My grandfather emigrated from Italy to North America (he came in through NYC and then moved up to Canada to join his father, who'd immigrated years prior) on the Rex around 1936. I went to Ellis Island a few years ago to find the immigration record from when he crossed and they gave me a little picture of the Rex along with copies of my Grandfather's documents. I knew she'd met an unfortunate end, but to see one of my favourite creators on TH-cam do a video about a ship that is so connected to my family history was awesome. Thanks, Mike! Cheers from Canada!
This video put me in mind of another ship in a similar vein you may already know of: The Canadian Pacific's RMS Empress of Britain. Might make a great future video for those that don't know of the story. Bombing, burning, attempted salvage, torpedoing, rumours of gold bullion, skeletons found in the bullion room decades later...and its not like she was a boring vessel before THAT lot happened.
That's the understatement of the century. The Empress got burned to SHIT. It made Normandie Incident look like a campfire. There have not been too many expeditions to the wreck but surveys show that it's upside down and the hull is literally a hollow shell because the bombing burned her so bad that the rest of her entire superstructure was reduced to ash. There was literally nothing left of her when she finally sank. Shame since she was such a beautiful girl...
Fun fact: during prohibitionism, while the ship was in port, people paid a ticket to visit the Rex and have a drink on board! 🇮🇹 it was our jewel, our pride, thanks Mike! I've been waiting for this video for a long time! ❤🇮🇹
I sincerely doubt that.... no ship, of any registry, could serve alcohol to anyone while inside the 12-mile-limit. All stores were locked and bonded during the calls at New York (or any U.S. port including Honolulu). So fun... but not quite fact.
@@kohl57 hi kohl, in a couple of old documentaries this information is reported also told by a witness... in any case it is interesting that an American could have gotten drunk only if he had traveled on a liner (I don't know if on Cunard or other lines they could) Good night 🎆
You could drink yourself silly on the liner (non American that is) once you were outside the 12-mile limit and people did... but in New York Harbor, not a chance.
I am secretly also an airplane nerd :) Got to visit Duxford 2 weeks ago! I thought the ‘17 would be bigger, my head was brushing the wing’s underside as parked on the ground!
@OceanlinerDesigns The size perspective a lot due to the '17s low mounted wings whereas the similar size '24 had high mounted wings (which would also be their Achilles Heal).
Mike, your spoiling us this week! Can’t wait to finish this one, and I hope it is as good as the Britannic documentary from two days ago. Edit: The Rex model is absolutely gorgeous, as all of the models Ocean Liner Design uses are. You need to make a video showcasing all of the models, and having those that made it discuss the troubles with making them, and how long each ship took.
There was some thought to raising both are and Conte de Savoyard post war and restoring the hulls. The were deemed too damaged and relics of the Italian Facists, and thus, broken up. This opened the doors for for two new ships, Andrea Doria and Christophoro. Columbo
I’ve been binge watching your videos for some time Mike, and they never fail to entertain. You are very well spoken, and educational. You are definitely my favorite ship themed channel. Keep up the great work!
Found this interesting follow up on the wiki. Operation Rex Redux On 24 August 2007, three B-52 Stratofortresses of the 2nd Bomb Wing, successor to the 2nd BG, conducted "Operation Rex Redux", a training mission commemorating the interception of the Rex. Flying from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and using the radio call signs Rex 51, Rex 52, and Rex 53, the B-52s intercepted the Military Sealift Command ship MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo east of Bermuda to test the capabilities of a new targeting system.
Another terrific video Mike _ I get the sense we are moving closer to your definitive video on the definitive ocean liner - Normandie. Rex is a bit of an odd ship - she has a modern bow, streamlined smokestacks and reasonably sleek superstructure, but an old-fashioned counter stern - definitely a transitional design. Also, I know she isn't quite as well known, but any chance of a video about Conte di Savoia, the first ship with a stabilisation system based on three gigantic gyroscopes. I have heard it could only be used on westbound crossings!
The use of the 3 gyroscopes was a dangerous and wrong choice. Any gyroscope weighted 100 Tons, them used too much electrici energy, the internal structure of the ship itself was subjected to enormous forces that unscrewed it. Advertising was suspended and the system was no longer used after the first 2 years, without stating the real reason.
Wow...talk about a coincidence...I was just commenting on Drachinifel's video about the Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini that just posted...I was talking about the fact that LeMay was in command of the USAAF portion of the test since he was Deputy Chief of Air Staff for Research & Development at the time. Curtis LeMay was the navigator for the B-17 flight that intercepted the Rex, and was so proficient at pretty much everything he did, it is hard not to admire him...but he also had an obsession that led him to lose his sense of humanity on some very important occasions. The firebombing was not one of those times, since LeMay was ordered to do that and had been sent to the Marianas to replace Hansell because Hansell had not been following his orders to firebomb to Hap Arnold's satisfaction.
Billy Mitchell is a controversial figure, and even pro Air Power officers hated him. The worst part is that Mitchell had such a cult of personality that most people still revere him as a foward thinker, even though all he proved was that obsolete ships at anchor with no crew or defenses and with open hatches and water tight doors would sink if you put enough holes in them. So basically what everyone already knew. He was also considered a narcissist by his contemporaries. There is a multitude of reasons his tests were discarded, even by other pilots. Edit: fun fact. The army air corp didn’t create the aircraft that killed the battleship. The navy did. The first aircraft to pose an actual threat to warships was the dive bomber. The first dive bomber was made by Curtis aircraft for the US Navy. Meanwhile, the B-17, designed to air corp specifications for anti ship warfare, failed spectacularly. It preformed so bad, that it was pressed into strategic bombing, which is what we remember it for. In the end, Mitchell’s enemies in the navy and army were right, and it wasn’t until the end of ww2 that the Air Force had the aircraft and weapons to actually pose a threat to large warships, after navy subs and aircraft had already devastated the enemy.
@@Edax_Royeaux well, the Norden bombsight helped with that, ahem, accuracy. It was also used in Nagasaki, missing the target by two miles. About the only bombs that did reliably hit target were all delivered by dive bomber.
And how many different ways did it take the Brits use trying to sink Tirpitz, at anchor, in the Norwegian fjord? And when they finally did get the right aircraft, the Lancaster, and the right bomb, the Tall Boy, how many of those bombs missed the ship?
@@spvillano Given that Tirpitz on sortie resulted in the destruction of Convoy PQ 17 at a loss of 24 ships, the Tirpitz probably paid for itself, especially considering how many Allied Battleships were pinned down guarding against the thing. Air power could not supplant the carrying capacity of a cargo ship, so those convoys remained critically important all throughout the war.
There's a wonderful sequence in Fellini's Amacord when the residents of his home town of Rimini set out in little boats to see the magnificent Rex pass by. The ship is ablaze of lights, the size of a city...a moment Fellini never forgot.
