Ice Ship (Secret Weapon of WWII)

Simple History
23 Dec 201703:08
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script presents an intriguing historical account of the Ice Carrier - Project Habakkuk, a secret weapon concept from World War II. Inventor Jeffrey Pike, facing a shortage of steel and aluminum, proposed an 'unsinkable' aircraft carrier made of ice to protect Allied convoys from German U-boats. With Winston Churchill's approval, a prototype, made of pykrete (a mixture of wood pulp and ice), was successfully tested in Canada. Despite its promising start, the project was abandoned due to escalating costs, slow speed, and the availability of airfields in the Azores. The video is sponsored by 'Alliance: Heroes of the Spire,' a popular mobile RPG game featuring 400 unique heroes and various battle options.

Takeaways
  • 🎮 The video is sponsored by Alliance: Heroes of the Spire, a popular mobile RPG game with 400 unique heroes.
  • 🚀 Players can combine heroes in thousands of ways and engage in battles against both giant bosses and real players.
  • 💰 Viewers are encouraged to download the game via a link in the description to support the channel and receive in-game bonuses.
  • 🛥️ Ice Carrier - Project Habakkuk was a secret weapon concept during World War II, designed to counter German U-boats.
  • 🇬🇧 The project was initiated by the British inventor Jeffrey Pike under the Combined Operations Headquarters.
  • 🔍 Pike proposed an aircraft carrier made from ice due to shortages in steel and aluminium, aiming for a more energy-efficient solution.
  • 🛠️ The bergship was planned to be a massive, unsinkable platform with a 40-foot thick ice hull, capable of housing 150 aircraft.
  • ⚙️ A scale model prototype made from pykrete (a mixture of wood pulp and ice) was successfully tested in Alberta, Canada.
  • 🛫 The prototype demonstrated the feasibility of the concept, surviving through both winter and summer conditions.
  • 🛑 The full-scale project was cancelled due to increasing costs, material shortages, its slow speed, and the availability of airfields in the Azores.
  • 🏆 Winston Churchill was initially very supportive of the project, even ordering a full-scale version named Habakkuk.
  • 📚 The story of Project Habakkuk serves as an example of the innovative and sometimes far-fetched ideas explored during wartime.
Q & A

  • What is the name of the mobile RPG game mentioned in the video script?

    -Alliance: Heroes of the Spire

  • How many unique heroes are available in Alliance: Heroes of the Spire?

    -There are 400 unique heroes in the game.

  • What was the primary purpose of the Ice Carrier - Project Habakkuk during World War II?

    -The primary purpose was to create a floating unsinkable platform to launch aircraft from to defend Allied convoys against German u-boats.

  • Who was the inventor that came up with the concept of an ice-made aircraft carrier?

    -Jeffrey Pike was the inventor who proposed the concept.

  • Why did Jeffrey Pike choose ice as the material for the aircraft carrier?

    -Pike chose ice due to shortages in steel and aluminium, and because it would take less energy to manufacture.

  • What was the name given to the ice material used in the prototype?

    -The material was named pykrete, a mixture of 14% wood pulp and 86% ice.

  • What was the size of the scale model prototype of the Ice Carrier constructed in 1943?

    -The scale model prototype measured 60 by 30 feet, or 18 metres by 9 meters.

  • Why was the full-scale construction of the Ice Carrier, named Habakkuk, eventually abandoned?

    -The project was abandoned due to rising costs, material demands on the war effort, its slow speed of just 6 knots, and the availability of airfields in the Azores.

  • What was the maximum number of aircraft the Ice Carrier was designed to shelter inside?

    -The Ice Carrier was designed to shelter up to 150 aircraft.

  • What was the thickness of the ice hull proposed for the full-scale Ice Carrier?

    -The ice hull of the full-scale Ice Carrier was proposed to be 40 feet, or 12 metres thick.

  • What was the name of the location where the scale model prototype was tested?

    -The scale model prototype was tested at Patricia Lake, Alberta, Canada.

  • What was the main reason that made Winston Churchill enthusiastic about the Ice Carrier project?

    -Winston Churchill was enthusiastic about the idea because it offered a potential solution to the threat posed by German u-boats to Allied shipping.

Outlines
00:00
🎮 Introduction to Alliance: Heroes of the Spire and Ice Carrier Project

