:01:01
At last, in 1909, Robert E. Peary...
:01:05
the great American explorer,
made a brilliant dash with dogs.
:01:08
Peary conquered the North Pole.
:01:11
There was a pause in Arctic exploration.
:01:13
The restless men turned to the Antarctic.
:01:16
Roald Amundsen conquered the South Pole...
:01:18
December 14, 1911.
:01:21
Then came aircraft,
and the excitement stirred again.
:01:24
This was Nobile's moment.
:01:26
Already an internationally known designer
and flyer of airships...
:01:30
he planned the most dangerous
of all air expeditions...
:01:34
to fly to the fury of the North Pole
and to land there.
:01:37
Why? For reasons of science, certainly.
:01:40
But there was also the explorers'
age-old reason or vanity...
:01:44
the desire to be first.
:01:46
General Nobile, has it been decided yet...
:01:48
which of your crew
will be the first to land...
:01:50
I mean put a foot on the North Pole?
:01:52
It has been decided.
:01:53
The first man to land from the air
at the North Pole will be myself.
:01:56
I will be the first man.
:01:58
The Italian Navy provided Nobile
with a support ship, The City of Milan...
:02:02
under the command of
a reliable career officer...
:02:05
Captain Romagna.
:02:07
Captain Romagna took up station
at the small mining town of Kingsbay...
:02:10
the jumping-off point of the expedition.
:02:13
In an expedition
that was to become so famous...
:02:16
for its failure...
:02:17
the questions must still be asked.
:02:19
Was it justified?
Should it have been undertaken?
:02:22
Was Umberto Nobile a fit leader?
:02:25
At the time, if there was doubt,
Amundsen, in an interview in Oslo...
:02:28
very generously dispelled the doubt.
:02:31
Dr. Amundsen, of what scientific value...
:02:33
will General Nobile's expedition be,
if it is successful?
:02:36
Of the utmost value.
:02:38
The Arctic is an enormous territory,
quite unexplored.
:02:42
General Nobile and I made a start
in the Norge expedition.
:02:46
Now he is continuing that work
with the Italia expedition.
:02:49
Dr. Amundsen, why aren't you
leading the expedition this time?
:02:53
My expedition days are over.
:02:55
Also, I wasn't asked this time.
:02:57
General Nobile
is not an expert Arctic explorer, is he?