Thanks Mike. You mentioned Queen of Bermuda briefly near the end and flashed up an early shot of her, that got my attention! I have a copy of verbal notes and sketches for marine engerineering officers and maybe you have one too for your own research, the amount of knowledge needed to work a steamship is astonishing. My copy is enscribed Graham Vose, 1961, engineering officer QTEV Queen of Bermuda. She was one of those ships which started out with three, then two then finally one funnel with her 1961 refit. There's an old photo card which came with the books - 'The Furness Luxury Liner Queen of Bermuda'. She had an interesting life from 1933-1961 with her refits and wartime service as an aux cruiser and troop ship and her maiden voyage was Liverpool to New York. Really enjoying your videos and I share your enthusiasm :-)
The Mitchell tests are severely overplayed. His tests were carried out against obsolete, stationary and unmanned ships that were not shooting back. Despite this Mitchell claimed that this was "accurate war time conditions". Drachinifel does a summery of the problems with Mitchells tests in his Drydock episode 270 part 1 at about the 50 min mark. Also the USN did take aviation very seriously. As discussed in Drach's USN fleet problem videos during inter war navy exercises the USN did a lot of testing and development of carrier tactics. This included, somewhat ironically, numerous tests on how to defend Pearl Harbour against a carrier attack.
Also, Mitchell was pushing for _heavy_ bombers (i.e. the most useless at sinking ships); he thought carriers and dive/torpedo bombers were a fad, and that fighters were useless because "the bombers will always get through." Were it up to him, America would've entered the war with B-29s and biplanes.
If he was right in aircrafts being the trump card in future sea battles, the way to sink ships with them had yet to be found. IE high level bombing with heavy bombers, like the B17, proved to be highly ineffective. From high level, even a stationary ship was a relatively small target, and the probability to hit it with a bomb was marginal. For example, on Apr. 10 1943, 84 B17 bombers, the biggest concentration of heavy bombers used that far in the war, each one carrying 12 500lb "battleship buster" bombs (1008 bombs in total) , hit the port of La Maddalena, in Sardinia, where the cruisers Trieste and Gorizia were at anchor. All that they scored had been three bombs on the Trieste (that sunk) and two on the Gorizia (that remained afloat), a 0.5% score probability. Similar bombings performed on the three battleships at anchor at La Spezia (Vittorio Veneto, Littorio and Roma) only slightly damaged the ships. Also aerial torpedoing proved to be much more effective in ports (see Pearl Harbour, or Taranto) than in navigation, where even large warships could quite easily evade torpedoes when they had not been launched from "suicidal" distance. Not by chance, Germans enforced a strict rule to use aerial torpedoing only against merchants, and only dive bombing against warships.
And yet, Mitchell was 100% right and the Navy saying the tests proved nothing was wrong... a few short years later battleships at sea, under steam, evading and firing back were sunk at will... many examples of this occurred, so Mitchel was right... the tests were ominously correct... poo poo them just like the Navy did... (ask the Prince of Whales crew as just one example) MITCHELL WAS RIGHT
Every time Mike says “blue riband” I have hope for the future of the English language. Also, the narration is better with every video. It’s nice to be an Oceanliner Designs fan when your glorious leader puts out stuff like the recent Britannic video, or everything on the Empress of Ireland. As one of Australia’s top human space exploration geeks, I honestly didn’t believe there was any room left in my head for this!
Another example of a fascinating story I never knew about, as always presented in a fittingly great manner as well. I've been interested in the military aspects of ships and aviation for a while and seeing them brought together through an Oceanliner is as surprising as it is, for lack of a better word, cool. Thank you for all the effort you put into this channel, it's really become one of my favorites!
I was long awaiting this video ...a million times thanks mike to have finally covered our pride ship "Il rex" . The video is stunning as always but i must point some things up ...rex and Conte di Savoia were first thought as archrivals they were built in fact by two separate lines Navigazione generale Italiana for rex who chose a lets say "modernized ss Roma/Augustus and with both more traditional exterior and interior designs. Conte di Savoia was built by Lloid Triestino and choose a more modern exterior and art deco interior (she was more popular than rex being more modern ) also she did not win the ribband by a smudge in fact on the last day she was doing good speed but encountered a storm...Captain Lena choiced to implement the gyros to counter the roll sucking power from the engines and she lost speed later the press asked Captain Lena if he wanted to retry for the ribband...he said quote "under my command absolutely no" he preferred comfort for passengers rather than the record Hope that this informations may be useful .
Mitchell would go on to be honored by the US Air Corps through the adoption of the B-25 "Mitchell" Medium bomber, made famous by the Doolittle raid in 1942 when 16 of them were launched off an aircraft carrier to bomb Tokyo. A far greater vindication of Mitchell would be the B-25's use as a ship-buster in the South Pacific theatre, where a number of them modified to mount cannons and heavy machine guns in fixed nose mounts would wreak a heavy toll on Japanese shipping. As for the B-17, while it never quite made it as an anti-ship weapon (a squadron of them was deployed against the Japanese carrier fleet in the battle of Midway, to little effect) it made its name in the war against the Nazis as the backbone of the US Air Corps' bomber fleet in the daylight raids over Germany. Mussolini, the dictator of Fascist Italy before and during WWII, was impressed by the B-17, and attempted (before the war) to obtain a license for the Italians to build their own. when this fell through, the Italians instead designed the Piaggio P.108, one of the few 4-engine bombers to see service with the Axis forces.
My dad flew 25 combat missions in B-24s, then became an instructor in the B-25 Mitchell. I never heard him call a B-24 a "Liberator". He did call B-25s "Mitchells".
another fun fact: The B-25G (i think) received a 75 mm gun used on M4 Shermans to be used against shipping. that thing destroyed a lot of enemy transport ships
The Rex was featured in a book about ocean liners that I had when I was a kid, and her fate struck me as rather sad, despite the fact that she was on the Axis' side at the time. However, I had no idea about the 1938 B-17 intercept exercise, so this video provides some outstanding context to the story of the Rex. (Not to mention a case of spooky synchronicity, considering how she met her end.) Thank you for the education, Mike!
On Axis side is a far stretch. Not only the Rex had never been used for military purposes, but had been moved from Genoa to Trieste (and was further moving to Pola when it was sunk) expressly to avoid the Germans to use it to block the arbors. Ironically, had it used to block the arbors (so scuttled in shallow water) it could have been likely refloated post-war (like the Conte di Savoia had been).
Many thanks for your presentation on Colonel Billy Mitchell. He was so acccurate in his description of the U.S. military leaders at that time, and his foresight of the future of warfare.
Dad was a wireless operator/air gunner flying in Liberators out of Ballykelly in Northern Ireland. One 'Escort Duty' he was on included a small 'Woolworth's' aircraft carrier - and when Dad signalled it saying their patrol as over and they were returning to base, the aircraft carrier captain thanked them and said 'Sorry you can't come down for a drink'. Well, that was a red rag to a bull - Dad replied 'Thank you very much' and their liberator did a full on landing approach onto the carrier - full flaps, propellors fully fine and the landing gear down.... Or course, they didn't - they just buzzed the flight deck by about 50 foot (or less ! ) then flew away - but it must have put the wind up them as he said the carrier fired every red warning Very Cartridge they had as they thought the Lib was actually going to land !!
I started an article on the REX in either '90 or '91 (for TITANIC International's journal); my motivation at the time was that very little was known about her story at that time; I believe I stopped after about 5 pages. I was also doing one on BRITTANIC(II) at the time which was far more advanced (between 20 and 30 as I recall), for the same reason, but I put THAT one to bed as well, as BRITTANIC info. was starting to come out around that time, and I felt that more experienced writers & historians had already covered what I had in better and more complete ways.
Well done and some interesting history on the air encounter in 1938. I think the pic you identify in the beginning as Conti di Savoia is actually Conti at the wreckers after WWII. Sad end to two beautiful ships.
