What happened to the Nautilus and its expedition under the North Pole?
In the icy heart of the Arctic Ocean sits the North Pole, in a vast spread of shifting sea ice shaped by winds, currents, and seasonal thaws.
Adventurers throughout history braved its harsh embrace, attempting to conquer it by ship, dogsled, and on foot. However, the true conquest of this elusive point came in 1926 with the pioneering flight of the airship Norge, though earlier claims existed.
Wilkin’s brainchild, the Nautilus, is a revamped relic of World War I under the skilled hands of naval architect Simon Lake. Outfitted with a reinforced front, shock absorbers, and sled-like runners, the Nautilus set sail in June 1931, manned by a crew of 20, but almost immediately things began to go wrong.
