When Battleships Refused to Die

Throughout naval history, few warships have endured such punishment and lived to tell the tale as HMS Warspite and SMS Seydlitz. These ships didn’t just survive battle — they defied every expectation of physics, fire, and fate. In this video, we’ll explore two of the most unbelievable survival stories ever recorded at sea: a British battleship crippled by guided bombs, and a German battlecruiser nearly blown apart from within — both refusing to sink.

HMS Warspite, the “Grand Old Lady” of the Royal Navy, had already fought at Jutland, Narvik, and Normandy, but her trial by fire came in September 1943 at Salerno. While supporting Allied landings, she was attacked by German aircraft equipped with cutting-edge radio-guided bombs — the world’s first precision weapons. One bomb tore through multiple decks, exploding deep within her hull, flooding boiler rooms, knocking out power, and nearly breaking her back. Despite being immobile, taking on 5,000 tons of water, and listing heavily, her crew fought to save her, sealing bulkheads and counter-flooding compartments as she slowly drifted toward danger.

Captain Packer’s calm leadership and the tireless efforts of his men kept Warspite afloat against impossible odds. With makeshift power and a single operational boiler, the battered ship was eventually taken under tow through treacherous waters — surviving not just the attack but the journey home. When she finally reached Malta, her crew and escorts watched in awe. “How she stayed afloat, I will never know,” one sailor later wrote. Even after such devastation, Warspite would fight again at Normandy — proof of her resilience and the determination of those who sailed her.

Across the North Sea, nearly three decades earlier, the German battlecruiser SMS Seydlitz faced a different nightmare. At the 1915 Battle of Dogger Bank, a British shell struck near her aft turrets, igniting charges and flash fires that ripped through her magazines. Flames shot skyward, incinerating more than 160 men, and the ship teetered on the brink of catastrophic explosion. Three men — Lieutenant Hagedorn, Chief Artificer Hering, and Gunner’s Mate Müller — braved searing heat and choking smoke to manually flood the magazines, their hands and lungs burned to the bone. Their actions saved not just the ship, but her entire crew.

Seydlitz staggered home barely afloat, her decks charred and turrets destroyed — but she survived. Her ordeal forced the German Navy to overhaul its flash-protection systems, lessons that later saved countless ships at Jutland.

Both HMS Warspite and SMS Seydlitz stand as monuments to survival — not just of steel, but of spirit. They represent the bravery of crews who refused to abandon their ships, and the sheer will to fight on even when all seemed lost.

If you enjoy stories of ships that shouldn’t have survived, make sure to like, comment, and subscribe. Tell me which vessels you think should appear in the next “Insane Survivors” episode — maybe USS Franklin, HMS Illustrious, or Panzerschiff Deutschland. Until next time, my friends — thank you for watching, and have a great week.

Sources/Other Reading:

https://www.amazon.com/British-Battle...

https://www.amazon.com/British-Battle...

https://www.amazon.com/Warspite-Warsh...

https://www.amazon.com/British-Battle...

https://www.amazon.com/Castles-Steel-...

https://www.amazon.com/British-Battle...

https://www.amazon.com/Jutland-1916-C...

https://www.amazon.com/Jutland-Unfini...

https://www.amazon.com/German-Battlec...


Video Information:
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