6:20 - Another reason and arguably even more important reason Billy Mitchel made everyone angry over the tests was that he rendered them completely pointless. The original plan was to hit the ships with small bombs first, inspect the damage, and repeat with increasingly larger bombs. Investigate the sort of damage that could be done by aircraft in order to inform the next generation of ships. Meanwhile, Mitchel just went straight to the biggest bombs with the intent to sink - BEFORE the engineers could have the chance to inspect the damage, rendering the whole operation an expensive waste of everyone's time. And when he was reprimanded, he REALLY hurt his case by taking the story to the press with the narrative about old fossils in the USN being blind to the potential of air power. Even if that were true, you don't just bring that dirty laundry out into the open like that and expect to have a career. And of course seriously hurt the image of air power. It's one of MANY reasons why the Army and Navy - everyone in the US Military actually - hate the Air Force.
Ocean Liners of the 1930's were some of the most beautiful and elegant, while the 1900's liners were the most traditional. The REX was a beauty of a liner, sad that she never got to realize her full potential and enjoy a long service life. Mike, another top-notch watch.
The Mary and Elizabeth have an elegance and charm of their own. I am lucky that we live only 25 minutes away from the RMS Queen Mary and have taken the tour many times over the year. Your right, the French and Italian designers did have their way with style and grace --- thanks to excellent use of the "French Curve."@@jimmcintosh9045
The Rex and the Conte di Savoia had been built at the same time (but in different shipyards, the Rex at Genoa, the Conte di Savoia at Trieste) for two competing companies, the Italia Flotte Riunite (Rex) and Lloyd Triestino (Conte di Savoia). While the Italia flotte Riunite wanted a classic style for the Rex, similar to a bigger version of the previous Roma and Augustus, Lloyd triestino wanted the Conte di Savoia to be very modern, outside and inside, and infact it's interiors, designed by the architect Melchiorre Bega, were very modern in their disposition, and pure art decò in style, with one exception, the "Colonna" saloon, that was furnished in baroque style, fearing an excessive modernism could displease some passenger.
I Live in Slovenia where the ship was sunk. It didn t sink far away from shore and later locals scrapped the ship for steel and iron. Now only a smal part od the ship remains in the seabed
I think this is the most casually dressed I’ve seen Mike in a video. Unfortunately Billy Mitchell was often his own worst enemy. By unilaterally changing the test methodology in the bombing of the Ostfriesland he both completely alienated everyone in the naval high brass and gave them ammunition to use against him. For the sake of a better PR event he ended up setting his own cause back by many years.
Your videos are outstanding. I am especially impressed with your excellent narration. Thank you so much for these wonderfully interesting lessons that are so skillfully made.
Although the origins of the name "Flying Fortress" for the B-17 are debated, a plausible explanation is that the Army Air Corps and/or Boeing sought to project the notion of the bomber serving as an aerial rampart against enemy forces threatening American territory. This was, of course, an age when isolationalism was common in the US. The Rex intercept would certainly have justified the name. Thanks, Mike, another excellent episode.
The Rex and her sister were such beautiful ships, the pair of them. I generally find Rex the more intriguing of the two for her transitional style (the more clipper stern and more edwardian interiors), but the Conte Di Savoia is incredibly gorgeous, too -- probably more aesthetically pleasing than the Rex, if it's even possible. It's a shame Italy lost both ships so quickly after building them when I don't believe they were being used for military purposes (at least at the time of the sinking).
The Rex was in Trieste and it was not used as a military vessel. It was meant as a form of retribution to Italy which had already surrendered a year before. It was not the first or last example of Allied treachery towards Italy which had caused it to join the Axis in the first place.
Not only the Rex had never been used for military purposes, but had been moved from Genoa to Trieste (and was further moving to Pola when it was sunk) expressly to avoid the Germans to use it to block the arbors. Ironically, had it used to block the arbors (so scuttled in shallow water) it could have been likely refloated post-war (like the Conte di Savoia had been). However, its powerplant of 4 sets of geared steam turbines producing 120,000 hp would have been considered highly inefficient by then.
Of all the tragedies Italy suffered, the loss of Rex was one of the saddest... not only was it destroyed, but it died a forgotten husk amid countless other priorities a devastated country had to face. Such an inglorious and unjust end for a great ship.
Well you certainly look different! And this video was actually something special: I was listening while doing my ironing, when I swore I heard a familiar tune. 'Is that from Twister?' I turned up the volume and sure enough it was. You are BASED my friend. XD That was a fun recap of Rex's story. I didn't know that the Air Force had to go through so many hoops just to prove their worth. From what I understand their triumphant intercept on Rex was certainly startling, but it was amusing and even heartwarming to hear passengers started singing the National Anthem and that the captain invited the pilots for lunch. I wonder how they pulled that one off since they were still at sea... All the more a sad end for the ship. Apparently, she was being used as a blockade or something by the Axis. At least now though, I know how to pronounce Savoia correctly lol. Before I go, if you or anyone has ever wanted a proper scale model of the Rex, I recommend Old Plastic Model Kits. They have her and the Normandie in 1/350 scale and as a kit. Quite pricey, but totally worth it in my opinion, because there is simply none other like it.
The U.S. Navy’s interest in airplanes begun in 1898, in 1903 an attempt was made to take off from sea and the first successful attempt occurred in 1909. The first student Naval Aviator arrived for flight training in 1911, which is the same year the ship that would later be converted to the first U.S. aircraft carrier was launched. The USS Jupiter would be redesigned then renamed the USS Langley and commissioned in 1922. The Lexington class would follow in 1927, followed by the first purpose built carrier the USS Ranger in 1934, then the Yorktown class in 1937. In 1936, two years before the SS Rex was intercepted by the Army Air Corps, the most decorated U.S. ship during WWII, the USS Enterprise, was launched and she commissioned the same day the Army Air Corps intercepted the SS Rex on May 12, 1938. The Navy was convinced enough of the capabilities of air power to create a pipeline to train Naval Aviators and commission six aircraft carriers when the interception of the Rex occurred.
Michael, I just want to tell you, "Well Done, Splice the Main Brace!" Your content is always interesting to history (and ship) buffs like me, but the highest accolade is that my wife, who isn't particularly interested in history in general, and shipping not at all, really enjoys the stories you tell!
The lead navigator of the 3 B-17s that intercepted the SS Rex was 1st Lieutenant Curtis E. LeMay. He rose to command the 20th Air Force in the strategic bomb campaign against Japan. In 1947 as commander of Us Air Force Europe, he initiated the Berlin Airlift that eventually saved West Berlin from being taken by Russia. He was then made Commander of the USAF Strategic Air Command and formed it into the deterrent it became against Russia, the Warsaw Pact, and Red China. General LeMay retired in 1965 after serving as the USAF Chief of Staff.
The SS Rex is also in the italian film "Amarcord" by Federico Fellini. There is a scene were the people of Rimini, knowing that the big transatlantic would have passed near the coast, take the sea to assist at his passage in the middle of the Adriatic Sea
In the end the sinking of the Rex by aerial attack was a kind of useless murder,because the ship was empty,and at that stage of the war had not any value. She had been decentralised from Trieste to Capodistria,exactly at Semedella,in shallow water to avoid her sinking.Many of her fittings,,such as furniture,silverware,linen tablecloths,carpets,sheets had been looted one year before by german troops,and sent to their families in Germany. The ship had no fuel on board and simply was not a primary target. Today the place were the Rex was "killed" is in Slovenia,and is still called "Pri Rexu" that means "near the Rex" and is marked with proper signposting. Very few artifacts of the ship survive today and I am lucky to own four water bottles,a teapot,and two alluminum ladles all marked Rex.
