Horror at Sea; The Burning of TSMS Lakonia 1963

In December 1963 the gleaming new cruise ship Lakonia set out from Southampton on a Christmas cruise for over 600 excited passengers to escape the dreary British Winter. Unbeknownst to them the ship was experiencing electrical problems and only three days into their voyage a deadly fire was sparked which raged out of control. This is the story of the incredible destructive power of the fire and the brilliant rescue efforts mounted to save the passengers of the cruise ship Lakonia.
Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels- from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!
#ship #history #titanic #lakonia #fire #disaster #oceanlinerdesigns #history #documentary #southampton
0:00 Introduction
1:44 The JVO
6:00 The Lakonia
9:15 The Voyage
11:09 The Fire
24:41 The Rescue
30:00 The Sinking
31:54 The Aftermath

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

DID YOU ENJOY THIS VIDEO? Why not support my work on Patreon at; www.patreon.com/oceanlinerdesigns OR join as a KZbin member for cool badges and emojis!; kzbin.info/door/sE8PTncfn2Vga48jH46HnQjoin Supporters on Patreon and KZbin enjoy perks like early access and behind the scenes and bloopers! ▶MORE OCEANLINER DESIGNS; 5 Incredible Abandoned Ships: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnPXiZyAia2EmJo 5 TERRIFYING Rogue Wave Encounters: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKa5Z3idZbOXpA How Did They Steer the Titanic?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYvIXpiuqpeFeLc

[@bayern_3234]

rip jvo

[@bayern_3234]

the greatest ship to ever be built

[@levonhill]

Incredible

[@hellothere4589]

Yes I did really enjoy this video!

[@therealtony2009]

i enjoyed this one

[@mikef5881]

"I had a fire extinguisher in my hand that had been tested for the last time in 1933" - Lakonia coffee cook Horst Schumann, a German member of the crew

[@Chellebelle121]

Crazy

[@brick6347]

I had to do a double take at that name! Was that actually his real name?! Bloody hell, I'd have changed it.

[@andrebrammer2214]

What about the name?

[@brick6347]

@@andrebrammer2214 Horst Schumann was an infamous Nazi doctor who performed horrendous medical experiments at Auschwitz. Obviously not the same person, just an unfortunate coincidence.

[@tywilliams4332]

The fire extinguisher may have been older then the crew member using it

[@captsen1]

My family and I were on board Lakonia that fateful night in Dec 1963 and were traveling with our friend the Standards , thankfully we all survived. I was only a child of 3 at the time, so this film has really helped my to better understand the sequence of my own fragmented, but none the less traumatic memories of the events. that have haunted me for many years . I am eternally grateful to the. German steward who helped my mother and I up from a burning corridor to safety and also the brave members of the crew who stayed behind to launch the lifeboats after so many of the crew deserted their posts and Never forgetting the SS Salta and other rescue vessels who stood by us that night. in 2018 i visited the Gibraltar cemetery to pay my respects to those less lucky than I .. lest we ever forget the bravery of those who are prepared to lay their lives down for others and I have tried not to waste mine! Rest In peace Major John W Senior MBE TD VR DR Lakonia Survivor 4 Feb 2024 .

[@flyin4352]

The bit about Susan Redfern giving her husband his christmas present right then and there really hits home how bleak the situation must have been. She clearly believed that at least one of them would not live to see the morning, and it's extra gut-wrenching that she was the one who died.

[@yourcriptanite1]

@Azurie Why are you commenting then?

[@themaskedtalker2171]

@@yourcriptanite1 edgy Weeaboos thinking their rude ass comments matter. Just ignore.

[@mikef5881]

Actually, she survived, and lived to tell the tale herself.

[@Aerotides]

​@Azurie 0/10 trolling attempt from an anime profile picture. Go touch some grass

[@Xvladin]

​@@azurie7816f the system man

[@lizblock9593]

Mad respect for the captain who was the last to leave the ship. Mad respect for the production crew of the video who did an awesome job with the animation!

[@davidbeckenbaugh9598]

Respect for a lot of people here. The crew that re-boarded despite huge risks to search for survivors. The crewmen that went in to fight the fire with very few escape paths for them to get back out. The crew that worked hard to free stuck machinery to get lifeboats away (not their fault, really, that some of the lowering chains/ropes were rotted and failed). The crew and passengers that tried so hard to save everyone they could and gave up positions in the lifeboats to children. People in lifeboats pulling as many as they could from the water (unlike Titanic where half filled boats left people to die). So much like Titanic. So unlike Titanic.

[@rebeccahylant7695]

Absolutely

[@tools_1805]

Mad respect to the negligent captain fr fr

[@trentvlak]

lol what? the captain that refused to run evacuation drills or make sure his lifeboats could launch?

[@minute0420]

@@trentvlak that's the company's responsibility. the captain just sailed the ship, it caught fire, and miraculously he decided to survive a whole night on board. even if he is guilty, you cant take away from the fact he did that

[@EmmaCruises]

A couple of weeks ago I took a cruise with a new British cruise line and the cruise was cancelled after 4 hours (we were at dinner!) because they failed an annual inspection. I had SO many comments on the video I made about it saying that they would have wanted the ship to sail anyway, that is crazy to me and videos like this show why we have the safety rules that we do!! 👍

[@crankychris2]

Wow, Emma, I'll check them out!

[@SeanBZA]

You were lucky they cancelled the cruise, because many others would have carried on, letting the cancellation come in after return, saying it arrived after they departed.

[@Honeydwarf85]

Fancy seeing you here Emma!

[@internetquickie]

I just saw that video! And you're right, with help almost always hours away, there's absolutely no way any sensible person/crew/captain can take that risk. Remember, regulations are written in blood.

[@lianneheim2076]

I just watched that video. I enjoyed watching that one and all your videos Emma.

[@heckler3119]

The Captain being the last one to leave the ship was definitely an A+!

[@freeculture]

It is ironic that by doing his duty, he didn't lose his life as the ship did not sink that day. Costa Concordia on the other hand...

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

​@@freeculture "Making a Schettino" is a 21st century problem. Back then being a Capt'n still was a respectable position for respectable people.

[@daphnekapsambelis8790]

He was. And a good man. he never recovered nevertheless.

[@dillonpierce7869]

Captain should always be the last man off the ship. 🤙

[@scorpion19142001]

@@freeculture Tell that to the captain of the Yarmouth Castle.

