Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

45:22

The Hunting of the Bismarck

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/07/21

In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck, one of the most powerful warships ever built, sank the British battlecruiser HMS Hood in a matter of minutes at the Battle of the Denmark Strait. What followed was one of the largest hunts in naval history. After three days of desperate pursuit across the North Atlantic, a crippling torpedo strike from a lone Swordfish biplane, and a final, brutal showdown that sent the pride of the German fleet to the bottom of the ocean. This episode traces the full

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36:44

The Sinking and Discovery of the USCGC Tampa

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/07/14

The Sinking and Discovery of the USCGC TampaOn September 26, 1918, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa vanished into the Bristol Channel after a German U-boat torpedo struck her hull, killing all 131 sailors and personnel aboard in what remains the largest single loss of American life in combat during World War I. For over a century, the ship's final resting place stayed a mystery until April 2026, when a British volunteer dive team called Gasperados located her wreckage roughly 50 miles off

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41:45

Don't Give Up The Ship: The Battle of Lake Erie

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/07/07

In the summer of 1813, American and British forces raced to build fleets on the shores of Lake Erie, each side betting that naval control would decide the fate of the western frontier. On September 10th, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry sailed his squadron out to meet the British fleet under Robert Barclay. Early in the battle, Perry's flagship Lawrence was battered into a wreck, forcing him to row through open water under fire to reach the Niagara and continue the fight. Turning the tables, Perry

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37:31

The Stargazer of Nantucket w/Julie Gerstenblatt

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/06/23

In this episode, Rich speaks with author Julie Gerstenblatt, author of Daughters of Nantucket, which won the New England Society Book Award for Fiction, to discuss her new historical novel, The Stargazer of Nantucket. Set in 1851, the novel follows Winifred Starbuck, an eighteen-year-old who stows away on her parents' final merchant voyage from Nantucket Island to San Francisco and across the Pacific to the ports of China, only to uncover a long-buried secret that reveals the truth behind her

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128:02

Based on a True Story: The Terror & Franklin Expedition

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/06/18

The Terror and the Franklin ExpeditionRich recently appeared as a guest on Based on a True Story Podcast with Dan Lefebvre to discuss fact versus fiction in AMC's The Terror, Season 1. This series is a sci-fi/horror adaptation of the novel by Dan Simmons called The Terror portraying the 1845 Franklin Expedition as they search for a passage through the Canadian Arctic on HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. Based on a True Story Podcast compares historical accuracy versus what was portrayed on screen, and

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38:16

90 Seconds to Disaster: The Herald of Free Enterprise

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/06/16

The Herald of Free Enterprise: How a Routine Ferry Crossing Became One of Britain's Deadliest Peacetime Disasters | Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs On the night of March 6, 1987, the roll-on/roll-off ferry Herald of Free Enterprise left the Belgian port of Zeebrugge bound for Dover with nearly 500 passengers and crew aboard. Minutes after clearing the harbor, the ship rolled onto its side in shallow water, claiming 193 lives in one of the most consequential maritime disasters of the 20th century. In this

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36:04

The Wreck of the Mentor w/Eric Jay Dolin

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/06/09

The Wreck of the Whaleship Mentor (1832) | Shipwreck, Captivity & Survival in Palau | Interview with Eric Jay Dolin In May 1832, the American whaleship Mentor was battling fierce storms in the western Pacific when disaster struck. Wrecked on a remote reef in the Micronesian archipelago of Palau, eleven surviving crewmen found themselves stranded in unfamiliar territory, their supplies dwindling and their fate uncertain. Within days, indigenous Palauan warriors approached bearing axes, clubs, and

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20:45

(Bonus) The Curious Case of the Glenesslin

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/06/02

In 1913, the fully-rigged British vessel Glenesslin strangely sailed straight into the rocks on the coast of Oregon, despite relatively calm weather. Locals reported the captain and crew were drunk, and rumors of insurance fraud swirled. Many questions still remain about why this beautiful ship was wrecked on the rocks.All episodes and transcripts can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com.For ad-free listening, access to exclusive bonus episodes, and free perks, please subscribe to the Officer's

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48:12

The Doolittle Raid and Unit 731 w/Jenny Chan

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/05/26

In April 1942, sixteen American B-25 bombers lifted off from the deck of USS Hornet and struck the Japanese home islands in a raid that stunned the Empire of Japan. But for the Chinese people of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, the Doolittle Raid triggered a catastrophe. In this episode of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, host Rich Napolitano examines the brutal Japanese military campaign that followed during a campaign of deliberate terror against civilian populations who had aided the American airmen. What

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49:13

Dr. John Rae: A Scottish Hero

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/05/19

Dr. John Rae was a Scottish surgeon who became one of the most remarkable Arctic explorers of the 19th century, and one of its most unjustly forgotten. Between 1846 and 1854, Rae led four major Arctic expeditions, trekking, sailing, and canoeing more than 37,000 kilometres across some of the most unforgiving terrain on Earth.His discovery of Rae Strait proved to be the final link in a navigable Northwest Passage, which was successfully used by Roald Amundsen in 1903–06. But it was another