I agree, at that stage of the war the ship had no value as a military target. And the same goes for Conte di Savoia, which was a better looking and technically more advanced ship (except for the speed).
@@maxart3392 I totally agree,the Conte di Savoia was by far more advanced,also regarding the architectural style,leaving the palatial style of the Rex to the past and adopting an evolution in Art Deco that is still recognizable in the post war italian liners. Innovative for the external shape,a kind of Victoria on steroids,and also for the controversial but revolutionary stabilizing system based on gyroscopes. Of course this led to many problems but it was a beginning. Probably the Conte di Savoia was even faster then the Rex,but there was no interest in beating the flagship,so when the Rex set the new speed records the Conte di Savoia never tried to do better. After all any attempt of crossing the Atlantic at full speed was also an extremely expensive affair in terms preparation (dry dock and fresh paint of the hull),of fuel consumption,and of maintenance with replacement of worn parts.
Rex was not sunk in Slovenia. She was sunk in Trieste, Italy, which the allies wanted to use as a port to support their campaign but was then in German hands. Allied command feared the Germans could block the harbor by scuttling Rex in the entrance.
@@GintaPPE1000 No,I am sorry,but Rex was sunk at Semedella,near Capodistria,today Koper,in the actual Slovenia.Until 1943 Capodistria was in Italy,but after the italian surrender,in September 1943,those territories became German,with the name of Adriatisches Kustenland.At the end of the war Capodistria became part of the S.F.R.J.,Socialistika Federativna Republjka Jugoslavia,and,with the dissolution of Jugoslavia,in 1991,that little portion of coast, between Italy and Croatia,became Slovenia. The Rex was brought from Trieste to Semedella by tugs on September 5 1944,just three days before the fatal attack.If you go to Semedella,now Semedela,near Capodistria,you'll find the markings on the coastline exactly in front of the sinking place. On the seabed,at a depth of just 10 meters,there are still some steel structures of the ship,not removed by the Jugoslavian scrappers after the war. Some say that also one of the propellers is still there,not visible because completely buried from the sand.
Watching this reminded me of the navy vessels we never see or hear of, the submarine, exactly how deadly and stealthy are they now. The submarines wrought havoc on shipping in ww2 I can only imagine what they are capable of today
two videos in just a couple days? you're spoiling us! dont think youve ever uploaded a bad video and it seems even when you rapidly make em, youre not breaking that streak!
Mike, i have a favor to ask of you. In the early 60's there was a tragedy at sea in the pacific. Many many americans would like closure on an incident and you are immanently qualified to dissect the story we can finally rest easy. Please can you cover the sinking of the SS Minnow? That story has haunted me since childhood. Thank you
You said that, the US Army Air Force, ran from 1920 to 1941, 'till they got their own, separate branch. But, the US Air Force wasn't formed, 'till 1946.
@@philmccracken7520Actually on my mother’s side, my grandmother was Dutch, it was my grandpa who was Italian. They left Italy because they were Jews; while they were on the voyage Italy enacted its first antisemitic laws. They returned after the war.
Mike Brady, as a fan of the channel, I had no idea you had other channels. Those of which I would love to learn about. Please plug your other channels or mention them in the slightest. Thank you!
Just wanted to say I always love your videos and your channel is super amazing. Keep up the great work just so sad to see such amazing oceanliners and just a book especially Titanic.
The constant infighting of the branches of any countries army will forever hinder mankind from ever making anything else but a disaster from any kind of war. War is stupid in itself, but this infighting will always kill any form of efficiency of any armed forces.
I agree with you. But I'm not sure integrating everything and everyone into a purple suit force better protects the USA. It may save some money but winning wars is the overriding goal. Some redundancy really helps in wartime.
I've been watching your videos for a while now and love every one of them, keep up the great work. Can you do a video on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, it's a interesting story?
The end of the war showed that, not the war itself. There were as many battleships sunk by other battleship's guns as there were sunk by aircraft, and often in conditions in which aircraft could not attack. The majority of battleships that were sunk by aircraft were at anchor and unable to defend themselves. By 1945, airborne radars had been introduced that were small enough to fit in carrier aircraft and withstand the shock of carrier landings. Once this allowed the greater range of planes to be used at night or in bad weather, the time of the battleship was over.
My grandfather emigrated from Italy to North America (he came in through NYC and then moved up to Canada to join his father, who'd immigrated years prior) on the Rex around 1936. I went to Ellis Island a few years ago to find the immigration record from when he crossed and they gave me a little picture of the Rex along with copies of my Grandfather's documents. I knew she'd met an unfortunate end, but to see one of my favourite creators on TH-cam do a video about a ship that is so connected to my family history was awesome. Thanks, Mike! Cheers from Canada!
Look here on TH-cam , to check people diving the wreck of The Rex .
Emigrated 👍
@@JohnSmith-jl3fm thanks for catching that mate 👍🏻
This video put me in mind of another ship in a similar vein you may already know of: The Canadian Pacific's RMS Empress of Britain. Might make a great future video for those that don't know of the story. Bombing, burning, attempted salvage, torpedoing, rumours of gold bullion, skeletons found in the bullion room decades later...and its not like she was a boring vessel before THAT lot happened.
That's the understatement of the century. The Empress got burned to SHIT. It made Normandie Incident look like a campfire.
There have not been too many expeditions to the wreck but surveys show that it's upside down and the hull is literally a hollow shell because the bombing burned her so bad that the rest of her entire superstructure was reduced to ash. There was literally nothing left of her when she finally sank.
Shame since she was such a beautiful girl...
Fun fact: during prohibitionism, while the ship was in port, people paid a ticket to visit the Rex and have a drink on board! 🇮🇹
it was our jewel, our pride, thanks Mike! I've been waiting for this video for a long time! ❤🇮🇹
A very stylish ship she was
I sincerely doubt that.... no ship, of any registry, could serve alcohol to anyone while inside the 12-mile-limit. All stores were locked and bonded during the calls at New York (or any U.S. port including Honolulu). So fun... but not quite fact.
So glad you enjoyed it :)
@@kohl57 hi kohl, in a couple of old documentaries this information is reported also told by a witness... in any case it is interesting that an American could have gotten drunk only if he had traveled on a liner (I don't know if on Cunard or other lines they could) Good night 🎆
You could drink yourself silly on the liner (non American that is) once you were outside the 12-mile limit and people did... but in New York Harbor, not a chance.
Mike, nice extra effort on accuracy in using the early pre-war model B-17 with the smaller tail assembly in this video of circa '38 events!
I noticed and appreciated this, too!
I am secretly also an airplane nerd :) Got to visit Duxford 2 weeks ago! I thought the ‘17 would be bigger, my head was brushing the wing’s underside as parked on the ground!
@OceanlinerDesigns The size perspective a lot due to the '17s low mounted wings whereas the similar size '24 had high mounted wings (which would also be their Achilles Heal).
Bathtub belly turret & teardrop waist turrets too.
@@OceanlinerDesigns It's crazy to say, but the B-17 is only about the size of an F-15 Eagle. Then again, for a fighter, the Eagle is enormous.
Mike, your spoiling us this week! Can’t wait to finish this one, and I hope it is as good as the Britannic documentary from two days ago.
Edit: The Rex model is absolutely gorgeous, as all of the models Ocean Liner Design uses are. You need to make a video showcasing all of the models, and having those that made it discuss the troubles with making them, and how long each ship took.
