The Strange Aircraft Carrier That Didn't Know What It Was Supposed to Be

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In August 1942, in the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean. HMS Eagle, a titan among aircraft carriers, sailed at full speed, 24 knots, undeterred towards a fierce battle, her deck bristling with Hawker Sea Hurricane aircraft.
After more than 20 years in service with the Royal Navy, Eagle, once envisioned as a battleship but converted into a carrier with the demands of the time, had earned a reputation within the branch as a strong and reliable vessel.
Because of this, she was chosen to provide essential air cover for the convoy intended to resupply the besieged island of Malta.
The immense threat of Axis forces didn’t deter the 791-strong crew and their fearless leader, Captain Lachlan Donald Mackintosh; they were resolved to carry out their duty - Operation Pedestal. The world watched, holding its breath as this formidable vessel sailed towards destiny.
Unbeknownst to the Allied forces, a German submarine, U-73, commanded by a decorated Kriegsmarine commander, was lurking in the depths nearby…

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2 ноя 2023

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Комментарии : 102

@mudslug309 7 месяцев назад

Thanks for this, My Grandfather was on the Eagle when it went down, he did survive, it is an important part of my family history.

@Fjobiden 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for his service 👍🇺🇸🇬🇧

@lewiskemp5893 4 месяца назад

That's good otherwise you might not be here Right?

@mudslug309 4 месяца назад

@@lewiskemp5893 Normally he would have been in the hangar when the torps hit, but that day it was his turn to give out the rum ration. I might owe my existence to rum.

@matthewyocom56 4 месяца назад

Thank you to all the brave people who are serving/served! 🇺🇲🇬🇧 A great man once said “ That we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain." Abraham Lincoln

@herbsuperb6034 6 месяцев назад

To take 4 torpedo hits in quick succession, then sink in just a few minutes, but lose only 12 % of her gallant crew is remarkable. Her crew, and those of her escorts, deserve much praise.

@michaelfisher7170 7 месяцев назад

The Eagle was definitely a hero ship, her crew remarkable remarkable. Thanks for sharing her story.

@charlesyork14 7 месяцев назад

A successful operation but it’s too bad that HMS Eagle did not survive this encounter. When I studied warships as a boy, I heard about this aircraft carrier. I’m glad I finally got to see video footage of her. The Royal Navy had a really bad ass worship with HMS Eagle.

@lewiskemp5893 4 месяца назад

Well said. I'm thinking the same

@kenkahre9262 6 месяцев назад

I'm glad for this. There's not enough said about the war campaign in the Mediterranean, it gets frequently overlooked and forgotten these days. The British Navy was tough.

@dutchman7216 7 месяцев назад

Well done to the crew and officers of HMS Eagle.

@beebop9808 7 месяцев назад

Long live the memory of the Eagle!

@danbernstein4050 7 месяцев назад

Great video on a lesser known ship. Thank you

@HartDoug 7 месяцев назад

Thank you for this; being American, my knowledge of British efforts in World War 2 is limited but still, they were ‘allies’ and their contributions were important. I did not know this but now that lack in my knowledge has been bolstered. Thank you!

@nigeldepledge3790 7 месяцев назад

Most of the latter half of 1940 and almost all of 1941 was about Britain standing alone against the Nazis. Alone, that is, apart from our vast, world-spanning empire which included India, South Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus, Malta, Gibraltar, Australia, New Zealand, Sarawak, Burma (until conquered by Japan), the Malay peninsula (until conquered by Japan), Singapore (until conquered by Japan) and, of course, Canada. But apart from that, Britain stood alone until the USA joined in.

@janruddeck2779 7 месяцев назад

@@nigeldepledge3790 Correction: Britain stood alone until we, the Germans, decided that Britain alone was not fun enough and invaded the Soviet Union in mid 1941. 🙂 The declaration of war against the USA was only an afterthought six month later. But yes, for roughly one year the German high command was puzzled to figure out how to defeat a naval power without having their own navy.

@davidgenie-ci5zl 6 месяцев назад

Your side was evil.