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54:30

Lost Franklin Expedition w/NEW UPDATES

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/05/12

This replay of episode 35 includes new updates! A 2026 research study has positively identified remains of four men from the Franklin Expedition using DNA analysis. Also, updates about what has been found at the wrecks of HMS Terror and HMS Erebus.The Franklin Expedition of 1845 was a British voyage led by Sir John Franklin in an attempt to navigate the Northwest Passage, a coveted sea route through the Arctic. Comprising two ships, the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, the expedition aimed to explore

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30:36

The USS Jeannette: Shattered Ambitions (Part 2)

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/04/29

The USS Jeannette expedition (1879–1881) is remembered as one of the most tragic and compelling stories in maritime history, blending ambition, endurance, and survival against the odds. Financed by James Gordon Bennett Jr. and undertaken by the United States Navy, the expedition aimed to reach the North Pole via the Bering Strait in search of the theorized open polar sea. Commanded by George Washington De Long, a crew of 33 men departed San Francisco in 1879, only to become trapped in Arctic pack

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32:33

The USS Jeannette: Shattered Ambitions (Part 1)

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/04/28

The USS Jeannette expedition (1879–1881) is remembered as one of the most tragic and compelling stories in maritime history, blending ambition, endurance, and survival against the odds. Financed by James Gordon Bennett Jr. and undertaken by the United States Navy, the expedition aimed to reach the North Pole via the Bering Strait in search of the theorized open polar sea. Commanded by George Washington De Long, a crew of 33 men departed San Francisco in 1879, only to become trapped in Arctic pack

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42:10

Japanese Hell Ships with Jenny Chan

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/04/21

Hell Ships is the name given to prisoner of war transport ships used by the Empire of Japan during World War 2. These ships were truly nightmarish. Thousands of POWs were crammed shoulder to shoulder in the holds of these ships, in brutal heat, unsanitary conditions, with rancid water, limited food, and no room to lie down. These ships were also unmarked, and were often targeted by Allied planes, ships, and submarines. Rich and guest Jenny Chan discuss Hell Ships and other atrocities during the war

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36:33

The Ghost Ship of the Carroll A. Deering

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/04/14

The 5- masted schooner Carroll A. Deering was discovered abandoned on January 31, 1921, hard aground on the treacherous Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras. All crew members had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a fully set table in the galley, personal belongings, and signs that the vessel had been recently occupied, but with its lifeboats missing. The ship’s logs and navigational equipment were also gone. Despite investigations by the United States Coast Guard and speculation ranging from

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24:01

The USS Narcissus with Madison from It's a History...

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/03/31

The USS Narcissus was a Union screw tug during the American Civil War, originally built as the stram tug, Mary Cook in 1863. USS Narcissus sank for the first time in 1864 in Mobile Bay, but was refloated, repaired, and put back into service. Her fatal sinking was in 1866, off the coast of Egmont Key, in the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida.This episode was researched and written by Rich Napolitano and Madison Schmidt..All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at

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17:59

The Rescue of HMS Rockingham

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/03/24

HMS Rockingham was an armed convoy escort of the Royal Navy during World War 2. Originally built as USS Swasey for the U.S. Navy, she was transferred to the Royal Navy in 1940 as part of the "Destroyers for Bases" deal. On 27 September, 1944, Rockingham struck a mine off the coast of Scotland, requiring a daring rescue in rough seas.Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, notes, and merchandise can be found at

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13:09

(Bonus) Flotsam & Jetsam: Miss Unsinkable Violet Jessop

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/03/17

Violet Jessop was a stewardess for the White Star Line and survived three maritime disasters. She was on board the RMS Olympic in 1911 when it collided with HMS Hawke, RMS Titanic when it famously sank in 1912, and HMHS Britannic when it struck a German mine in 1916. Her early life in Argentina and later England was a constant struggle, but she survived despite adversity and tragedy. Violet Jessop has been called "Miss Unsinkable" ever since.Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All

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32:26

HMHS Britannic: Titanic's Lost Sister

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/03/10

HMHS Britannic was built by Harland & Wolff for the White Star Line as an OIympic Class ocean liner. Her older sisters were RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic. Britannic never realized the glory of translatlantic passenger service, as she was requisitioned by the Admiralty as a hospital ship for service during World War I. On 21 November 1916, Britannic struck a German mine in the Aegean Sea sank. Thirty sailors and medical staff were lost, but 1,036 survived.As noted in the episode, the following is a

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48:08

The OceanGate Titan Submersible: A Preventable...

Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs ·

2026/02/26

On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible imploded during a voyage to the wreck of the Titanic, killing OceanGate founder and CEO Stockton Rush, ocean explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and civilians Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, and 19 year old Suleman Dawood. Many industry experts warned Stockton Rush of his reckless methods, reliance on untested and unproven materials, and lack of safety standards.This is part 2 of a 2-part series, describing the creation of a second Titan hull, problems during

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