[@MikeT-we5pd]

My great grandmother was a passenger on the Lakonia when this happened. She would have been around 70 years old at the time. She was fortunate enough to survive, and I remember my mother telling me that her grandmother had organised the singing of hymns in her lifeboat to try to keep people's spirits up. She went on to live to the ripe old age of 101. I got a copy of the book 'The Painted Ship' quite literally yesterday, not had chance to read it yet. I would have loved to show my mother this video, but sadly she passed away six months ago. Thank you for making it.

[@miapdx503]

Sorry for the loss of your mother. She survived though, and lived a long time. Did she tell you about the tragedy? A first hand account would be fascinating. 🌹

[@pxn748]

Who is the author of "The Painted Ship"? I would like to try and find it too. thanks.

[@MikeT-we5pd]

@@pxn748 'The Painted Ship' was written by David Marchbanks.

[@pxn748]

Thanks. I have a pretty good collection of books about cruise ships.@@MikeT-we5pd

[@elsablue54]

I'm so sorry your mother passed to heaven. It is hard when we lose especially our mothers. " blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted." In heaven because of Jesus Christ we will be with our loved ones again and never have to part. God bless you and keep you..❤👑🦁

[@briantodd3190]

My paternal grandfather was onboard the Lakonia when it caught fire and sadly , although he was forced into one of the lifeboats ( he insisted on trying to help other passengers ) he died because he had left his insulin in his cabin and he hypoed in the lifeboat . I know that the bodies were shipped to Gibraltar , but for some reason my parents had to retrieve his body from Rotterdam which , for an 11 year old , was quite an adventure in itself . Thank you for bringing this back to my mind , he was a grand old man .

[@TheAdx1001]

Fascinating sir! Thank you for sharing

[@enigmadrath1780]

I always get a bit emotional hearing how other ships will drop all plans and rush to aid a ship in distress, even if it puts them at risk.

[@TheTurbinator]

It's the maritime law, and a decent thing to do. If you know that a ship is in distress and you willing ignore it; you can be criminally charged.

[@Xpwnxage]

It's heartwarming to think about how much resources get used on the off chance you can save a few people from dying. Look at the cargo ship the El Faro. It sank in a hurricane and rescue teams couldn't get anywhere near it until the hurricane subsided days later. They spent millions of dollars searching for survivors in the days after the hurricane dissipated. Millions of dollars just in case someone actually survived such nightmarish conditions for a prolonged period of time. No one was successfully rescued. Some would call it wasteful and it is, but the desire to look after each other trumps all.

[@ZGryphon]

Same. The odyssey of the _Carpathia_ and her crew is the best part of the _Titanic_ story to me, hands down. Rousting all the stokers out of bed, shutting down cabin heat and hot water to throw every last scrap of steam at the engines, dodging ice in pitch darkness for hours at a knot or two _faster_ than her absolute maximum design speed to arrive on the scene half an hour sooner than anyone thought they possibly could have... epic in every way.

[@ink3539]

@@ZGryphon Yeah, for years I wondered - what if she had made it on time ? What is there had been another, closer ship ? Well this is the story.

[@anubispup4760]

When it comes to ships in distress there are no borders or seperation in race, class, or sex. The ocean is everyones enemy.

[@andrewmcintosh5914]

Sadly, my dad was one of the crew of HMS Centaur sent to aid the rescue of survivors and those lost. As a member of the fire crew, he had the unenviable task of boarding the ship to recover bodies of those lost to the tragedy. They delivered the bodies of 89 crew and passengers into Gibraltar harbour on Christmas Day with Silent Night playing in the background 😪

[@tripwire3992]

That must be horrifying to witness

[@tripwire3992]

Forgot to add, your dad is a true hero for going aboard and brunting such a horrible sight head on just to give rest to the people who perished.

[@andrewmcintosh5914]

@tripwire3992 Thank you. At 23 years of age, as he was at the time, I can only begin to imagine the impact on him and his crewmates. One I know was only 17 at the time as I befriended him on a forum talking about the disaster. The more I've found and read about the disaster, the more sad I become at the sheer scale of the tragedy, the taller I grow with pride at being the son of such an amazing man.

[@jamesstreet228]

Learning not to open a door that smoke is billowing from around is one of the basic fire fighting training points. There's fire in the room but there's not enough oxygen for it to blaze up. Then you open the door and it gets the oxygen it needs and it flashes. Either these people weren't paying attention in fire fighter training or they weren't thinking. That was a HUGE mistake Edit A huge shout out to all those who came to help these people. The ships and the plane that flew around for hours dropping life rafts to anyone they saw alive. It's our nature to help each other. It just takes a catastrophe to bring the spirit out.

[@mitchelleroberson]

Yeah so I had thought the same thing. But I wondered: what do you do then? Turn the power off? Is there any possible way of containing the fire? Would keeping the door shut possibly allow it to die out?

[@jimtalbott9535]

@@mitchellerobersonGive the nature of older hair and beauty products, I expect the fire would have had plenty of fuel. I don’t know what safe storage requirements were like at that time, but I assume the needed supplies for the entire voyage were stored in the salon itself. Even with the door closed, that would have been a VERY intense fire.

[@Goldenkitten1]

@@mitchelleroberson Yes...no....it's complicated. Basically once a fire is started the only way it's going out is through either determined firefighting measures that either suppress or deprive the fires oxygen supply OR to let the fire burn itself out through lack of fuel. In the latter case the fire is going to continue burning outward as long as it has fuel and oxygen. Because of how the ship was constructed it likely would have just continued burning until it made its way to more fuel as I doubt the barbershop was self contained in a fire resistant box of metal but it may have remained contained long enough to assess the situation, mount a response and quite possibly have saved the ship. Long story short just don't open doors that look like there might be a fire unless you've got secret oxygen depleting super powers.

[@juliadagnall5816]

⁠@@mitchellerobersonThe best case scenario would be to seal of the area, begin evacuations, and keep the fire contained as long as you can. If there’s enough fuel and the room isn’t well sealed it might end up spreading regardless, but the back flash from fresh oxygen rushing in makes it much more likely that the fire will burn out of control. Different materials ignite at different temperatures but most things will burn if you get them hot enough and and energetic fire is a hot fire. You don’t want to open that door unless you’ve got heavy duty firefighting equipment on hand and ready to go.

[@oldmanjim2376]

Even in the US Navy at the time, there wasn't the thought of every crew member being trained to fight fires. During that same decade, fires broke out on the USS Oriskany (CVA 34), USS Forrestal (CVA 59), and USS Enterprise (CVAN 65.) All 3 carriers. The Forrestal lost their main firefighting crew to an explosion on the flight deck.