@davidgenie-ci5zl 6 месяцев назад

After 1776 and 1812, the brits were lucky to have a Great American ally.

@earlshaner4441 7 месяцев назад

Outstanding video

@simonbroberg969 7 месяцев назад

Short version but good. Main points covered at least. Drach did an indepth one I seem to remember. It was a while since I say that and just glad you remind me and educate others

@wordsmithgmxch 7 месяцев назад

Teaching school in '70s Hamburg, I got to know an older colleague -- Schmidt, let's call him -- who had run away to sea at ten, becoming a seasoned merchant seaman by the time the war came -- and was eventually sent into the U-Boote. One semester, when we both had a free hour after lunch, I picked his brains for stories. There were many. He seemed to think of the war as a youthful adventure or immense practical joke. He had been in the U-73, and claimed to have been the very one who launched the four torpedoes that did for Eagle. The carrier's loss started a slaughter of the convoy's other ships, and -- the only time I saw him get at all serious -- he said that, for the next two weeks, surfacing sickened the crew. I asked why? "Nur Aas!" came his hushed reply: "Only corpses!" Rosenbaum moved on, dying in a plane crash in Russia. I asked Schmidt whether he thought it odd that a Nazi U-Boot should be commanded by someone of that name. "Nööö, ha'm mir überhaupt nich' dran gedacht!" he replied: "Nooo, we never gave it a thought!" U-73 was later sunk. Schmidt was fished out of the sea and taken to England, then Canada. Between the submarine and the camps, he was insulated from the reality of the home front. When he was released, he returned to a ruined Germany, and, the eternal realist, set about making what he could of the situation.

@dovetonsturdee7033 7 месяцев назад

I fear that the account you were given is rather exaggerated.

@wordsmithgmxch 6 месяцев назад

@@dovetonsturdee7033 Yeh, I know. German even has an expression (Seemannsgarn) for seamen's tales. Whether it was his very hand that sent the torpedoes off or not, I can't say. But the basic facts -- and I did check, though you've got to remember that this was WAY pre-Internet -- did check out. Eagle WAS supposed to provide much of the air cover for the convoy. Are you gonna dispute the roadkill content of the Med after it got chewed up? As to the sub's later sinking, U-73 WAS damaged by depth charges in fairly shallow water off Oran; it DID surface; it DID fire on the attacking destroyers before sinking, with about 2/3 of the crew being rescued. Of course, there's no documentation of where Schmidt spent his time as a POW. So, Doveton, pretty please, where's the exaggeration?

@dovetonsturdee7033 6 месяцев назад

@@wordsmithgmxch 'Eagle WAS supposed to provide much of the air cover for the convoy.' She was one of three carriers which were part of the escort. The other two, Victorious and Indomitable, were larger, armoured deck, vessels, much more modern and with much larger air groups. Certainly, she was intended to provide some of the air cover, but not 'much of it.' Casualties for so dangerous abnd complex an operation were surprisingly light, largely due to the fact that the Mediterranean in August is not like the Arctic in Winter, and escorts, as well as other freighters, made attempts to pick up survivors. Thirteen ships were lost, but foirtunately the death toll was not as heavy as might have been expected.

@wordsmithgmxch 6 месяцев назад

@@dovetonsturdee7033 Okay, so "some", not "much". But, Doveton, "surprisingly light" losses? Pedestal lost roughly the same share of its merchantmen as the disastrous PQ 17 convoy, and about three times the men. I know: strategic victory and all that; but with your attitude towards losses, I don't want you anywhere near the Admiralty in the next conflict.

@dovetonsturdee7033 6 месяцев назад

@@wordsmithgmxch Surprisingly light in terms of human casualties. Now many victories at sea (and Pedestal was unquestiongly a victory, in that the objective was achieved) can you name with such a casualty level. Moreover, the image of sailing through large numbers of corpses is obviously an exaggeration.

