| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (48 min. 9 sec.) ; 291770088 bytes |
| Summary |
This is a documentary that delves into the history of the British passenger liner the SS Persia that sank in the Mediterranean Sea after being torpedoed by a German U-Boat (Unterseeboot) in December of 1915. This documentary also chronicles the journey that Alec and Moya Crawford would take 88 years later - that of locating the ship and salvaging items from her.The SS Persia was built in 1900 and was on the 'Empire Run' for 15 years that traveled between London and Bombay. In fifteen years she had clocked up over 70 return voyages. In December of 1915, the SS Persia left Malta with 501 men, women and children, most of them civilians, on board. Along with passengers, the ship carried millions of pounds worth of gold, silver and jewels. The next day off the coast of Crete, she was hit without prior warning by a torpedo from U-boat 38, that was under the command of Lt. Cdr. Max Valentiner. Of the people on board, 334 lost their lives and 167 survived, one of them Lord Montague of Beaulieu. His secretary and mistress, Eleanor Thornton, was travelling with him on board but was lost at sea. Her image was immortalised though, as she was the model for the famed 'woman with wings' that resides on the bonnet of every Rolls Royce car.Interspersed with excerpts from Valentiner's log book and diary, this documentary gives an insight into the tragic event and the motives of the German U-boat commander.In 1914, the submarine was seen as a weapon of marginal importance and not considered a threat; however this would soon change as it would be this vessel that would pose the most dangerous threat to British maritime security during World War I. The British soon developed an anti-submarine weapon called the Q ship. Designed to look like a defenceless Steamer, these ships were traps that were equipped with weaponry that could quickly attack and destroy approaching U-boats. With the development of this technology, commanders like Valentiner began to recognise that any ship could be a trap and so acted accordingly. Valentiner's diary records that he saw the SS Persia as a "troop transport", despite there being civilians on board, and thus a fair target.Alec and Moya Crawford attempt to solve the mystery of where the SS Persia lies and recover some of her cargo. It will be the deepest-ever salvage operation of its kind attempted and a world record if they succeed. While there are three official locations recorded for the wreck, Alec has decided to rely on Valentiner's coordinates, citing the fastidiousness and competence the German demonstrated with his crew as the reason. Armed with giant mechanical scissors, a builder's skip and a scooping instrument called a 'grab', the Crawfords are ready for this extraordinary feat of engineering once they locate the wreck, knowing that the waters in this area are often more than 3 kilometres deep. (From the UK, in English) |
| Event |
Broadcast 2011-12-06 at 20:30:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Anti-submarine warfare.
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Boats and boating.
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Naval battles.
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Shipwreck victims.
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Shipwrecks.
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Submarines (Ships) -- Salvaging.
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England -- London.
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India -- Bombay.
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Germany.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Hayes, James, director
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Praed, Michael, cast
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Crawford, Alec, contributor
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Crawford, Moya, contributor
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Grove, Eric, contributor
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Montagu, Lord, contributor
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Morrow, John, contributor
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Valentiner, Max, contributor
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