[@historyhooligan2893]

Glad to hear that the crew, by and large, showed bravery and leadership during the fire. So many of these disasters feature stories of crew members (even captains and officers) panicking, acting cowardly, sneaking into lifeboats, etc. but it appears the Lakonia’s death toll would’ve been much higher if not for the actions of her crew

[@murdermatics]

Crazy right? The one in Korean where crew issued the stay put command and then bailed leaving hundreds of middle schoolers to die. Then there's the crew of the Lusitania or Britannic I think where the crew worked to get everyone on lifeboats just to walk into the rising ocean off the vanishing deck.

[@mikebrown3772]

It was in the news just a couple of weeks ago that the cruise ship Ambience of Ambassador Line cancelled it's Christmas cruise to the Canary Islands and disembarked the 1,400 passengers who were all already aboard after failing a lifeboat inspection at Tilbury. Watching this video it is easy to understand why it was considered so important that she didn't sail with passengers.

[@houghwhite411]

Safety regulations are written in blood

[@paulrasmussen8953]

My issue with that stiry is why wasn't that discovered before tickets were so

[@drkarats6147]

@@paulrasmussen8953 they'll have been compensated but most checks are done before leaving port

[@Strider91]

Because in Air and Sea travel, cutting corners means people die. If you don't pass even the smallest inspection. You don't sail

[@SuccessionLockon]

I live in south shields UK where cruise ships, battle ships and even an aircraft carry come to repair and fuel up. I watched a lifeboat drill once, it was fascinating to watch, the life boat kinda just plops off the side of the ship. Didnt get roped down or anything, just hurled off and drove around for a bit before being hoisted back on. I watched about 3 of them.

[@mafiousbj]

Fun fact: the Argentinian ship SS Salta that came to the rescue was passenger/inmigrant ship that had been converted from an escort aircfrat carrier which served under the Royal Navy in WWII, the HMS Shah, which itself had been rebuilt before being launched. It was originally supposed to be a freighter but was requisitioned during the war by the American Navy, finished as an escort carrier and then given to the British, who gave it back after the war. It reminds me of those war veterans who do something heroic in their retirement, like stopping a bank robbery. Even under her new role as passenger ship she was still ready to spring into action when needed, almost twenty years after her Royal Navy career had ended. Of course huge respect to her crew as well.

[@skeetrix5577]

if they only knew that sometime after this the argentines would start a war with the British

[@purplefood1]

@@skeetrix5577 I doubt that would have changed anything

[@joaquinnino2789]

Mi padre fue tripulante del Salta y participó del naufragio...salto al mar de 13mts para sacar del agua a 2 personas

[@mafiousbj]

@@joaquinnino2789 heroe!! De esos que no salen en los periódicos! Enviales mis saludos!

[@jrt818]

HMS Shah pulled into an American port in WW2 and was asked to identify itself. "HMSSHAH". Can you repeat that, "HMSSHAH". Never mind we'll find out when you get in port.

[@Catrinus1]

I had heard of the Laconia tragedy, but had NO IDEA it was formerly the Johann vavn OudeBarneveld. The JVO is remembered among Dutch-Indonesians like me because it carried THOUSANDS of us from newly-independent Indonesia to Holland after the Dutch-Indonesian War of 1945-1949. We were exiled "back" to a country that really didn't want us.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

A family friend was one of those Dutch-Indonesians like yourself. He'd been in a Japanese concentration camp as a kid. All there was to eat was plain boiled tapioca, he said. He became an International Businessman. My parents met him as teachers in the Netherlands, before I was born. They visited us in the States. I remember he tried to eat a hamburger with a knife and fork. But he liked it.

[@browncoatkevin]

Your love for the ships comes through in showing them as characters rather than setpieces. The 3D model of Lakonia here greatly accentuated that.

[@No-ic8uq]

Your narration truly represents how tragic and horrible this event was. Amazing video, well done.

[@peliasadventurer602]

I don't know about that. He sounds like he's speed reading. I keep expecting him to run out of breath. Check out the documentary on the Yarmouth Castle fire disaster. It's here on youtube and the narrator does right.

[@frankmiller95]

@@peliasadventurer602 You're obviously not a trained mariner, nor especially knowledgeable about the art of film-making. This is one the best videos of a marine casualty of this type available anywhere. The quality of every aspect of it is unsurpassed for what it is.

[@peliasadventurer602]

@@frankmiller95 The Yarmouth Castle Floating Inferno doc one is a legitimate documentary with no fancy ultra clean as a whistle technology and no robotic narration either.

[@frankmiller95]

@@peliasadventurer602 We're all entitled to our own opinions. Ours are not in alignment, and neither is more valid than the other. Mine come from my professional background and having grown up in the milieu of film and theater.

[@Berven-gf9jq]

@@peliasadventurer602 I my eyes and ears this guy is great. As a Norwegian I can easily understand each word, had no trouble following up, and enjoyed the full edit. When it comes to great narrating voice, my choise is Nuke top 5 s approach. Cheers

[@willbreckinridge8010]

Holy crap dude, this is just another level of amazing. Animation-wise and perhaps just in general, I think this is your best video. Great to finally see JVO get her own video, even if it has such a sad ending.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

The graphics are indeed impressive.

[@peliasadventurer602]

@Hank The animation of the sinking Lakonia is too clean. The ship itself for example was in far worse shape thenn depicted. And does he even have footage of how the ship sank to depict it sinking the way he does? No chance.

[@YrnehLrak]

​@@peliasadventurer602ø

[@ZebaKnight]

It's remarkable, and a great tribute to those who came to assist the crew and passengers of the Lakonia, how many people _survived_ that disaster. This was a terrible story, very well told and illustrated.

[@owellafehr5191]

Exactly my thoughts! Honestly when I saw the thumbnail (not knowing anything about the disaster) I didn't even want to watch it, as I thought it'd surely be one of those shipwrecks where the vast majority of the passengers & crew died. It was only when I heard in a different video that far more people survived than died, that I decided to come back and check it out. (Not to say that 128 deaths isn't a horrible tragedy, of course; but in terms of shipwrecks, ~88% of those on board surviving is pretty impressive).

[@owellafehr5191]

Despite the immense tragedy of this situation, it's inspiring to see how so many people came together to rescue the survivors.

[@MajorAce_usedtobeMechchad]

It always feels eerie and sad seeing a ship sink. Rest in Peace everyone who perished in this tragedy.

[@MelanieCravens]

Not making light of the tragedy or sinking, but watching her roll over and go under was like "I've had a rough night. I'm tired" and she pulled the blanket of seawater up over her and went to sleep.

[@MajorAce_usedtobeMechchad]

@@MelanieCravens she will be sleeping forever

[@TheAdx1001]

I fully agree, it's terrifying and eerie. But somehow very fascinating at the same time

[@hebalubob3603]

I really love the new 3D animations! It captures the beauty of the vessel.