@jamesbugbee9026 7 месяцев назад

Almirante Latorre stayed in the RN during the Great War as HMS Canada, only being returned postwar

@32bevula 6 месяцев назад

Pity the UK didn't convert the Hood and it's planned 3 sisters from battlecruisers to carriers. Alas, we got small carriers like Eagle, Hermes and a Argus... and the prewar RAF had control of naval aviation, a real hindrance for the navy. As so often, we pioneered a new military system, but fell behind. I mean in 1918 Admiral Beatty planned a carrier launched strike on the main German naval Base at Wilhelmshaven... the original template for Pearl Harbor. And we actually sent officers to Japan after WW1, to give technical advice to the Imperial Japanese Navy's fledgling carrier force. Yes, history is often grimly ironic.

@rwarren58 7 месяцев назад

Another good episode. As usual. However, you never explain why the supposedly reserved British always give their ships such badass names.

@dovetonsturdee7033 7 месяцев назад

There have been 19 Eagles in the Royal Navy. The first was in 1592.

@grant6173 6 месяцев назад

My guess would be the sheer magnitude and history of Britan's fighting navy compared to the Americas. And the fact that they did invent(?) English. And the tendency for a lot of countries opt for the names of people, places or animals. Probably due to the thousands British ship names required, they use all of the above, plus emotions and concepts. Like Dreadnought (fear nothing). Which was a game-changing ship.

@rwarren58 6 месяцев назад

@@grant6173Hmm. English was actually German first and the English we speak today started about the 11th century. I watch way too much RU-vid to know that about 600 years is about as far back as we can go and communicate. Now using those names to convey emotions is almost cheating. The name of a ship immediately imparts emotion. Damn clever those limeys.

@derekheuring2984 6 месяцев назад

Boaty McBoatface?

@particles343 6 месяцев назад

WW2 was such a massive war of attrition. Tens of millions of troops, millions of planes, thousands of ships, thousands of subs just going at each other across the globe. And it looks we are headed that way again.

@Spectre-wd9dl 6 месяцев назад

There wasn't millions of planes, or thousands of ships or subs. Nor was it across the globe. And we aren't headed that way anytime soon. Mostly for one reason. During ww1 and 2 there were several nations that were roughly on par with one another. Now the US just dominates and could take over the world if it wanted to.

@mrmarkthompson2361 7 месяцев назад

Great History Of World War 2, Real Movie Footing Is Outstanding. History, Not Hate. Never Forget.

@markingelin9773 7 месяцев назад

@ 9:54 Eagle was listing to Port, not Starboard.

@stevewixom9311 6 месяцев назад

Good eye. I was starting to wonder if i was the only one that noticed that

@fredericksaxton3991 7 месяцев назад

Good video. Thank you. Ummm.. However, I have a niggle. At 0:55 you say "The world watched..." , um, I do not think so, I am quite sure the world was blissfully unaware of the huge convoy about to battle towards Malta.

@richardcutts196 6 месяцев назад

Almirante Latorre was not delivered to Chile until after WW1. As the page from Janes Fighting Ships at 0:1:23 shows it served with the royal navy during WW1 and fought at Jutland.

@robertmadea9229 7 месяцев назад

Poor, gallant Eagle!

@xinixini1826 7 месяцев назад

2 minutes ago. Time to watch some Dark Seas while eating breakfast!

@dirt_ripper8734 7 месяцев назад

1 hr ago , now time to watch while doing my daily constitution.

@swarnamohanty3121 7 месяцев назад

RIP Eagle.

@robertguttman1487 6 месяцев назад

The vital tanker was not called "USS Ohio", it was simply "SS Ohio" because it was a merchant ship, not a navy warship. Also, although borrowed from the USA, the Ohio was manned by a crew of British merchant seamen, not by Americans. Although torpedoed, bombed and barely afloat, they managed to get the Ohio to Malta and that one ship did more to save the island than any other single vessel. The Ohio's master was awarded the George Cross, the highest British award available to be bestowed upon a civilian.

@Troy_Tempest 7 месяцев назад

Another great video sir! Might I ask you to call E-boats by their correct name, S-boats, please? Thanks from Australia!

