How Walter Wellman and Roald Amundsen shaped Arctic exploration
The race to the North Pole saw daring airship and airplane expeditions that changed history.
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| Illustration by Dorling Kindersley |
By Hayu Andini and Widya Putri
Realm of Ice and Sky: Triumph, Tragedy, and History's Greatest Arctic Rescue, by Buddy Levy
In 1905, Walter Wellman, a journalist for the Chicago Record-Herald, received an ambitious assignment: “Build an airship, go find the North Pole, and report by wireless telegraphy and submarine cables the progress of your efforts.” It was the height of the global exploration era. Just six years later, Roald Amundsen would reach the South Pole. However, the North Pole remained elusive for over a decade, drawing in determined explorers.
Buddy Levy’s Realm of Ice and Sky explores this high-stakes competition, focusing on three key figures: Wellman, Amundsen, and Italian airship engineer Umberto Nobile. Each of these men contributed to Arctic exploration through daring expeditions that pushed the limits of early aviation technology.
Walter Wellman’s bold attempts
Wellman, an Ohio-born journalist with a talent for self-promotion, was determined to reach the North Pole. His first two attempts, in 1894 and 1898, relied on dog sleds. These efforts nearly cost him his leg due to frostbite, yet he remained undeterred. He later reflected on his obsession, describing how he and his team remained “under the influence of the Arctic spell. Its glamour was in our eyes, its fever in our blood.”
For his third attempt, Wellman took a different approach. He commissioned a French engineer, Louis Godard, to build a massive dirigible named America. The airship measured 164 feet in length, 52.5 feet in diameter, and held 224,000 cubic feet of hydrogen. On September 2, 1907, America launched from Danes Island, part of Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. According to Levy, it became “the first airship ever seen above the Arctic.”
Despite its historic launch, the expedition ended in failure. Harsh winds forced America to crash onto a glacier just 10 miles from its starting point. Fortunately, Wellman and his crew were rescued. Despite the setback, he insisted on viewing the attempt as a success, writing: “The America [proved] her power and capability of being steered… After this successful attempt, we were all convinced that the America, in normal summer weather, can make her way to the pole.”
Wellman never reached the North Pole, making one final unsuccessful attempt in 1909. However, his bold ideas and perseverance inspired other explorers, including Roald Amundsen.
Roald Amundsen takes the lead
Amundsen, already a legendary explorer, had achieved fame by navigating the Northwest Passage in 1906 and reaching the South Pole in 1911. By 1924, at the age of 52, he devised a new plan to fly over the North Pole from Spitsbergen, Norway, to Alaska. Levy describes this as “an audacious idea, bordering on insane.”
On May 21, 1925, Amundsen and his team attempted the journey using Dornier-Wals flying boats. The mission nearly ended in disaster when both planes crash-landed after covering only 600 miles—far short of their goal. Stranded for three weeks, the team hacked out a makeshift runway on the ice. They then squeezed into the only functioning plane and miraculously made it back to Norway, where they were hailed as heroes.
Rather than abandoning his Arctic ambitions, Amundsen turned to dirigibles. In 1926, he partnered with Umberto Nobile for another attempt at crossing the North Pole—this time using the airship Norge.
The rivalry between explorers
At the same time, two U.S. Navy officers, Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett, were preparing their own North Pole expedition. Nobile viewed the Americans as competitors, fearing they might claim victory first. However, Amundsen saw them as fellow adventurers. Given his own experience with Arctic survival, he provided Byrd’s team with essential gear, including sleds, snowshoes, and straw-insulated mukluks. These items, he believed, could save their lives in case of an emergency landing.
On May 9, 1926, Byrd and Bennett took off in a Fokker trimotor monoplane. They returned 16 hours later, claiming to have reached the North Pole. However, their accomplishment was later challenged. Critics argued that their aircraft lacked the necessary range and speed, casting doubt on their claim.
Three days later, Amundsen and Nobile launched Norge. With Amundsen as expedition leader and Nobile as pilot, they embarked on what would become the first confirmed crossing of the North Pole.
A historic Arctic flight
Sixteen and a half hours into the flight, Norge neared the pole. Nobile descended through the clouds, dropping to just 750 feet, then 600 feet. The navigator, Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen, carefully observed his sextant. Then, suddenly, he announced: “Here we are!”
On May 12, 1926, Amundsen, Nobile, and their crew became the first humans to verifiably reach the North Pole. Their journey continued, covering 2,700 miles in 71 hours before landing near Teller, Alaska, a remote settlement northwest of Nome.
While the flight was a historic success, tensions soon surfaced between Amundsen and Nobile. Nobile, loyal to Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime, portrayed the mission as an Italian triumph. Amundsen, preferring a more collaborative approach, resented this nationalistic framing. Their disagreement led to a lasting rift.
A tragic end for Amundsen
Following the Norge expedition, Amundsen retired, claiming he was finished with Arctic exploration. However, in 1928, Nobile attempted another North Pole flight, aiming to conduct scientific research. This mission ended in disaster when his airship crashed.
Despite their falling out, Amundsen felt compelled to join the rescue effort. When asked why he would risk his life for Nobile, he responded: “There is a sentiment of solidarity which must bind men, especially those who risk their lives in the cause of science.”
On June 18, 1928, Amundsen and his crew took off from Tromsø, Norway, in a Latham 47 seaplane. They never returned. Their aircraft disappeared over the Arctic, marking a tragic end to one of history’s greatest explorers.
The legacy of Arctic pioneers
The race to the North Pole was filled with ambition, rivalry, and incredible risks. Walter Wellman, despite never reaching his goal, pioneered the use of airships in Arctic exploration. Roald Amundsen, already a legend, cemented his place in history with the first verified North Pole crossing. Meanwhile, Umberto Nobile continued to innovate, though his later expeditions ended in controversy.
Their daring quests shaped the future of Arctic exploration, demonstrating both the triumphs and dangers of pushing the limits of human endurance. Today, their legacy remains a testament to the indomitable spirit of discovery.