There was some thought to raising both are and Conte de Savoyard post war and restoring the hulls. The were deemed too damaged and relics of the Italian Facists, and thus, broken up. This opened the doors for for two new ships, Andrea Doria and Christophoro. Columbo
Thanks for the idea!
I’ve been binge watching your videos for some time Mike, and they never fail to entertain. You are very well spoken, and educational. You are definitely my favorite ship themed channel. Keep up the great work!
Found this interesting follow up on the wiki.
Operation Rex Redux
On 24 August 2007, three B-52 Stratofortresses of the 2nd Bomb Wing, successor to the 2nd BG, conducted "Operation Rex Redux", a training mission commemorating the interception of the Rex. Flying from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and using the radio call signs Rex 51, Rex 52, and Rex 53, the B-52s intercepted the Military Sealift Command ship MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo east of Bermuda to test the capabilities of a new targeting system.
Another terrific video Mike _ I get the sense we are moving closer to your definitive video on the definitive ocean liner - Normandie.
Rex is a bit of an odd ship - she has a modern bow, streamlined smokestacks and reasonably sleek superstructure, but an old-fashioned counter stern - definitely a transitional design. Also, I know she isn't quite as well known, but any chance of a video about Conte di Savoia, the first ship with a stabilisation system based on three gigantic gyroscopes. I have heard it could only be used on westbound crossings!
The use of the 3 gyroscopes was a dangerous and wrong choice. Any gyroscope weighted 100 Tons, them used too much electrici energy, the internal structure of the ship itself was subjected to enormous forces that unscrewed it. Advertising was suspended and the system was no longer used after the first 2 years, without stating the real reason.
Wow...talk about a coincidence...I was just commenting on Drachinifel's video about the Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini that just posted...I was talking about the fact that LeMay was in command of the USAAF portion of the test since he was Deputy Chief of Air Staff for Research & Development at the time.
Curtis LeMay was the navigator for the B-17 flight that intercepted the Rex, and was so proficient at pretty much everything he did, it is hard not to admire him...but he also had an obsession that led him to lose his sense of humanity on some very important occasions. The firebombing was not one of those times, since LeMay was ordered to do that and had been sent to the Marianas to replace Hansell because Hansell had not been following his orders to firebomb to Hap Arnold's satisfaction.
The B-17’s found the Rex by having who was then the best navigator in the Air Corp - 1st Lt. Curtis LeMay.
Yes, THAT Curtis LeMay.
heh, small world
Billy Mitchell is a controversial figure, and even pro Air Power officers hated him. The worst part is that Mitchell had such a cult of personality that most people still revere him as a foward thinker, even though all he proved was that obsolete ships at anchor with no crew or defenses and with open hatches and water tight doors would sink if you put enough holes in them. So basically what everyone already knew. He was also considered a narcissist by his contemporaries. There is a multitude of reasons his tests were discarded, even by other pilots.
Edit: fun fact. The army air corp didn’t create the aircraft that killed the battleship. The navy did. The first aircraft to pose an actual threat to warships was the dive bomber. The first dive bomber was made by Curtis aircraft for the US Navy. Meanwhile, the B-17, designed to air corp specifications for anti ship warfare, failed spectacularly. It preformed so bad, that it was pressed into strategic bombing, which is what we remember it for. In the end, Mitchell’s enemies in the navy and army were right, and it wasn’t until the end of ww2 that the Air Force had the aircraft and weapons to actually pose a threat to large warships, after navy subs and aircraft had already devastated the enemy.
The B-17s made several bombing runs during the Battle of Midway, none of them ever scoring a hit.
@@Edax_Royeaux well, the Norden bombsight helped with that, ahem, accuracy. It was also used in Nagasaki, missing the target by two miles.
About the only bombs that did reliably hit target were all delivered by dive bomber.
And how many different ways did it take the Brits use trying to sink Tirpitz, at anchor, in the Norwegian fjord? And when they finally did get the right aircraft, the Lancaster, and the right bomb, the Tall Boy, how many of those bombs missed the ship?
@@danquigg8311 which was more cost effective? Those raids and all those bombs or a fleet of sunken Hoods?
@@spvillano Given that Tirpitz on sortie resulted in the destruction of Convoy PQ 17 at a loss of 24 ships, the Tirpitz probably paid for itself, especially considering how many Allied Battleships were pinned down guarding against the thing. Air power could not supplant the carrying capacity of a cargo ship, so those convoys remained critically important all throughout the war.
There's a wonderful sequence in Fellini's Amacord when the residents of his home town of Rimini set out in little boats to see the magnificent Rex pass by. The ship is ablaze of lights, the size of a city...a moment Fellini never forgot.
Thank you for mentioning this. Anyone who is interested in seeing the Rex represented in a piece of cinema history should watch Amarcord.
Thanks Mike. You mentioned Queen of Bermuda briefly near the end and flashed up an early shot of her, that got my attention! I have a copy of verbal notes and sketches for marine engerineering officers and maybe you have one too for your own research, the amount of knowledge needed to work a steamship is astonishing. My copy is enscribed Graham Vose, 1961, engineering officer QTEV Queen of Bermuda. She was one of those ships which started out with three, then two then finally one funnel with her 1961 refit. There's an old photo card which came with the books - 'The Furness Luxury Liner Queen of Bermuda'. She had an interesting life from 1933-1961 with her refits and wartime service as an aux cruiser and troop ship and her maiden voyage was Liverpool to New York. Really enjoying your videos and I share your enthusiasm :-)
The Mitchell tests are severely overplayed. His tests were carried out against obsolete, stationary and unmanned ships that were not shooting back. Despite this Mitchell claimed that this was "accurate war time conditions". Drachinifel does a summery of the problems with Mitchells tests in his Drydock episode 270 part 1 at about the 50 min mark. Also the USN did take aviation very seriously. As discussed in Drach's USN fleet problem videos during inter war navy exercises the USN did a lot of testing and development of carrier tactics. This included, somewhat ironically, numerous tests on how to defend Pearl Harbour against a carrier attack.
Keep in mind, too, that the Lexington & Saratoga, CV2 & CV3, mounted 8" guns until early in the war.
Also, Mitchell was pushing for _heavy_ bombers (i.e. the most useless at sinking ships); he thought carriers and dive/torpedo bombers were a fad, and that fighters were useless because "the bombers will always get through." Were it up to him, America would've entered the war with B-29s and biplanes.
If he was right in aircrafts being the trump card in future sea battles, the way to sink ships with them had yet to be found.
IE high level bombing with heavy bombers, like the B17, proved to be highly ineffective. From high level, even a stationary ship was a relatively small target, and the probability to hit it with a bomb was marginal.
For example, on Apr. 10 1943, 84 B17 bombers, the biggest concentration of heavy bombers used that far in the war, each one carrying 12 500lb "battleship buster" bombs (1008 bombs in total) , hit the port of La Maddalena, in Sardinia, where the cruisers Trieste and Gorizia were at anchor. All that they scored had been three bombs on the Trieste (that sunk) and two on the Gorizia (that remained afloat), a 0.5% score probability. Similar bombings performed on the three battleships at anchor at La Spezia (Vittorio Veneto, Littorio and Roma) only slightly damaged the ships.
Also aerial torpedoing proved to be much more effective in ports (see Pearl Harbour, or Taranto) than in navigation, where even large warships could quite easily evade torpedoes when they had not been launched from "suicidal" distance.