@kharsis666 7 месяцев назад

Clickbait title as HMS Argus was the first Aircraft carrier, launched in 1917. Eagle was the Royal Navy's 2rd carrier after Argus & Hermes. Corageous, Glorious, and Furious were also being built at the same time

@jamesfloyd3106 7 месяцев назад

I always wonder why we never even heard of all these events in school.

@hawnyfox3411 7 месяцев назад

^^^ Because they're FAR too busy trying to teach us about 'cultural enrichment' whilst outsiders destroy ours !!!!! .

@daystatesniper01 7 месяцев назад

Because the woke left wishes to destroy all traces of British history

@user-xs6qo7ev3g 6 месяцев назад

It's all out there. But you must GO and LOOK for yourself.

@maxwaller734 6 месяцев назад

*U-73 sank the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle* - 8:23 am Pacific Standard Time on Tuesday, 5 December 2023

@jessebauer7372 7 месяцев назад

It's amazing of the successes that the Germans and the Japanese had against Britian and America's carriers in the early years of the war.

@davidgenie-ci5zl 6 месяцев назад

Americans wiped out three jap carriers at Midway,

@tonystevens9278 7 месяцев назад

The Fleet Air Arm is a component of the Royal Navy & was not under RAF control in wartime. It had been at times during the interwar period & that lead to some friction as it is alleged that maritime aviation was neglected with insufficient investment in new aircraft.

@flickingbollocks5542 7 месяцев назад

Rosenbaum sounds an odd name for a German Captain.

@68Boca 7 месяцев назад

was thinking the same.

@bkbushey6126 7 месяцев назад

Typical german Name

@stevefranklin9920 7 месяцев назад

Sounds like a Jewish name to me which is what makes me wonder how he became a U-boat captain.

@paulbarthol8372 7 месяцев назад

You produced a video which included mention of WW2 U-boat and didn't include Werner Klemperer clip???

@TA-xj5we 7 месяцев назад

🦅

@originalkk882 7 месяцев назад

"A titan among aircraft carriers"?? Hardly. She was 22000 tons.

@fishua5564 7 месяцев назад

Great video... click bait title. Sad... 😢

@darrellcook8253 6 месяцев назад

I was hoping to see a pregnant ship. Giving birth and shit. How in the hell did she get pregnant? Never mind.

@mingfanzhang8927 7 месяцев назад

❤😊❤😊❤😊❤😊

@mingfanzhang4600 7 месяцев назад

❤😊❤😊

@mingfanzhang8927 7 месяцев назад

@@mingfanzhang4600 happy 😆

@TheInsaneupsdriver 5 месяцев назад

Malta had more tonnage dropped on it then anywhere else on earth including the A bombs during WW2. still standing.....

@SeverityOne 2 дня назад

Per square kilometre that is, and at a mere 316 square kilometres, that required 15,000 tons. Which is less than Nagasaki. But yes, it was the most intensely bombed place in WW2. Particularly Ta'Qali, just outside the village where I live. It's a good thing that Malta is a rock, so it's difficult for bombs to be buried.

@jehoiakimelidoronila5450 6 месяцев назад

The title: * Me: "don't you mean she had identity crisis? 'cuz some at the time (like her) have the same predicament"

@dude126 4 месяца назад

Total war is brutal.

@pauloakwood9208 4 месяца назад

Is it my imagination, or is there almost no correlation between the narration about the Eagle, and the videos shown? I mean some of the images shown aren't even of British ships.

@flickingbollocks5542 7 месяцев назад

Treacherous? Are every Sea and Oceans treacherous in your opinion?

@flickingbollocks5542 7 месяцев назад

Pestle = pessel

@Is_This_Really_Necessary 7 месяцев назад

Call me stupid, but I couldn't find anything in the narration explaining how HMS eagle "birthed the deadliest vessels in history".

@recoil53 7 месяцев назад

Because she didn't really. The HMS Argus was already in service and had a full flight deck. The same year the Eagle was commissioned, the Langley entered service and the Hosho too, as the first purpose built aircraft carrier. The Eagle was arguably the first aircraft carrier that could carry a decent sized air group, but that was only 39. About a light fleet carrier.