The video begins by acknowledging the sponsorship of Alliance: Heroes of the Spire, a new action-packed RPG mobile game with 400 unique heroes and the option to battle against real players. It then dives into the historical narrative of the Ice Carrier, a secret weapon concept from World War II. The project was designed to counteract the threat posed by German U-boats to Allied supply ships. Inventor Jeffrey Pike proposed an aircraft carrier made of ice, an idea that was surprisingly approved by Winston Churchill. The ice carrier, named Project Habakkuk, was intended to be a massive, unsinkable platform capable of housing 150 aircraft and powered by an electric generator. A prototype was successfully constructed and tested in Canada, but the project was ultimately abandoned due to various factors including cost, material scarcity, slow speed, and the availability of airfields in the Azores.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Alliance: Heroes of the Spire
Alliance: Heroes of the Spire is an action-packed RPG game for mobile devices. It features 400 unique heroes that players can combine in various ways to form battle teams. The game is significant in the script as it is the sponsor of the video, and viewers are encouraged to download it to support the content creator. The game's appeal lies in its strategic depth and the variety of heroes available, which is highlighted by the mention of 'thousands of combinations on the battlefield.'
💡Ice Carrier - Project Habakkuk
Ice Carrier - Project Habakkuk refers to a secret weapon concept from World War II. It was an ambitious plan to create an unsinkable aircraft carrier made primarily from ice. The project is central to the video's historical narrative, illustrating the desperation and innovation of the Allies during the war. The concept was to use this massive ice platform to launch aircraft and protect convoys from German U-boats.
💡German U-boats
German U-boats, or Unterseeboot in German, were submarines used by Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. They were notorious for their effectiveness in sinking Allied ships, which was a significant threat to the supply lines between the United States and Britain. In the context of the video, the menace posed by U-boats was a catalyst for the development of the Ice Carrier concept.
💡Jeffrey Pike
Jeffrey Pike was an inventor who, during the early 1940s, came up with the concept of a floating, unsinkable platform to launch aircraft. His idea was in response to the threat posed by German U-boats. Pike's concept was the foundation of Project Habakkuk and is a key figure in the video's storyline, as his innovative thinking led to the development of the Ice Carrier.
💡Combined Operations Headquarters
The Combined Operations Headquarters was a British military command during World War II that coordinated the planning and execution of combined operations, which involved multiple branches of the military. Jeffrey Pike worked under this command when he conceived the idea for the Ice Carrier. It represents the collaborative efforts of the Allies in developing new strategies and technologies to counter the Axis powers.
💡Bergship
The term 'bergship' is used in the script to describe the proposed ice aircraft carrier. It is a compound word, combining 'berg' from 'iceberg' and 'ship'. The bergship was designed to be a massive, flat-topped platform capable of housing and launching aircraft. The concept is significant as it represents the scale and ambition of the project, which aimed to create a vessel that could withstand enemy attacks and protect vital convoys.
💡Pykrete
Pykrete is a composite material made of 14% wood pulp and 86% ice, named after Geoffrey Pike. It was developed to address the brittleness of ice when used as a construction material for the proposed ice carrier. Pykrete is portrayed in the video as a key innovation that made the construction of the Ice Carrier more feasible, as it was stronger, easier to work with, and melted slower than pure ice.
💡Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. He is mentioned in the script as having enthusiastically approved the idea of the Ice Carrier. Churchill's support for the project underscores the desperation and willingness to explore unconventional solutions during wartime. His character adds a historical and political dimension to the narrative of the video.
💡Prototype
A prototype in the context of the video refers to the initial model of the Ice Carrier that was constructed to test the feasibility of the concept. The prototype, made of pykrete and measuring 60 by 30 feet, was successful in surviving both winter and summer conditions. The prototype's success was a crucial step in validating the concept of the Ice Carrier and led to plans for a full-scale version.
💡Azores
The Azores are a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. In the video, it is mentioned that Portugal had given permission for the Allies to use airfields in the Azores. This was one of the factors that contributed to the abandonment of the Ice Carrier project, as it provided an alternative solution for launching aircraft to protect convoys without the need for the massive and costly ice platform.
💡Supply Convoys
Supply convoys were fleets of merchant ships escorted by warships used to transport vital supplies across oceans during World War II. They were crucial for the Allies to maintain their war effort, particularly for the flow of supplies from the United States to Britain. The video highlights the importance of these convoys and the threats they faced from German U-boats, which necessitated the development of innovative defensive measures like the proposed Ice Carrier.
Highlights

Alliance: Heroes of the Spire is a new action-packed RPG game for mobile devices.

The game features 400 unique heroes that can be combined in thousands of ways on the battlefield.

Players can engage in battles against giant bosses or compete with real players.

Downloading Alliance: Heroes of the Spire through the provided link offers a bonus of 50,000 gold and 50 gems.

Ice Carrier - Project Habakkuk was a secret weapon concept during World War II.

German u-boats were a significant threat to Allied ships in the Atlantic Ocean.

Jeffrey Pike invented the concept of an unsinkable ice platform to launch aircraft for convoy defense.

Winston Churchill approved Pike's idea of an indestructible aircraft carrier made from ice.

Pike chose ice due to shortages in steel and aluminium and its lower energy manufacturing requirements.

The iceberg would be leveled to create a runway and bridge, with space for 150 aircraft, fuel tanks, and living quarters.

The ice carrier would be powered by an electric generator driving 20 propellers.

The ice hull of the vehicle, at 40 feet thick, was designed to be unsinkable.

A scale model prototype of the ice carrier was successfully tested in Patricia Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Pykrete, a mixture of wood pulp and ice, was developed to address the brittleness of ice.

Pykrete was easier to work with, melted slower, and was stronger than ice alone.

Winston Churchill ordered the construction of a full-scale ice ship named Habakkuk.

The project was abandoned due to rising costs, material demands, its slow speed, and availability of airfields in the Azores.

The idea of an ice carrier was innovative but ultimately deemed too far-fetched for practical use.

Simple History offers more World War II content for those interested in the era.

Simple History: World War II is available for purchase, providing an in-depth look at the historical events.

Transcripts

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WWII HistoryInnovationProject HabakkukIce CarrierJeffrey PikeWinston ChurchillMobile GamingRPGAlliance HeroesPykreteCombined OpsHistorical Engineering