Not by chance, Germans enforced a strict rule to use aerial torpedoing only against merchants, and only dive bombing against warships.
And yet, Mitchell was 100% right and the Navy saying the tests proved nothing was wrong... a few short years later battleships at sea, under steam, evading and firing back were sunk at will... many examples of this occurred, so Mitchel was right... the tests were ominously correct... poo poo them just like the Navy did... (ask the Prince of Whales crew as just one example)
MITCHELL WAS RIGHT
Every time Mike says “blue riband” I have hope for the future of the English language. Also, the narration is better with every video. It’s nice to be an Oceanliner Designs fan when your glorious leader puts out stuff like the recent Britannic video, or everything on the Empress of Ireland. As one of Australia’s top human space exploration geeks, I honestly didn’t believe there was any room left in my head for this!
I'm not Australian, but I'm a fellow space and maritime geek. Hello!
I’m just amazed that somebody named Billy Mitchell was a man of integrity.
same i'm shocked
It sunk in Slovenia, between Koper and Izola. ;-)
Another example of a fascinating story I never knew about, as always presented in a fittingly great manner as well. I've been interested in the military aspects of ships and aviation for a while and seeing them brought together through an Oceanliner is as surprising as it is, for lack of a better word, cool.
Thank you for all the effort you put into this channel, it's really become one of my favorites!
Seeing those B-17s shitting and getting, for lack of better words, at smokestack level above the Rex from the deck must've been an awesome sight.
I was long awaiting this video ...a million times thanks mike to have finally covered our pride ship "Il rex" .
The video is stunning as always but i must point some things up ...rex and Conte di Savoia were first thought as archrivals they were built in fact by two separate lines Navigazione generale Italiana for rex who chose a lets say "modernized ss Roma/Augustus and with both more traditional exterior and interior designs.
Conte di Savoia was built by Lloid Triestino and choose a more modern exterior and art deco interior (she was more popular than rex being more modern ) also she did not win the ribband by a smudge in fact on the last day she was doing good speed but encountered a storm...Captain Lena choiced to implement the gyros to counter the roll sucking power from the engines and she lost speed later the press asked Captain Lena if he wanted to retry for the ribband...he said quote "under my command absolutely no" he preferred comfort for passengers rather than the record
Hope that this informations may be useful .
The Conte di Savoia was being built by Lloyd Sabaudo, not Triestino. Lloyd Triestino would have eventually bought the Conte Rosso and Verde, however.
Mitchell would go on to be honored by the US Air Corps through the adoption of the B-25 "Mitchell" Medium bomber, made famous by the Doolittle raid in 1942 when 16 of them were launched off an aircraft carrier to bomb Tokyo. A far greater vindication of Mitchell would be the B-25's use as a ship-buster in the South Pacific theatre, where a number of them modified to mount cannons and heavy machine guns in fixed nose mounts would wreak a heavy toll on Japanese shipping.
As for the B-17, while it never quite made it as an anti-ship weapon (a squadron of them was deployed against the Japanese carrier fleet in the battle of Midway, to little effect) it made its name in the war against the Nazis as the backbone of the US Air Corps' bomber fleet in the daylight raids over Germany.
Mussolini, the dictator of Fascist Italy before and during WWII, was impressed by the B-17, and attempted (before the war) to obtain a license for the Italians to build their own. when this fell through, the Italians instead designed the Piaggio P.108, one of the few 4-engine bombers to see service with the Axis forces.
The Milwaukee airport is named after him, with several B-25s presented on the grounds :D
Don't really like Billy Mitchell at all.
The B-25 was the only WWII-era US aircraft to be named after a person, which says something about his stature in the USAAF.
My dad flew 25 combat missions in B-24s, then became an instructor in the B-25 Mitchell.
I never heard him call a B-24 a "Liberator". He did call B-25s "Mitchells".
another fun fact: The B-25G (i think) received a 75 mm gun used on M4 Shermans to be used against shipping. that thing destroyed a lot of enemy transport ships
Honestly, Billy Mitchell should've stayed in his lane. But also a sad demise for such a beautiful liner, she wasn't even a legitimate target anymore.
The Rex was featured in a book about ocean liners that I had when I was a kid, and her fate struck me as rather sad, despite the fact that she was on the Axis' side at the time. However, I had no idea about the 1938 B-17 intercept exercise, so this video provides some outstanding context to the story of the Rex. (Not to mention a case of spooky synchronicity, considering how she met her end.) Thank you for the education, Mike!
On Axis side is a far stretch. Not only the Rex had never been used for military purposes, but had been moved from Genoa to Trieste (and was further moving to Pola when it was sunk) expressly to avoid the Germans to use it to block the arbors.
Ironically, had it used to block the arbors (so scuttled in shallow water) it could have been likely refloated post-war (like the Conte di Savoia had been).
Some of the very best historical information on TH-cam. Thanks
Many thanks for your presentation on Colonel Billy Mitchell. He was so acccurate in his description of the U.S. military leaders at that time, and his foresight of the future of warfare.
Utterly ashamed that the ship named after ME got bombed into oblivion.
How could they do such a thing 😢
A travesty, I tell you, an utter travesty 😢
The audacity of those pilots. 😂
boowomp
@@EarlTheWhiteNinja what cockamamie idea were they trying to do!
I've never been this early to anything, I'm so excited to see another video. You've got real quality content!
Dad was a wireless operator/air gunner flying in Liberators out of Ballykelly in Northern Ireland. One 'Escort Duty' he was on included a small 'Woolworth's' aircraft carrier - and when Dad signalled it saying their patrol as over and they were returning to base, the aircraft carrier captain thanked them and said 'Sorry you can't come down for a drink'.
Well, that was a red rag to a bull - Dad replied 'Thank you very much' and their liberator did a full on landing approach onto the carrier - full flaps, propellors fully fine and the landing gear down....
Or course, they didn't - they just buzzed the flight deck by about 50 foot (or less ! ) then flew away - but it must have put the wind up them as he said the carrier fired every red warning Very Cartridge they had as they thought the Lib was actually going to land !!
AS ITALIAN RHANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING A VIDEO ABOUT THE REX!
The glasses look very handsome!
Wonderful video as always, Mike. Happy late New Year, love from Connecticut, USA!
Technically speaking, the B17s were Army Air Force at the time, the Air Force didn't become its own branch till 1947.
I started an article on the REX in either '90 or '91 (for TITANIC International's journal); my motivation at the time was that very little was known about her story at that time; I believe I stopped after about 5 pages. I was also doing one on BRITTANIC(II) at the time which was far more advanced (between 20 and 30 as I recall), for the same reason, but I put THAT one to bed as well, as BRITTANIC info. was starting to come out around that time, and I felt that more experienced writers & historians had already covered what I had in better and more complete ways.
The YB-17 animations are great! Nice job!
Hi Mike
Well done and some interesting history on the air encounter in 1938. I think the pic you identify in the beginning as Conti di Savoia is actually Conti at the wreckers after WWII. Sad end to two beautiful ships.
6:20 - Another reason and arguably even more important reason Billy Mitchel made everyone angry over the tests was that he rendered them completely pointless. The original plan was to hit the ships with small bombs first, inspect the damage, and repeat with increasingly larger bombs. Investigate the sort of damage that could be done by aircraft in order to inform the next generation of ships. Meanwhile, Mitchel just went straight to the biggest bombs with the intent to sink - BEFORE the engineers could have the chance to inspect the damage, rendering the whole operation an expensive waste of everyone's time.