@mingfanzhang4600 7 месяцев назад

I like my own comment ❤😊❤😊❤😊😊❤😊❤❤😊😊

@mingfanzhang8927 7 месяцев назад

❤😊❤😊❤😊

@mingfanzhang4600 7 месяцев назад

@@mingfanzhang8927 happy thanksgiving 🍽🍁🦃 day

@christopherperkins3416 5 месяцев назад

I really enjoy your videos as they are normally well researched and informative, however this one contains two errors. The name of HMS Eagle should be given as either the Eagle or HMS Eagle. HMS stands for His (Her) Majesty's Ship it does not form part of the ship's name and therefore if HMS is used it should not be prefixed with 'the'. It's the same with USS ,which stands for United States Ship, and again should not be prefixed with 'the' when USS is used. As someone who was in the British merchant navy for nine years, albeit in peacetime,the second error is much more important. The tanker was not USS Ohio, she was the merchant tanker Ohio, which for this voyage sailed with a British merchant navy crew. Throughout WWII all British merchant ships, with the exception of the gunners, sailed with civilian crews who were all volunteers. They did their duty even when as in 1941/42 they were suffering a casualty rate of over 50% and now their sacrifice is almost totally forgotten.

@stevesmith4630 6 месяцев назад

Comment

@bernardedwards8461 7 месяцев назад

What a comedown from the early years of the century to our decrepit state at the end of it! Thats what comes of voting for corrupt nincompoops and confidence trickster, which we still do. Some people never learn..

@davidpando7970 7 месяцев назад

The ship that was built and was sunk...... so what deadly vessel did it birth?

@kevinhurlburt2471 7 месяцев назад

I think the title refers to the fact it actually started as a battle cruiser that was then rebuilt into an effective carrier

@davidpando7970 7 месяцев назад

@@kevinhurlburt2471 Thank you for helping me to understand. When it says "vessels" though, that were "birthed" and they were the "deadliest vessels in history". I did not expect to watch a video about a ship that carried carried some planes, supplies, and was sunk. This guy is super high on his own supply if he thinks this isn't clickbait

@jdmaxi187 7 месяцев назад

I agree, the title is misleading

@davidpando7970 7 месяцев назад

@@jdmaxi187 Thank you kind sir for your assistance in not feeling crazy.

@dovetonsturdee7033 7 месяцев назад

@@kevinhurlburt2471 Eagle didn't start life as a battlecruiser, but was intended to be the Chilean battleship Almiralte Cochrane, requisitioned by the RN in WW1 and completed as a carrier. Her sister, Almirante Latorre, was also requisitioned and served at Jutland as HMS Canada. The converted battlecruisers were actually the 'large light cruisers' Glorious, Courageous, & Furious.

@tylerdurden4006 6 месяцев назад

Lol, lots of carriers didn't start as carriers...every country did it...

@SB-qm5wg 7 месяцев назад

The Brits had some really cool boat names. This wasn't one of them lol

@Golden-dog88 7 месяцев назад

wow i didnt know ships had sex or could give birth… Guess everything has personal needs!

@darrellcook8253 6 месяцев назад

Yup I'm fascinated by ships sex. It's the next thing. Apparently after giving birth they sink. Worse than preying mantises.

@Golden-dog88 6 месяцев назад

@@darrellcook8253 dam i thought they must survive bitrh as they last so long but i guess the truth behind the bermuda triangle is thats really the birthing point and when they lost their lives they just disappeared 🤣😂🤣😂

@jonsouth1545 6 месяцев назад

A "Titan amongst aircraft carriers" really she was one of the weakest of all the RN carriers

@TiberiusMaximus 6 месяцев назад

You keep showing the wrong ships time after time coupled to your narration. Its not as if there are no photos of these ships to show the correct images when you do these vids. I edit vids all the time, this just says you're either lazy or incredibly ignorant. Also, interact with your comment section from time to time, these are the people who are paying your bills. accept constructive criticism