobile and the death of "Italy": history and legend
Thus, from the second polar expedition in the airship returned to live only 8 people.In addition, deaths and several people who were involved in search and rescue of its members, including the crew of the Italian and French troops under the leadership of Amundsen.It is not surprising that over time the Odyssey crew "Italy" has acquired many legends, but no one has ever tried to question what an icebreaker expedition saved Umberto Nobile.
In particular, it was suggested that the CAF could feed on the remains of Malmgren, as at the moment of salvation he was wearing clothes Swede, and he looked more cheerful and full of energy than his comrade in misfortune - Mariano.Another legend was the fact that about 20 minutes after falling airship crew members escaped "Italy" in the east saw a column of smoke.According to one version this way, six remained on the aircraft could ask for help.In her confirmation gives the following reasons: the smoke could be a fire on the airship, as there was quite a lot of gasoline and hydrogen, and the flames blaze was much stronger.
"The Red Tent"
Now you know what expedition icebreaker saved Umberto Nobile and some details about the events that preceded it.Subsequently, most of them formed the basis for the script of the movie "The Red Tent".This film, shot in 1969, is unique in its stellar international cast composition.Suffice it to say that the director Mikhail Kalatozov invited Peter Finch, Sean Connery, Claudia Cardinale, Edward Martsevich, Nikita Mikhalkov, Vizbora Yuri and Boris Khmelnitsky.Believe me, the movie is worth to watch it.
Today "Krasin" returned to his duties the ship-museum, and those who are interested in how and what an icebreaker expedition saved Umberto Nobile, can visit it and learn a lot of interesting facts about the past of the honored veteran of the Russian Navy.