[@bregjejabra25]

Beautifully made.

[@rachaelfitzpatrick8574]

I think one of the aspects of tragedy that hurts me the most is the idea of people being happy and carefree in the moments before. The thought of those last smiles and laughs before having their lives taken and losing the people they were happy with just minutes ago tears my heart to shreds.

[@TTTTCJGKS]

Felt that. The general unfairness of life itself is so mind numbing you could drive yourself mad thinking about it. Whenever I see stories like these I put myself in those people's who's, those who died and what their final moments must have been like and those who narrowly escaped a similar fate. It's all fascinating to and sad to me. Stay safe!

[@I_am_a_cat_]

It's heartbreaking. So heartbreaking. Not gonna lie, I teared up a couple times during this, just because the thought of it being a happy cruise ship turning into hell also tears my heart to shreds. It'd be heartbreaking either way, but for some reason that just makes it worse.

[@peggypasson8794]

Mine to it cuts to my soul . So sad

[@suelloyd1989]

My family and I travelled on this ship as British immigrants to Australia in July 1962 when it was still the JVO. We’d only been in Australia for a little over a year when news broke about the fire and subsequent sinking of the Lakonia and even though I was a child, I can remember feeling shocked and saddened at the loss of the ship and so many passengers. Thank you so much for covering this disaster - it is very well researched and produced. RIP to all those who lost their lives that dreadful night.

[@philtkaswahl2124]

A situation where your guard is down due to revelry or relaxation turning into a life or death situation is seriously one of my worst fears, and the prospect of it happening in the middle of the ocean, making escape options even more limited, makes it so much more horrific.

[@nosmokeey]

It’s not a hindrance to be in your position it’s rather a positive.I like to think I’m a bit similar I like to check the exits when in new environments position of fir extinguishers and exits that may not be obvious. I was a merchant seaman and a member of the fire party in the event of emergency and trained In the use of Breathing Apparatus. so keep doing what you do 😊

[@stevenschnepp576]

@Madame d'Badger Likewise. My brother and I are both veterans, so at least nobody says anything to us about it.

[@tarajones9675]

Honestly I have this fear so bad due to mass shootings that I am starting to avoid going to fun places like the mall, theaters, and crowded places. I figure if I'm not there I'll be safer. I'm even becoming scared to go shopping in the grocery store. I do have mental health issues but life is much more dangerous nowadays than when I was young. I think pretty much anyone could develop fears like this.

[@stevenschnepp576]

@@tarajones9675 Don't do that. If you allow your irrational anxieties to keep you from doing things, your mind will take that as confirmation that they are dangerous and your anxieties will only strengthen and metastasize.

[@MizterMissile]

@@stevenschnepp576 that only applies if the anxieties are irrational. If you live in America, they are not. But truly, life is to be lived. We take risks all day every day, and it's better to live while you can.

[@nickfliesplaces]

Damn dude, your an incredible story teller, I hope you do more like this, shed a few tears 😭

[@davesmith5656]

Agree. The narration is really good, and so are the visuals.

[@737Garrus]

you're*

[@peliasadventurer602]

@@davesmith5656 I wouldn't go that far. It's almost like he's speed reading. I keep expecting him to run out of breath. That's not good narration. Martin Sheen and David McCallum did beautiful narrations for their Titanic documentaries many years ago that are still enjoyable today. Mike needs to learn how to narrate better.

[@S.E.C-R]

@@peliasadventurer602 I dont see a problem with his narration, that one of the things I like most about his videos, I think he does a great job. You can always slow the speed of the video down if he’s speaking too fast for you. I cant think of the name of it right now, but there’s another channel I’ve watched several times about planes, war, disasters, etc… where the narrator sounds like an auctioneer telling a story. He has good content, but his biggest complaint is the speed of his narration. If I can find it I will come back and post a link to one of his videos for comparison.

[@davesmith5656]

@@S.E.C-R ---- There's one channel with, I assume, a Scottish guy who says "deh" as in "have a nice deh". "It's that weh". "Whatever you seh". Some professional interpersonal relationship counselor (or something like that) wrote that an individual's voice forms 70% of our impression of them. I think of the guy who did "Ram tough". Probably rehearsed that 100 times before he got everything right. It's really a pretty amazing art form, and the guys who do it use hand and body gestures while doing it, el-o-o-ngating wo-o-rds, hammering intonations, floating, caressing words "your baby's blanket comes out soo soo-ft and flu-U-ffy!" Then you have your voice-over for animated characters .... "Eeya-ba-da-ba-doo!"

[@chrislyne377]

Tragic story aside, this is a phenomenal video & better than many TV documentaries. You ought to be incredibly proud of yourself and thank you so much for the time, effort and talent you put into making this Mike.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

That’s really kind Chris, thanks so much!

[@Oakleaf700]

@@OceanlinerDesigns Your voice is lovely, the intonation and clarity.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

@@Oakleaf700 Mike's Australian or whatever it is accent also adds a distinctive flavor to his superb storytelling.

[@chrissybayby1591]

I was obsessed with ships as a little kid, and one of the many books I read about them was about the Lakonia, titled, "The Painted Ship," by David Marchbanks. The title of the book was a clear reference that little was done to upgrade the ship by its new owners, other than a fresh paint job.

[@chinton3246]

I don’t typically comment, but I have to say that this is one of the most phenomenal videos on this topic I’ve seen. Masterfully done!

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thanks so much!

[@Sassymouse88]

What a tragic story, but well told and the animations are really striking. Sad that the captain was charged with negligence when a lot of the safety features failed due to the refit & paintwork which I'm assuming wasn't completed or overseen by him personally but were the GL's responsibility. But, as we all know, if it were not for the many ships & planes that came to assist, the outcome would have been a lot worse!

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thanks so much Anna! Appreciate your thankyou donation. It is sad - but I also think as skipper he ought to have known how many of his boats were actually operational. A CO who runs a tight ship must have known that half the boats could not be lowered safely. Fortunately he did make up for this in some way by not abandoning his passengers. The photo of him - still in full uniform with cap - is very emotive!

[@Sassymouse88]

@@OceanlinerDesigns That’s very true too. You would hope that a captain would know the condition of their ship! Perhaps the lifeboats were a case of “it’s not a problem until there’s a problem”!

[@scorpion19142001]

@@OceanlinerDesigns There is an "Old" saying that was said when I work as Conductor on trains. "Up hill slow, down hill fast, tonnage 1st safety last". As mariner would support this saying. Only with mariner sayings. You have maybe to realize this was in the earlier 60s. Was this enforce at this time frame. There were countless captains who were under extreme pressure, with threats of either being demoted or suspend and being fired after they're suspended or just being fired. That bend under bosses Iron (Companies) will. I had seen this was the way at the company I work for.

