SNMS Supplemental: Shattered Hulls Side-Cast

As mentioned in the latest podcast on the epic 1980 film Raise the Titanic, Dion Baia in 2012 with his then cohost Brian Zino of their podcast The Podwits on the 100th anniversary of that ship’s sinking, recorded a 3-part podcast in which they talk about other massive maritime disasters that many have forgotten in modern times. Both sharing a morbid fascination, and starting at the turn of the 20th century, Dion and Brian hit on numerous sinkings that were huge and world-changing at the times they occurred.

What connects these to the last SNMS podcast on Raise the Titanic (aside from the obvious disaster-at-sea aspect), is that the guys cover the fate of the many vessels brought up in that podcast, like theTitanic‘s sister ships RMS Olympic (and the incident occurring with her that had it not have happened, it maybe would have saved the Titanic from her fate), HMHS Britannic, and what the fourth funnel, which the boys lovingly label the ‘badass funnel‘, was actually for on these 3 ships. They also discuss the nuclear sub tragedies of the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion, which were the two naval submarines that ironically enabled Oceanographer Robert Ballad to discover the long-lost Titanic wreck in 1985. Brian and Dion also touch on their mutual love for the book and film version of Raise the Titanic.

The boys also touch on infamous events as the USS Maine, the RMS Lusitania, the Bismark, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and until September 11th, 2001, the biggest disaster in New York City history, the tale of the PS General Slocum, among many others.

Condescended into one episode, here is the acclaimed 3-parter, in an interesting, fascinating and fact-filled podcast that is so far out in the proverbial weeds, that it is not like any podcast Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers has done before, and probably ever do again! (Below are the original descriptions for the 3 parts originally published in 2012).

Part 1: “Magnificent Compelling Wrongness”

In the wake of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, Brian Zino and Dion Baia indulge their shared fascination with shipwrecks for your entertainment and edification. Join them for their first Shipwreck Special Podcast, as they discuss at length the majesty and tragedy of various oceanic disasters, concentrating on the beginning of the 20th century, and the ramifications on the industry and public leading up to the First World War. For further reading on the ships discussed in this podcast: USS Maine, White Star Line, RMS Olympic, HMS Hawke, SS City of New York, RMS Titanic,  HMHS Britannic, and SS Morro Castle. Thanks to Google Books, you can also check out the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report on the salvaging and sinking of the USS Maine mentioned by Brian. For a link to Violet Jessop’s memoirs of surviving both the RMS Titanic and HMHS Britannic disasters, click here.

Part 2: “The War Years”

Dion and Brian are back with the second of our shipwreck specials. This time they delve into some of the fascinating maritime casualties of the two World Wars, including RMS Lusitania, the German battleship Bismarck, the Japanese battleship Yamato, and the little-known but spectacular disaster that was the HMT Lancastria. Plus, Dion reveals his favorite unknown shipwreck from history, PS General Slocum.

Part 3: “Life in Dark Waters”

All aboard for Brian and Dion’s wrap-up of their enthusiastic but respectful journey through the history of maritime disasters. They look back at the great shipwrecks of United States history—some famous (the SS Andrea Doria and the SS Edmund Fitzgerald), some less so (the American nuclear subs USS Thresher and USS Scorpion, and the Great Lakes excursion liner SS Eastland), and as one last treat they delve briefly into the tantalizing mystery of U-869, the Nazi U-boat discovered off the coast of New Jersey in 1991!

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