And when he was reprimanded, he REALLY hurt his case by taking the story to the press with the narrative about old fossils in the USN being blind to the potential of air power. Even if that were true, you don't just bring that dirty laundry out into the open like that and expect to have a career. And of course seriously hurt the image of air power. It's one of MANY reasons why the Army and Navy - everyone in the US Military actually - hate the Air Force.
Ocean Liners of the 1930's were some of the most beautiful and elegant, while the 1900's liners were the most traditional. The REX was a beauty of a liner, sad that she never got to realize her full potential and enjoy a long service life. Mike, another top-notch watch.
The designs of Italian and French liners were more attractive than our own Queen Mary and Elizabeth.
The Mary and Elizabeth have an elegance and charm of their own. I am lucky that we live only 25 minutes away from the RMS Queen Mary and have taken the tour many times over the year. Your right, the French and Italian designers did have their way with style and grace --- thanks to excellent use of the "French Curve."@@jimmcintosh9045
The Rex and the Conte di Savoia had been built at the same time (but in different shipyards, the Rex at Genoa, the Conte di Savoia at Trieste) for two competing companies, the Italia Flotte Riunite (Rex) and Lloyd Triestino (Conte di Savoia). While the Italia flotte Riunite wanted a classic style for the Rex, similar to a bigger version of the previous Roma and Augustus, Lloyd triestino wanted the Conte di Savoia to be very modern, outside and inside, and infact it's interiors, designed by the architect Melchiorre Bega, were very modern in their disposition, and pure art decò in style, with one exception, the "Colonna" saloon, that was furnished in baroque style, fearing an excessive modernism could displease some passenger.
I live in southeastern Wisconsin. Our airport is General Mitchell International Airport! Great video!
What a fascinating story. Great video again
I Live in Slovenia where the ship was sunk. It didn t sink far away from shore and later locals scrapped the ship for steel and iron. Now only a smal part od the ship remains in the seabed
*brass, bronze, copper …
I think this is the most casually dressed I’ve seen Mike in a video. Unfortunately Billy Mitchell was often his own worst enemy. By unilaterally changing the test methodology in the bombing of the Ostfriesland he both completely alienated everyone in the naval high brass and gave them ammunition to use against him. For the sake of a better PR event he ended up setting his own cause back by many years.
Your videos are outstanding. I am especially impressed with your excellent narration. Thank you so much for these wonderfully interesting lessons that are so skillfully made.
Although the origins of the name "Flying Fortress" for the B-17 are debated, a plausible explanation is that the Army Air Corps and/or Boeing sought to project the notion of the bomber serving as an aerial rampart against enemy forces threatening American territory. This was, of course, an age when isolationalism was common in the US. The Rex intercept would certainly have justified the name. Thanks, Mike, another excellent episode.
I like the small detail in the beginning on how the B-17s were the correct model. Thanks!
I must say, as a music person myself, the choice of music in this video is perfect!
Thank you, my friend Mike Brady, for bringing me this.
The Rex and her sister were such beautiful ships, the pair of them. I generally find Rex the more intriguing of the two for her transitional style (the more clipper stern and more edwardian interiors), but the Conte Di Savoia is incredibly gorgeous, too -- probably more aesthetically pleasing than the Rex, if it's even possible.
It's a shame Italy lost both ships so quickly after building them when I don't believe they were being used for military purposes (at least at the time of the sinking).
The Rex was in Trieste and it was not used as a military vessel. It was meant as a form of retribution to Italy which had already surrendered a year before. It was not the first or last example of Allied treachery towards Italy which had caused it to join the Axis in the first place.
Not only the Rex had never been used for military purposes, but had been moved from Genoa to Trieste (and was further moving to Pola when it was sunk) expressly to avoid the Germans to use it to block the arbors.
Ironically, had it used to block the arbors (so scuttled in shallow water) it could have been likely refloated post-war (like the Conte di Savoia had been).
However, its powerplant of 4 sets of geared steam turbines producing 120,000 hp would have been considered highly inefficient by then.
Of all the tragedies Italy suffered, the loss of Rex was one of the saddest... not only was it destroyed, but it died a forgotten husk amid countless other priorities a devastated country had to face. Such an inglorious and unjust end for a great ship.
Love all the history you share each week.
Thanks - I had read about this incident in history, but your video added much interesting detail. Thank you again.👍
Two videos in a week? Good week to be an ocean liner fan
Another excellent presentation with details, history and incredible delivery
Well you certainly look different! And this video was actually something special: I was listening while doing my ironing, when I swore I heard a familiar tune. 'Is that from Twister?' I turned up the volume and sure enough it was. You are BASED my friend. XD
That was a fun recap of Rex's story. I didn't know that the Air Force had to go through so many hoops just to prove their worth. From what I understand their triumphant intercept on Rex was certainly startling, but it was amusing and even heartwarming to hear passengers started singing the National Anthem and that the captain invited the pilots for lunch. I wonder how they pulled that one off since they were still at sea...
All the more a sad end for the ship. Apparently, she was being used as a blockade or something by the Axis. At least now though, I know how to pronounce Savoia correctly lol.
Before I go, if you or anyone has ever wanted a proper scale model of the Rex, I recommend Old Plastic Model Kits. They have her and the Normandie in 1/350 scale and as a kit. Quite pricey, but totally worth it in my opinion, because there is simply none other like it.
what a beautiful ship, thank you for enlightening of this story
YES! I've hoped that you'd bring your remarkable talents to this story! Really nice work, thanks Mike.
The U.S. Navy’s interest in airplanes begun in 1898, in 1903 an attempt was made to take off from sea and the first successful attempt occurred in 1909. The first student Naval Aviator arrived for flight training in 1911, which is the same year the ship that would later be converted to the first U.S. aircraft carrier was launched. The USS Jupiter would be redesigned then renamed the USS Langley and commissioned in 1922. The Lexington class would follow in 1927, followed by the first purpose built carrier the USS Ranger in 1934, then the Yorktown class in 1937. In 1936, two years before the SS Rex was intercepted by the Army Air Corps, the most decorated U.S. ship during WWII, the USS Enterprise, was launched and she commissioned the same day the Army Air Corps intercepted the SS Rex on May 12, 1938. The Navy was convinced enough of the capabilities of air power to create a pipeline to train Naval Aviators and commission six aircraft carriers when the interception of the Rex occurred.
But, back then, wasn't the primary purpose of that naval arm for fleet protection and limited support for marine amphibious operations?
What a fascinating story! Thanks for sharing it!!
What an incredibly interesting video and story!
There is something sensual about the shape of a ship's hull. Especially of a big fast ship, or of a sailing ship.
Excellent video. I’m Californian so I would love to hear more about the ship Mt Shasta!
Michael, I just want to tell you, "Well Done, Splice the Main Brace!" Your content is always interesting to history (and ship) buffs like me, but the highest accolade is that my wife, who isn't particularly interested in history in general, and shipping not at all, really enjoys the stories you tell!
As always, great job. Thanks for you attention to detail and educational, as well as entertainment expertise.
Always a god day when we get a video from you Mike, a job well done. Bravo!
The lead navigator of the 3 B-17s that intercepted the SS Rex was 1st Lieutenant Curtis E. LeMay. He rose to command the 20th Air Force in the strategic bomb campaign against Japan. In 1947 as commander of Us Air Force Europe, he initiated the Berlin Airlift that eventually saved West Berlin from being taken by Russia. He was then made Commander of the USAF Strategic Air Command and formed it into the deterrent it became against Russia, the Warsaw Pact, and Red China. General LeMay retired in 1965 after serving as the USAF Chief of Staff.
never knew LeMay was a B-17 navigator! thx for sharing!
