The 100th Anniversary of the World’s First Transatlantic Voyage by the Airship “Norge”

On May 12, 1926, the airship “Norge” arrived at the North Pole. The Norge expedition was the world’s first transpolar journey. The crew consisted of eight Norwegians, including Roald Amundsen. Six Italians led by Umberto Nobile, one Swede, and the American Lincoln Ellsworth were also on board. The latter contributed a substantial sum of money to the expedition.

Amundsen, who planted the Norwegian flag at the South Pole on December 14, 1911, planted a Norwegian flag at the North Pole on May 12, 1926. On May 5, 2026, we will mark the 100th anniversary of the airship Norge’s departure from Oslo.

On the air early

As early as 1915, Amundsen obtained his pilot’s license, becoming the first civilian pilot in Norway. There were many advantages to flying over the North Pole. It made it possible to map large areas in a short time, without being hindered by the ice. Amundsen made several attempts to reach the North Pole by seaplane. In the spring of 1923, he made his first attempt in the aircraft “Elisabeth,” but was unsuccessful. Two years later, he made another attempt, this time with two Italian-made aircraft, the N24 and N25. The former sustained irreversible damage, and the N25 had to land to assist. From May 21 to June 15, they were stranded on the ice. Amundsen and his team had to build a runway to get the N25 back in the air. They managed it miraculously, and the incredible story received widespread media coverage.

On July 5, Amundsen arrived in Oslo aboard the N25 and was welcomed at Hønnørbryggen. Thousands of cheering people turned out for the occasion, and Amundsen was treated to a banquet at the Royal Palace. Although the 1925 expedition did not reach its goal of the North Pole, the expedition was pivotal for the airship Norge. It gave Amundsen’s hero status a new lease on life. He gained new partners and financial support, which was sorely needed.

Excitement through the roof

The airship Norge was originally an Italian airship. It was designed by Umberto Nobile. In the fall of 2025, the airship was formally handed over and renamed “Norge.” During the journey over the North Pole, a clear divide emerged between the Norwegians and the Italians. The relationship between Amundsen and Nobile was strained, particularly due to disagreements over leadership style, interests, and honor. Formally, the Norge expedition had three leaders. Amundsen set the agenda and established goals and deadlines. Ellsworth provided the funding. Nobile, as the airship engineer and foremost technical expert, was reluctantly accepted as a third leader.

The journey to Norway went from Rome to Svalbard via Pulham in England, Oslo, Leningrad, and Vadsø. A dirigible hangar had been built in Svalbard for the occasion.

After the expedition, Amundsen was disappointed by the lack of attention directed toward him. It was Nobile and the Italians who received most of the credit for the feat. The airship was Italian and encountered no major difficulties on the transpolar journey, so media coverage rarely presented Amundsen as the pioneer of the expedition. This led to a contempt for his former partner that proved to have fatal consequences for him.