[@Sassymouse88]

@@edward9643 wtf? It’s a thank you donation to Mike. Go be creepy somewhere else.

[@justforever96]

The Captain is responsible for his ship. It is his job to ensure it is in a safe condition to sail, and to refuse to leave harbor unless it is. Which is easier said than done, and I feel kind of bad for him too, but ultimately that is how it works. The Captain is in charge.

[@RinaRavyn]

That final moment in the video was a depressing yet also wholesome experience. There she sails in cruiseliner heaven, happily chugging into the sunset not a care in the world, just like titanic on her final voyage. And then your writing appeared. "Her wreck has never been revisited since." That was quite sad.

[@jordanlavers3332]

I can confirm my grandmother was on this ship in 1952 when it was the JVO going from Holland to Australia. Thank you for this content! I also found out my Nanna took the Strathhaird and she has an original document and memories of travelling on it.

[@jordanlavers3332]

If any Australian, or anyone is interested, the Australian National Archives have a fantastic digitised records of passenger lists for most of the 20th century to find out which ship your family member may have been on.

[@mwmentor]

That was horrific... and the biggest issue in my opinion was not crew related as the courts' decided, but rather the refit and refurbishing dock workers who simply painted over what must obviously have been problems that they would have been aware of. So actually, there is more than just a sniff of corruption to this story... perhaps it would be correct for some forensic historian, or someone like that to find out what really happened. Whatever could be found, it was an appalling event under any circumstances. Thanks for sharing - tragic but interesting.

[@davidknowles2491]

That's what troubles me. Why blame the Captain? He wasn't the one painting over the obvious corrosion that had rendered the davits useless, nor was he the electrician who gave the ships wiring a clean bill of health?

[@quillmaurer6563]

Were those dock workers knowledgeable enough to know that what they were painting over was problematic? Many were probably laborers with little ship-specific knowledge, they were told to paint things, so they did. Those who should have known better didn't look closely enough, and those who did the painting didn't know. Or you could blame the inspectors who didn't require that all the davits be inspected. Or the crew who didn't worry about the frequent electrical issues. I think it's hard to find anyone who was really to blame, each person or entity either unaware of the problems, not knowledgeable about what they were seeing, or didn't think the problem was a safety threat (many of these problems individually weren't). But it all adds up to a deadly disaster. That doesn't excuse it, and many lessons could be learned, but responsibility is very broad and collective rather than any specific individuals. I certainly agree that captain and crew should not have been charged like this - they did everything they could, and the Captain presumably intended to go down with his ship, didn't leave until saving anyone else was ruled out. He was no Francesco Schettino of the Costa Concordia.

[@crazeelazee7524]

I think it came down to jurisdiction. The dock responsible was Italian while the court was Greek and I doubt the Italian government would agree to extradite them. So the crew was the best the court was going to get. They did place some of the blame on the British, saying the British inspection was inadequate. And yeah, that's fair if you ask me.

[@quillmaurer6563]

@@crazeelazee7524 Good point. In a lot of disaster scenarios, it feels like there's a percieved need to prosecute someone to give the victims and others a sense that justice is served. Often those prosecuted aren't the ones really responsible though, because either there really isn't anyone that deserves to be prosecuted, those who do deserve it are for some reason unable to be prosecuted (such as what you describe), or those who actually deserve the blame are rich, powerful, or influential enough to pass it off, scapegoating someone lower in the hierarchy. As for blaming the British inspectors, what about the Greeks themselves? If the ship was Greek-flagged and owned, shouldn't they have had at least partial responsibility for ensuring it's safety?

[@colincampbell767]

@@davidknowles2491 The captain got blamed because a ship's captain is responsible for _anything_ that happens on the ship. BTW: The firefighting and lifesaving equipment is supposed to be inspected and maintained by the crew on an ongoing basis. This is absolutely the captain's responsibility.

[@aksannyi]

This history was so well-told and heartwrenching. These videos are always fascinating but this one just hit me differently. What an absolutely terrifying scenario. I've really enjoyed your videos for quite some time (much to my surprise, I did not think that ocean liners and ship history would interest me in the slightest) but this one. Just wow. You're an incredible storyteller and you really do these victims and survivors justice in your recount.

[@brigc7755]

Despite the numerous losses, the fact that over 800 people managed to survive is absolutely amazing. The crew, rescue ships, and passengers did amazingly to get almost everyone out safely, especially with the non-functioning lifeboats.

[@coleytoons]

🤯 this was told amazingly well. It's impressive how so many different people came to help in rescuing all those people as well as how many people that were saved. Usually you find out how the captain and some of the crew were some of the first people to abandon the ship in most disasters, so to hear that the captain was still on board and the last one to leave the ship is almost jaw dropping.

[@cameronbradley4]

I know you said 'breath-taking' shots, Mike but geez, this brought tears to my eyes. The visuals, the chilling narration. I'm lost for words.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thanks Cameron :)

[@franzfanz]

Mike's story telling ability is incredible. I'm not even that into oceanliners or cruise ships but the way he articulates the narrative is truly special.

[@andyharman3022]

I didn't used to be very much interested in oceanliners, but since I've been watching Mike's videos, I've become a fan.

[@popaandrei9982]

Man... Mike Brady is a genius and this channel is seriously underrated. The story, the movie, everything is top notch content ! So happy I subscribed !

[@wackypacky6917]

"She was covered in ornate tropical timber" "Here is a holiday you will remember for the rest of your life!" Sometimes foreshadowing is relatively obvious.

[@matthewbowen5841]

They can't be accused of false advertising.

[@phightinphil25]

@@matthewbowen5841 Unfortunately for everybody on board.

[@eliz_scubavn]

The moment they mentioned both of these things, I just knew what was going to happen. I think I’ve watched a few too many disaster videos.

[@megandunnett7900]

@@eliz_scubavn yeah, it was the covered in timber bit that convinced me.

[@kohl57]

This really is exceptionally well written, presented and illustrated. Exemplary. I remember being at the barber's shop aged 6 and looking at the famous Life magazine cover showing an aerial photo of LAKONIA smouldering and bits of fire licking from her after decks. Your presentation is almost as dramatic and vivid. Well done, sir.

[@khernandez46]

Absolutely terrifying. Your videos are AMAZING at how true to life they are, allowing all of us to feel the horror and fear these poor people must have felt as this unfolded. Unbelievable tragedy.

