The Britannic: An Unsinkable Ship After the Titanic
The untold tale of the Britannic
We all know about the Titanic, but few people know about its sister ship, the Britannic. The Britannic was the most luxurious, most beautiful, and largest ship in the world at that time, after the Titanic. It was also designed to be the safest and most unsinkable, just like the Titanic was claimed to be.
But what happened to the Britannic? In this blog post, we will embark on a journey back in time to uncover the fascinating tale of the Britannic, a grand ocean liner that was destined to navigate the seas with magnificence, security, and a relentless spirit that defied adversity.
The owner of the Britannic was a British shipping company called White Star Line. White Star Line was one of the most prestigious shipping companies in the world at that time. They were known for their luxurious ships and their commitment to safety.
During the initial decades of the 20th century, White Star Line decided to build a trio of ocean liners designated as Olympic-class, which were expected to be the largest and most luxurious in the world. These ships—namely, RMS Olympic, RMS Titanic, and HMHS Britannic—were the center of public interest because of their size, luxury, and safety.
The Olympic was the first ship in the class to be built. It was launched in 1910 and made its maiden voyage in 1911. The Olympic was a huge success, and it set a new standard for luxury and safety in the maritime world.
The Titanic was the second ship in the class to be built. It was launched in 1912 and made its maiden voyage in 1912. The Titanic was even larger and more luxurious than the Olympic. However, the maiden voyage of the Titanic ended in tragedy when it struck an iceberg and sank, killing over 1,500 people.
The Britannic was the third and final ship in the class to be built. It was launched in 1914 and made its maiden voyage in 1915. The Britannic was designed to be even safer than the Olympic and the Titanic. It had more watertight compartments and more lifeboats to save people. However, it met a tragic end when it struck a mine.
The birth of the magnificent HMHS Britannic
In the late 19th century, shipping companies were building fast ships, and these vessels were immensely popular. The faster the ship, the more favor it finds among the people. The competition was so intense that an award called the “Blue Riband” was introduced, based on the record-highest average speed of passenger liners crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service. UK-based companies dominated the Europe-to-America route, leading to a spirited rivalry between the UK and Germany in the quest to build the fastest ocean liner.
During this period, two German companies, Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL or North German Lloyd) and HAPAG, were striving to build increasingly faster ships. In 1897, NDL’s ship, the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Gross, entered service and won the coveted Blue Riband for Germany. HAPAG, NDL’s rival, launched the SS Deutschland, which managed to snatch the Blue Riband from the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Gross, accomplishing the feat in a remarkable five-day crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. The competition continued with the Blue Riband title shifting among NDL’s SS Kaiser Wilhelm II, Cunard Line’s Lusitania, and Mauretania.
Meanwhile, White Star Line was gradually losing its position in the race for transatlantic passenger trade. Their four ships—the Celtic, Cedric, Baltic, and Adriatic—were failing to retain their former popularity. These ships couldn’t match the speed of the new liners of that time. In response, in 1907, Joseph Bruce Ismay, the president of White Star Line, embarked on a new project to rival Cunard Line’s two speedy ships. However, he decided to shift the focus from speed to comfort and luxury due to the discomfort and safety issues caused by the high-speed engines of the fast ships, which used to shake a lot during movement.
J.B. Ismay teamed up with William James Pirrie, the chairman of Harland & Wolff, a famous shipbuilding company. They wanted to create three enormous ships that would revolutionize the ocean travel experience and make it more luxurious and comfortable than ever before. This collaboration led to an amazing achievement. In December 1908, they started building the first ship in this class, called “Olympic.” This was just the beginning of a new era in ocean travel, which eventually led to the magnificent HMHS Britannic.
Did the Britannic undergo a name change, as rumored?
Upon close examination, one might have noticed on the poster that the ship’s name was initially inscribed as “Gigantic.” The theory suggests that the Britannic was originally intended to be named Gigantic but was later given a different name by White Star Line. The motive behind this alleged alteration remains shrouded in mystery, yet two possible reasons have emerged.
Firstly, it is believed that the name “Britannic” was chosen for its attractiveness and a sense of humility. On the other hand, the Titanic, which met a tragic fate, was renowned as the largest ship in the world during its time. Given its disastrous sinking story, White Star Line might have hesitated to name another ship “Gigantic,” fearing that it would not resonate positively with the public.
Nonetheless, White Star Line has consistently refuted these claims, leaving us uncertain about the exact reasons behind the name change. So, we don’t know if this rumor is true or not and it is kind of frustrating.
What if the Britannic falls into an accident like the Titanic?
Britannic was originally planned to be launched after the Titanic. However, the tragic accident involving the Titanic prompted a thorough reevaluation of the design of the Britannic. Designers were determined to ensure that, in the event of a similar accident, the Britannic would have a better chance of survival. Several crucial modifications were made to enhance the safety measures of the ship.
Firstly, a double hull was added to protect the engine and boiler room areas, significantly improving the ship’s overall safety. Secondly, the ship’s beam was increased to 94 feet, providing greater stability and buoyancy. Lastly, six watertight compartments out of the total fifteen were heightened to enhance the ship’s ability to withstand damage and flooding.
On February 26, 1914, the Britannic was finally launched, becoming a spectacle that drew the attention of numerous people eager to witness the grand creation of White Star Line. Anticipation was high, and travelers were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to embark on journeys aboard this magnificent ocean liner.
However, fate had other plans. Despite being launched, Britannic’s construction work was left incomplete, preventing her from serving as an ocean liner. As the ship was still under construction, the world was thrown into the turmoil of World War I, drastically altering the course of events and the destiny of the grand ship.
The Britannic into the War
In May 1915, the Royal Navy recognized the pressing need for larger ships to support their war efforts, particularly troop and hospital ships. As a result, they approached White Star Line with an urgent request to complete the construction of the Britannic within just one month. Unfortunately, in the same month, a tragic incident unfolded when the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine, resulting in the loss of 1198 civilian lives. This event intensified the Navy’s sense of urgency.
In November 1915, the construction of the Britannic was finally completed, and the British government wasted no time in commissioning the ship for military service. The Britannic was designated as a hospital ship and was painted entirely white with a large green stripe, along with several red crosses, to clearly indicate its purpose as a hospital vessel. This measure was taken so that the Germans could easily identify it as a hospital ship. The ship was equipped with all the necessary medical equipment to treat wounded soldiers injured during the war.
The captain of the ship was Charles Alfred Bartlett, one of the most respected captains of his time, renowned for his ability to predict the location of an iceberg. Due to this remarkable ability, he earned the nickname “Iceberg Charlie.”
The maiden voyage of the Britannic
On December 23, 1915, the Britannic embarked on her maiden voyage, departing from Liverpool en route to the Greek island of Lemnos with a noble mission to bring home wounded soldiers. The voyage was a resounding success, fulfilling its humanitarian purpose with utmost dedication and care. Following this remarkable journey, the Britannic was stationed off the Isle of Wight, where she served exclusively as a floating hospital, tending to the needs of those wounded during the war.
Proving her mettle and reliability, the Britannic accomplished two more triumphant voyages before being relieved of her war duties in June 1916. In recognition of her invaluable service, the British Admiralty honored her with a payment of 75,000 pounds upon her release. However, duty called once again, and the Admiralty summoned the Britannic back into service to continue her vital contributions during the ongoing conflict.
The sinking of the Britannic: A tragic day in history
On November 12, 1916, the Britannic embarked on her sixth voyage from Southampton to Lemnos to aid wounded soldiers. People on the board were waiting to arrive at Lemnos. However, as the Britannic sailed between Makronisos Island and Kea Island, an unimaginable event unfolded, bringing horror to the ship.
On November 21, 1916, at exactly 8:12 a.m., the Britannic hit one of the 12 mines laid by a German U-boat, causing a monstrous explosion that lifted the ship slightly out of the water. However, few people far from the explosion area noticed it, as the ship was the largest in the world.
The captain, realizing the severity of the situation, immediately ordered the watertight doors to be closed. Unfortunately, the damage inflicted on the ship was worse than anticipated. The first four watertight compartments suffered serious damage. Additionally, the fireman’s area, which was the ship’s fifth watertight compartment, was badly hit. Due to the explosion, the door to that compartment couldn’t shut correctly, leading the ship to reach its flooding limit.
In response, the captain ordered the lifeboats to be prepared for launch but didn’t issue the order to launch them. As time passed, just 10 minutes after the explosion, the Britannic found itself in a similar condition to the Titanic after an hour of hitting the iceberg. The sinking of the Britannic was happening rapidly.
The daring attempt of Captain Bartlett to save the Britannic
Captain Bartlett really wanted to save his ship, even though it looked pretty hopeless. But then he saw Kea Island off to the right and thought maybe it could help him out.
But then, a fresh issue emerged. The explosion had locked the rudder, allowing the ship to only move forward. The seasoned skipper made an amazing choice: He used the three massive propellers that are the distinguishing feature of Olympic-class ocean liners, turning off the starboard propeller and turning on the port-side propeller and the center propeller to steer the ship in the proper direction. The goal was to navigate slowly but surely toward Kea Island. While he was doing his best, a few crew members did a terrible thing: they launched two lifeboats without permission. Unfortunately, few lives were lost as these lifeboats were sucked into the strong vortex generated by the port-side propeller of the ship. Even one more boat was about to be launched, but the crew realized what would happen and halted it.
Later, Captain Bartlett understood that it was impossible to take the ship there because the flooding rate was too high. Without wasting any time, around 8:37 a.m., he ordered his crews to turn the engines off and launch the lifeboats. The crews worked rapidly, and in the next 15 minutes, they were able to rescue almost everyone from the Britannic.
The Britannic: A ship that will never be forgotten
The Britannic was designed to be the safest ship in the world, and it was certainly one of the largest. But even the safest ships are not immune to accidents. In just 55 minutes, the Britannic sank after striking a mine, claiming the lives of 30 people.
The number of lives lost may not seem like a lot compared to other accidents at sea, but it is still a tragedy. And as a ship enthusiast, it is painful to see such a beautiful and majestic ship meet such a tragic end.
The Britannic is a ship that will never be forgotten. It is a ship that represents the best and the worst of humanity, and it is a reminder of the importance of safety, the power of hope, and the fragility of life.