The SS Rex is also in the italian film "Amarcord" by Federico Fellini. There is a scene were the people of Rimini, knowing that the big transatlantic would have passed near the coast, take the sea to assist at his passage in the middle of the Adriatic Sea
You make some of the most interesting and visually satisfying videos on the this platform. Please keep up the good work.
Another great presentation! Many thanks once again
As the song goes, “We live in fame or go down in flame, Nothing can stop The Army Air Corps!” And this proves that.
Great video Oceanliner Designs, an interesting story for sure.
In the end the sinking of the Rex by aerial attack was a kind of useless murder,because the ship was empty,and at that stage of the war had not any value. She had been decentralised from Trieste to Capodistria,exactly at Semedella,in shallow water to avoid her sinking.Many of her fittings,,such as furniture,silverware,linen tablecloths,carpets,sheets had been looted one year before by german troops,and sent to their families in Germany. The ship had no fuel on board and simply was not a primary target. Today the place were the Rex was "killed" is in Slovenia,and is still called "Pri Rexu" that means "near the Rex" and is marked with proper signposting. Very few artifacts of the ship survive today and I am lucky to own four water bottles,a teapot,and two alluminum ladles all marked Rex.
I agree, at that stage of the war the ship had no value as a military target. And the same goes for Conte di Savoia, which was a better looking and technically more advanced ship (except for the speed).
@@maxart3392 I totally agree,the Conte di Savoia was by far more advanced,also regarding the architectural style,leaving the palatial style of the Rex to the past and adopting an evolution in Art Deco that is still recognizable in the post war italian liners. Innovative for the external shape,a kind of Victoria on steroids,and also for the controversial but revolutionary stabilizing system based on gyroscopes. Of course this led to many problems but it was a beginning. Probably the Conte di Savoia was even faster then the Rex,but there was no interest in beating the flagship,so when the Rex set the new speed records the Conte di Savoia never tried to do better. After all any attempt of crossing the Atlantic at full speed was also an extremely expensive affair in terms preparation (dry dock and fresh paint of the hull),of fuel consumption,and of maintenance with replacement of worn parts.
Rex was not sunk in Slovenia. She was sunk in Trieste, Italy, which the allies wanted to use as a port to support their campaign but was then in German hands. Allied command feared the Germans could block the harbor by scuttling Rex in the entrance.
@@GintaPPE1000 No,I am sorry,but Rex was sunk at Semedella,near Capodistria,today Koper,in the actual Slovenia.Until 1943 Capodistria was in Italy,but after the italian surrender,in September 1943,those territories became German,with the name of Adriatisches Kustenland.At the end of the war Capodistria became part of the S.F.R.J.,Socialistika Federativna Republjka Jugoslavia,and,with the dissolution of Jugoslavia,in 1991,that little portion of coast, between Italy and Croatia,became Slovenia. The Rex was brought from Trieste to Semedella by tugs on September 5 1944,just three days before the fatal attack.If you go to Semedella,now Semedela,near Capodistria,you'll find the markings on the coastline exactly in front of the sinking place. On the seabed,at a depth of just 10 meters,there are still some steel structures of the ship,not removed by the Jugoslavian scrappers after the war. Some say that also one of the propellers is still there,not visible because completely buried from the sand.
In hindsight, the interception of the SS Rex was an ominous foreshadowing of the vessel's ultimate fate.
Watching this reminded me of the navy vessels we never see or hear of, the submarine, exactly how deadly and stealthy are they now. The submarines wrought havoc on shipping in ww2 I can only imagine what they are capable of today
glad for you to cover this. it sank near where my grandparents live.ive been at the wreck site myself,sadly its not marked very well.
two videos in just a couple days? you're spoiling us!
dont think youve ever uploaded a bad video and it seems even when you rapidly make em, youre not breaking that streak!
Another bit I history learned by this old dog, thanks Mike, fascinating.
Mike, i have a favor to ask of you. In the early 60's there was a tragedy at sea in the pacific. Many many americans would like closure on an incident and you are immanently qualified to dissect the story we can finally rest easy. Please can you cover the sinking of the SS Minnow? That story has haunted me since childhood. Thank you
Interesting story, would make for a good video. Thanks for the suggestion!
Another interesting and well presented story.
Taking about airplanes! NOOO!
On a more serious note: Like her successor, the Andrea Doria, the Rex was an elegant design that was sadly lost.
I love your glasses, you should wear them more often. Of course I am bespectacled and a bit biased.
Another wonderful video! Thank you
The lighting is perfect Mike!
You said that, the US Army Air Force, ran from 1920 to 1941, 'till they got their own, separate branch. But, the US Air Force wasn't formed, 'till 1946.
Nice job on the B-17Ds in the opening clip...quite apropos for '38.
It’s our friend, Mike Brady, from Oceanliner Designs
Beautiful ship!
This ship brought my grandfather to America.
I’ve been watching your videos for over a year now. Love your videos. Keep up the good work.
A young Lt. Curtis LeMay was one of the navigators aboard the B-17s which intercepted SS Rex.
My mom was Italian. She and her family sailed to New York on the Conte di Savoia in 1938. The correct pronunciation is CON-teh dee Sah-VOY-ah.
your Grandmother is Italian ! There is no was , you can take a italian out of Italy but you can never take the italian out of a Italian !
@@philmccracken7520Actually on my mother’s side, my grandmother was Dutch, it was my grandpa who was Italian. They left Italy because they were Jews; while they were on the voyage Italy enacted its first antisemitic laws. They returned after the war.
Mike Brady, as a fan of the channel, I had no idea you had other channels. Those of which I would love to learn about. Please plug your other channels or mention them in the slightest. Thank you!
Just wanted to say I always love your videos and your channel is super amazing. Keep up the great work just so sad to see such amazing oceanliners and just a book especially Titanic.
Thanks Mike
Oo a midday upload for me. What a treat ❤
Great video as always sir
The constant infighting of the branches of any countries army will forever hinder mankind from ever making anything else but a disaster from any kind of war. War is stupid in itself, but this infighting will always kill any form of efficiency of any armed forces.
I agree with you. But I'm not sure integrating everything and everyone into a purple suit force better protects the USA. It may save some money but winning wars is the overriding goal. Some redundancy really helps in wartime.
I've been watching your videos for a while now and love every one of them, keep up the great work. Can you do a video on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, it's a interesting story?
I like the blueprint background scheme on the little logo in the bottom corner of the video
Oceanliner Designs, I have a question, will you do some more modern cases of liner sinking like Scandinavian Star, and estonia?
WWII showed that the days of the battleship was over, and that what mattered more at sea was air power.
The end of the war showed that, not the war itself. There were as many battleships sunk by other battleship's guns as there were sunk by aircraft, and often in conditions in which aircraft could not attack.
The majority of battleships that were sunk by aircraft were at anchor and unable to defend themselves.
By 1945, airborne radars had been introduced that were small enough to fit in carrier aircraft and withstand the shock of carrier landings. Once this allowed the greater range of planes to be used at night or in bad weather, the time of the battleship was over.
Traded the waistcoat for a jumper? I bet you are looking forward to summer.
The Beaufighter crews must have felt real proud.