[@searchanddiscover]

I’d love to know how they were able to find the cause of the fire since the ship sank. I’m a sucker for air crash investigation videos and would love to see how the process works for ships.

[@petertrznadel8107]

The stewards who discovered the fire opened the door to the Hairdressing salon, and there was a flash-over fire into the passageways which of course was all nicely panelled in dry, well seasoned, and old wood. it's why we don't have wood panelling anymore on ships. A ship I sailed on, the MV Langston was eventually lost that way too, Fire and wood panelling don't mix well.

[@TheAdx1001]

Do you watch TheFlightChannel and Allec Joshua Ibay?

[@servantofgod5642]

Are you having trouble with the Aussie accent ?

[@trevorconnatser6161]

I find it interesting that here you have an ex-ocean liner, pushed out of service by Jet Airliners, destroyed near Tenerife, where the largest jet airplane disaster ever would eventually occur

[@jackthorton10]

Almost a bit foreshadowing in a sense… but then again, the early jet age, definitely has its fair share of disasters that are rather… noteworthy to say the least

[@michaelduca3799]

@@jackthorton10 Such as ones that wiped out the U.S. figure skating team and the cream of Atlanta society.

[@chm77777]

The quality keeps on getting better and better. Love seeing this channel grow.

[@StunningHistory]

The level of detail and amount of work you put into this video shows. Nicely done, and looking forward to seeing your channel's continued growth!

[@Ph33nxOne]

Thank you Mike and team for telling this story. As a father I must say it was hard to watch at times as I was empathizing a little too strongly. But this is history that must be remembered for those who were lost, lived through, and acted to help. There is so much gained by us now due to those that sacrificed in the past.

[@EmmaCruises]

A brilliantly well put together video, not an easy story to tell but you did it so well. Thank you! 😊

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

It is so hard to take in that the company was so slack about the life boat drill. And rusted machinery! As always Mike, your graphics are magnificent and the music is subtle and very effective. I feel quite nostalgic, looking at the photos. So beautiful! They don't build them like that anymore. And all those poor dead people. It could not possibly have been worse. This is the reason why the civilised world has so many regulations. Without regulations, events like the Lakonia would be normal. Very touching interviews at the end. The people on board were not stupid. Disasters like this are rare. That is why crews have to be trained to take charge. Because passengers cannot possibly know what to do without guidance. Thank you for the video. Sobering.

[@sage5296]

The animation and music does a really good job conveying the scale and impact of the ship and the events that unfolded. Very well done

[@gg79139]

Yet another reason I WILL NEVER go on a cruise ship. The sound effects of the ship moaning and groaning as it disappeared into the ocean was haunting. Well done video. So many more could have been lost. Helpful hint: on land or sea, NEVER open a door with smoke billowing from behind it. Fire safety 101.

[@MarksKicksOnRoute66]

Mr. Brady as always a fantastic production! Your ability to have these difficult names roll off your tounge is impressive!

[@markt9805]

Amazing video, my aunt was on the Yarmouth Castle when it sank, I remember her telling us how she started smelling smoke when she was having a drink on deck. Great narration and I can only imagine the amount of research you had to do in preparation for this video.

[@forestghost7]

@markt9805. my father owned that ship under its orig name Evangeline, before I was born. changing a ship's name ... 💀⚰️. peace to you bro, we share same name

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Mike, you have taken your channel to a new level with this video. A remarkable production all around and along with that I wouldn't be surprised if you've been part of saving lives. People who watch this video may start thinking about safety issues right where they are and about how sometimes we have to take action and make decisions for ourselves rather than waiting to be told what to do. In the book "Fourteen Minutes" about the Empress of Ireland disaster I read how the crew of Canadian Pacific ships had to know the layout of their ships so well that the crewmembers could find their way out onto an open deck even in the dark. We all should know the layout of our homes and schools and workplaces so that we can get out in an emergency. This doesn't mean living in and acting from fear, but it's about being realistic and sensible and prepared. Well done, Mike!

[@matgeezer2094]

It's a grim story, but at least the crew and the crews of rescue ships and planes all went beyond the call of duty to save lives. That aspect of the story is quite inspiring.

[@dynamicmediacurations]

This is TV worthy. Your narration, storytelling, and animation is top notch!

[@tywilliams4332]

Absolutely amazing

[@draggonsgate]

I know about the Morro Castle fire, but had never heard of this until now. Excellent presentation! While the loss of life is tragic and heartbreaking, I'm very surprised it wasn't larger. The snippets of personal stories really brought home how sad this was.

[@ShadowMk3]

The way you narrate it, the animations... I can't help but be moved by the response to this disaster, the ships beelining to help, pilots scrambling... maybe its because I came from another channel video about the korean ship that was basically ignored, this is just... brilliant.

[@Kae6502]

Everything about this video is perfect. The research, the writing, the narration, the music, the animation, the sound effects, the editing... Top notch all the way. Your content keeps getting better and better. Thank you for telling the story this horrific event. R.I.P. to the souls who lost their lives on that terrible night. :(

[@hectorsalamanca6008]

Found this channel by pure chance, a real gem among the rough. Great narration and visuals. My grandad served in the Royal Navy in WW2 on several different ships and my great grandad was employed on RMS Majestic during the 20s and early 30s so always had a deep interest in ships. Currently building a model of the Titanic so watching your vids on her over and over !

[@jayive34]

I found it through KZbin Shorts.

[@mafiousbj]

If he served in the HMS Shah, an escort carrier, your grandad could be related to this story more than you know! The Salta ship which came to the rescue was converted from an WWII escort carrier of the Royal Navy, the HMS Shah. It itself had been converted from her original purpose of being a freighter by the Americans and was given to the British for the war effort, before being returned after the war.

[@housemana]

This guy, @MaritimeHorrors (do NOT sleep on MH... trust me), @PartTimeExplorer, @BigOldBoats (

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

@@housemana Agreed! You listed my favourites too there :)

[@andycraddock7677]

This was absolutely fascinating, if you can forgive such a comment given a disaster at sea during which so many people either died or suffered serious injuries. IMO no one could have survived this and not lived the rest of their lives without what we now call PTSD. I had never even heard of this terrible disaster until watching your extremely impressive work. Your abilities with digital recreation are amazing. I wonder why this is less well-known than the sinking of the SS Andrea Doria some ~7 years prior? Perhaps because that was filmed and also because of the nature of that terrible accident. (Which ship at fault hotly debated to this day.) I also found some comments, taken together, both perplexing and extraordinary. For example, in the beginning you stated that the BBT had performed a full inspection of the vessel shortly before the disaster, and gave the vessel and Her Master a clean bill of health if you will. All shipshape, if you’ll pardon the expression. Then later we are told passengers unable to retrieve their cabin life jackets due to fire and smoke fared no better when attempting to retrieve and don a LJ from one of the Boat Deck’s lockers, finding them rusted shut. How could both the ship owners and the BBT have been so negligent? Same with the many davits and lifeboats which could not be launched for various- and ultimately deadly- reasons. Totally inexcusable IMO. That vessel should have never been certified as seaworthy. I’m no expert, but it’s my understanding that the SOLAS conventions and rules have been significantly tightened in the decades since this terrible tragedy. But any law or regulation is only effective to the extent it is enforced and obeyed. This could happen again. Anyone recall the significant fire on the stern of that Carnival cruiser a few years back? Fortunately near port if memory serves, but that caused millions in damages. Anyway, thanks again for such a superb video.

