by Alice Day
synopsis
In this A&E series, many kinds of ships are profiled, with an account of their history, tours onboard the featured ship, and commentary from naval historians and other experts. This episode takes a look at tankers, whose primary purpose is to transport oil. As demand for fuel has grown, so have the ships, and modern supertankers can reach over 1,400 feet, and weigh in at over half a million tons. Great Ships: The Tankers also features several of the tycoons that made their fortunes with tankers and their cargo, including Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos.