The British cargo ship Lulworth Hill was sunk by an Italian U-Boat on 19 March 1943. Two of 47 men on board made it to a cramped life raft. Only 2 of them survived the ordeal.
Captain James Cook
Captain James Cook was one of the most successful explorers and navigators of the 18th century. His scientific discoveries and charting of Pacific islands, New Zealand, and Australia proved invaluable. But his legacy is tarnished with the baggage of colonialism, racism, and conflicts that are still felt today. His three Pacific voyages were legendary, and he would pay for them with his life.
The London Cellar Murderer
Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen was arrested in 1910 for murdering his wife, under strange circumstances.
Batavia’s Graveyard – Part 3
The survivors of the Batavia are systematically murdered by Jeronimus Cornelisz and his mutineers. Francisco Pelsaert returns with a rescue ship and the mutineers are defeated by Wiebbe Hayes and his men.
Batavia’s Graveyard – Part 2
The Batavia leaves Table Bay in southern Africa and continues its voyage across the Indian Ocean for the Dutch East Indies. Mutiny is brewing, resulting in a cruel attack on Lady Lucretia. The Batavia wrecks at Houtman’s Abrolhos, and the survivors struggle to find dry land.
Batavia’s Graveyard – Part 1
The Batavia was a 17th century Dutch East India Company sailing vessel. It wrecked in 1629 off the coast of Australia, setting the scene for horrible cruelty by Jeronimus Cornelisz.
The USS Cyclops on Archive Unknown
I had the pleasure of being a guest on this episode of Archive Unknown, hosted by Lara Zielin. We discuss the curious disappearance of the USS Cyclops in 1918.
Black Sam Bellamy & The Whydah Gally
Samuel Bellamy, or “Black Sam” Bellamy, was an extraordinarily successful pirate, albeit for a very short time. Called the “Robin Hood of the Seas,” he abhorred violence, treated his victims humanely, and was very generous to his men. When he and his fleet captured the slave ship Whydah Gally, he scored a huge payday, but it all wound up lost for almost 300 years when the Whydah was wrecked in a storm off Cape Cod in 1717. This is the story of the Gentleman Pirate, a ship laden with riches, and the discovery of its treasure.
The Carlskrona: Pearl of the Swedish Navy
The Swedish naval ship Carlskrona met her demise on the 9th of August, 1845 in the Florida Strait.
The Wrecks of the U-53
The German U-Boat U-53 and Captain Hans Rose wreaked havoc on Allied shipping in October of 1916, after having a friendly visit to Newport Harbor, Rhode Island.