[@greg6172]

I was 13 years old and on the JVO's last voyage from Wellington to Melbourne via Sydney on 10th November 1962. I remember thinking that she was a fire trap with all that timber and it scared me as I had a fear of fire at that age. Maybe that is why I became a Risk Management Consultant with special interest in fire protection. After the disaster, my mother told me that changing a ship's name was considered to be bad luck.

[@joannefairclough7960]

Hello Michael - a fellow Australian here and previously subscribed and came back to your videos after seeing some of your latest content on the Titanic. I started watching this despite myself (a fire onboard a liner in the middle of the ocean didn't seem happy viewing) and of course I was right. What an absolute tragedy, though the rescue efforts were inspiring. Thank you for your amazing research and animation and your appealing, knowledgeable and respectful delivery. Seeing the Lakonia go under those waves was scary and sobering. Continued good wishes for your excellent channel.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Thanks so much for watching Joanne!

[@corncobsandtobacco9178]

Yes!!!! The Johan Van Olden Barnenvelt ♥️♥️♥️ the ship that took my grandfather to war on my dad's side..... And the ship that brought my mum's side to Australia from The Netherlands. Thank you so much for doing this 🇳🇱🇦🇺♥️

[@hansbaarschers9632]

Growing up in the Netherlands (now residing in Canada) and fascinated by all things maritime, I was well familiar with the history of the Johan van Oldenbarneveldt. I was 16 when this happened and followed the story daily. Keeping in mind the 50th anniversary a year earlier of the Titanic's demise and the scarce availability of historic material (you had to research it) I decided to purchase the daily newspapers and magazines that detailed the story of Lakonia as it unfolded. I still have a thick file of British and Dutch newspapers, clippings and photographs following the story. Now it has become historical material. Your video and animation are extremely well done. Enjoying your other videos about historic liners as well and I would concur with other commentators that you are indeed a very good and engaging storyteller. It's great that you highlight the stories of lesser known historical vessels. Keep up the good work.

[@markanthony3275]

You might want to check out the tragedy of the sinking of the Arctic off of Newfoundland...and the Hudson's Bay ghost ship Baychmo that floated around the Arctic for almost 40 years.

[@anymongus]

Good grief- I was 8 years old when this happened, and I just learned of this tragedy. I have learned an awful lot about the history of the world by watching excellent videos such as this one on KZbin. Thank you!

[@nohandle830]

I agree...lol a history a joke . I have learned more history in the Advent of the internet than I've ever known in my life and I'm 54

[@markgillogly4343]

I was ten years old at the time. Through a coin operated newspaper box I was aghast reading half of a front page in pictures and narrative. (I was affected by it even though I was safe in sunny southern California.) I later read a first-person account in Reader's Digest from a teenage fellow who survived. Never, ever have I seen Lakonia mentioned in popular culture after that. Until now. Children drowned. Elderly died. Thank you for the whole story.

[@Saundersj1701]

A great video Mike, your delivery was pitch perfect. I’d never heard of this story before and now you’ve told it you’ve brought these poor people back to life and we can remember this tragedy and remember them

[@danielmaher152]

I can't believe i have never heard of this before. You told this story magnificently. Also the people who tried to help, what absolute heroes and amazing courage!!

[@0cer0]

I'm sitting here in my office, and I watched this on my lunch break with the intention of relaxing a little bit. Now I literally have tears in my eyes. The quality of your videos has always been outstanding, but this is another level - and I'm not so much talking about the animations (which are great), but the dramaturgy and storytelling. It's incredible how you make the mood, the drama and the tragedy palpable. The last seconds, after you've heard the whole story, are heartbreaking.

[@ncc74656m]

The story about the baby in the water had me choking. There's something about that kind of horror that really brings the intense sadness of the story home.

[@Midnight.Shadows]

Jesus, the production quality on this was amazing. Probably one of the best, if not the best video you've done to date, the emotion in the story, the way you told it, the footage from the actual event. This felt like a high value documentary I would have watched on TV. The loss of Lakonia was a tragedy, but man, this video was extremely well done.

[@frankmiller95]

Don't neglect the two "Castles," those being the "Morro" and "Yarmouth," both of which also suffered catastrophic fires. Gordon Lightfoot writes and sings great songs, especially about maritime disasters and his song "The Ballad of The Yarmouth Castle" is easily as good as "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald."

[@holmanthehorror6127]

Did he write any other songs about maritime disasters?

[@frankmiller95]

@@holmanthehorror6127 Those are the only two l'm familiar with, but there may be others.

[@railfandepotproductions]

Wait a minute, I heard about both the Yarmouth castle and the morro castle and they suffered the same fate

[@ddoyle11]

Great video, and very touching to hear the stories of the people jumping into the water. A proper inspection would have discovered the deficiencies in the alarm systems and the machinery of the life boats. Just one passenger showing up to his muster station for the life boat drill is very telling about the cavalier attitude the owners had about safety. I took a cruise on Holland America line years ago. We were instructed to report to our muster stations shortly after boarding, and attendance was taken. It was communicated to everyone that if you failed to report to your station, you would be escorted off the ship. They didn't mess around with their responsibility.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

Glad to hear Holland America does that responsibly and well. I moved to America as a baby on the Holland America Liner "New Amsterdam."

[@kowalskidiazdegeras9190]

Last summer I met a greek skipper who could be this 2 year old boy that the survivor at the end of the video talks about. He was rescued along with his mother, but his father, an engineer, died in that ship. It really hit when this man told me his story, and this video has been quite emotive for me (Specially the moment of the survivor's footage). Thank you very much!

[@fairestofthemalllocomotive4802]

Mike! The new CGI and animation is absolutely stunning it really tells the story more in depth and as always your info is top notch!

[@craigoakman6268]

What a powerful well made documentary. As someone who has been a H & S. rep at work for some years, watching this disaster brings home the reality that we should not grumble. The list of failures on that ship was unlimited!

[@spokaneslim9476]

Well researched, produced, and edited. The animation was quite nice and very dramatic. Narration was terrific as usual. Very professional and polished, "Bravo!" to all involved! 👏

I was a crew member on the Arkadia and the Lakonia (2, Patissier) I had made some voyages on the Lakonia, but for that fatal voyage I had Christmas leave from the Lakonia!

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

Amazing! Thanks for charing and I’m glad you were safe.

[@TJWatson59]

Mike, you have outdone yourself. Truely a great work! The story, choreography of the scenes and script...details of sound...structure.... amazing.

[@outlawscar3328]

I love your renders. They aren't realistic, but that's the appeal. Nothing is tacky, so it just looks kind of dreamy. Just the right amount of abstraction from the horror to immerse but not be disrespectful. Really, great choices and work, it's engaging and oddly ethereal.

[@outlawscar3328]

Those simple textures create great clear shapes of everything relevant where bumpmaps or photo textures would become busy. Then you bring the somewhat flat shading to life with volumetric lighting and atmospheric effects and that simple but beautiful water sim. Then the strength of your compositions and camera moves shine in this clear and abstracted world. I realize a lot of this could just be due to cutting down your render time, but I really dig this Titanic Sinking Simulation aesthetic combined with your directorial flare. I feel like I just found an emerald amongst a pile of rocks.

[@kriswilson2014]

This felt like I was watching a national geographic or discovery documentary or something! Great work on this video Mike!

[@davidhopkins7270]

Better than those.

[@starmonarA380]

Mike, you're a seriously talented guy. Whilst it's a tragic story, I enjoyed this so much, apart from the superb animation, the storytelling is absolutely top notch. Thankyou so much for these truly fantastic videos.

[@jonnorthall8526]

This has just flagged up for me in my recommendations and can I say that it is a hell of a documentary, excellent work. Definitely one of the best I have seen in a long long time. Well written, spoken and produced and the graphics make it even better. excellent job

[@cmdrquillon9398]

You brought me to tears at points, man. Excellent storytelling, and really well done animation. Perfect choice of music, too. Love it.

[@therealtony2009]

i recently read about the lakonia and i can only think of how something like this could manage to happen in the 1960s. but i look at ships such as the oceanos and i can sort of understand. love your content mike

[@fire58372001]

This video speaks volumes to me. As a retired Merchant Mariner I have seen firsthand what gun decking, malpractice, & neglected P.M. can do. We had a conex box on deck & the door would flop open & shut, because there was so much paint on the hinges that the metal had rusted away & just the paint was holding the metal door on its hinges. I also noticed that during a real emergency when the alarm sounds, 3rd world deck hands will go straight to the lifeboats & not to Emergency Action Stations. They'd say they thought it was abandon ship even though we'd have drills once a week to let personal know the difference. Don't be surprised that the task you're supposed to do isn't & you wind up doing somebody else's job. Very informative. Thank you for this.

[@brittanydonaldson1276]

My mouth stood wide open this whole story. This is so sad 😞 but I'm happy that rescue did come and one thing I can say is that Is a true captain...for being the last to leave and saving as many people as possible. That takes a true captain 👏🏽. God bless everyone of those poor people. The ones who did not make it and the survivors.

[@heatherwinser66]

I know mine too especially hearing the children say “help me help me”. This is such a sad story 😢

[@2msvalkyrie529]

He was responsible for ensuring that lifeboats were fit for use.! And that lifeboat drills had been conducted. None of that had been done. That was HIS responsibility..!?!

[@A2Wx8]

Wow. A fantastic retelling of a tragedy that for some reason is mostly lost to history. You've gone from static 2D to semi-animated 2D to a full on half hour long fully 3D animated video, my hat's off to you, majorly impressive job.

[@nwepp_]

This is truly one of your best videos, they honestly get better with every upload. The production quality and dedication to accuracy is amazing. I commend you 👏

[@timstradling7764]

An acquaintance at school was on board the Lakonia on this its last trip. He was with his parents, and I believe, his grandmother. They all ended up in the water, and while he had a life vest, none of the adults did, and one by one they slipped below the surface. He was rescued though very shocked and continued to be so for the year or so that I knew him after that. The following year I was on an Educational Cruise in the Med and the Arcadia berthed next to us, and we on the BISNC MV Dunera were thankful we weren’t on the sister to the Laconia. A tragic end for so many and a fortnate rescue for those who survived.

[@royargyle]

Richard Burca was probably that boy with his grandmother on route to Maderia for the school holidays . his father ran Reids hotel in Funchal

[@gregorypurdy6079]

Excellent narration, respectful story telling, and incredible animation. I found the final sinking sequence particularly bone chilling among any I’ve seen. You’re a true historian, engineer, and artist; quite the medley. Thanks for your work.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

I agree. And I also am impressed and recognize the incredible animation (for a video not from a multi-million... studio): I also feel the final sinking sequence is his masterpiece within the video. Fave: When the ocean closes over the bow and then the bow underwater, light bending and shape shifting the sight as if filmed through water.

[@craigpeter4794]

This video is on a completely different scale of amazing. The narration brought the story to life, the animations are phenomenal and the story itself, tragic. What a situation to be in.

[@kiwikeith7633]

I recall being very impressed by a model of the Johan van Oldenbarneveldt in a museum when I was young. I thought it a beautiful vessel. Then I watched on TV NEWS that it was on fire. It took time for it to dawn that it was beyond hope. Then the effort to salvage tow it, ending in the sinking. What a tragic ending. Condolences to all.

[@mateovillacorta2279]

Nearly 60 years later… may Lakonia never be forgotten.

[@jetblack99]

What a compelling and well-made documentary. The narration does an excellent job of telling this tragic story without slipping into melodrama, and the animation is just extraordinary. Typically with KZbin-level resources one must be content with vintage photos and maybe the occasional snatch of film. To have bespoke animation for most of the video is pretty amazing. Much respect for all that work!

[@iceslayer777]

Mike the story telling and animations are truly incredible throughout this video! I really like the scenes you showed up close and all of the detail you put into each aspect of the video. I honestly forgot it was you speaking about half way through the video as I got so tied into the story telling and went into hyper focus mode. I really hope you do more episodes like this in the near future as they’re amazing to watch.

[@Rainshadowable]

Not even a minute in and I got chills. Phenomenal and respectful video as always. Thank you for the great content

[@cpfs936]

Kudos to all the rescue parties involved! So much time seems to be wasted in situations like this, getting in a pi$$ing contest over who's in charge. These people really stepped up, big time!