The Curse Of The Titanic Sisters | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Curse Of The Titanic Sisters

Were the ships doomed from the start?

2900
The Curse Of The Titanic Sisters
Blogspot

Most people already know about the tragedy of the R.M.S. (Royal Mail Ship) Titanic – the fateful ship that struck an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean and sank on April 15, 1912. What many don’t know, however, is that the Titanic had two sister ships. In fact, Titanic wasn’t even the first of her sisters built.

The R.M.S. Olympic was first launched in October of 1910, and she was declared ready for duty in May of 1911. Her maiden voyage, for the most part, went very well, and the people of New York were met with a ship the likes of which they had never seen. No one had ever built a ship that large before. Unfortunately, that is the main cause of Olympic’s many problems.

The first incident took place on her maiden voyage, right after she arrived in New York City. The other ships in the harbor were not prepared for the sheer size of Olympic, and a tugboat, the OL Hallenbach was pulled in by her massive propeller. The Olympic was unharmed (other than some scratches), but the Hallenbach was severely damaged by the encounter.

A second and more well-known incident occurred on September 20, 1911. The Olympic and the Royal Navy cruiser, HMS Hawke, were sailing too close to each other when the captain of the Olympic ordered that the ship be turned. The two ships collided, causing massive damage to both vessels, but, fortunately, they both managed to stay afloat. The Hawke’s bow was crushed, and Olympic suffered two large gashes ripped into her starboard side—one above the waterline and one below.

Ironically, the Olympic’s captain during both of these incidents was none other than Edward J. Smith – the man who would later go on to captain the Titanic on her maiden voyage.

The Olympic suffered many more unfortunate incidents (including cutting a lightship in half) in its long career. Despite this, the R.M.S. Olympic was the only one of White Star Line’s Olympic-class ships to survive to be decommissioned – even after serving as a troop transport ship in World War I. In 1937, Olympic was stripped, and her fixtures and fittings were auctioned off.

After the Titanic disaster, construction on R.M.S. Britannic (supposedly, it was originally meant to be called Gigantic) was halted until a full investigation could be completed. Eventually, construction began again, but several new safety features were added to the design (including, but not limited to, the proper number of lifeboats).

Britannic ultimately never became a passenger liner. By the time her sea trials had ended, WWI had broken out, and she was converted into a hospital ship and renamed H.M.H.S. (His Majesty’s Hospital Ship) Britannic. She was charged by the International Red Cross with the evacuation of wounded soldiers – most notably from the Isle of Lemnos and the Gallipoli campaign.

On November 21, 1916, Britannic ran into an underwater mine in the Aegean Sea’s Kea Channel—though, at the time, it was unclear whether it was a mine or a torpedo from an enemy submarine. There was a huge explosion, and the ship sank in less than an hour. This was partially due to a failure in the emergency bulkheads (incidentally, this was also one of the reasons for the Titanic’s sinking) and partially due to the portholes in the lower decks being left open.

Surprisingly, there were few casualties. The starboard lifeboats were quickly ordered to be lowered first—as the ship was listing to that side. Unfortunately, two lifeboats were launched prematurely (and without permission) and were sucked into the still-turning propellers. Thirty people were killed.

H.M.H.S. Britannic currently lies on its side in fairly shallow water. Her location was lost for many years, but she was rediscovered by Jacque Cousteau in 1975. It’s unfortunate that Britannic is not as famous as her younger sister, Titanic, as the Britannic’s wreck is far more accessible than her predecessor’s.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

10 Facts All People In A Large Family Can Confirm During The Holiday Season

The holiday season can be the best and most stressful time of the year, especially when more people are involved.

51
kids jumping

The holidays are full of lights, sweets, sweaters, and your favorite movies. There's nothing quite like this period from the beginning of December through January. Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years. The fun of it all.

I don't know about you but with my large Italian family something is always going on during this season. It can be the most wonderful time of the year while also being the most hectic. These are a few things you know if your family is anything like mine during this time.

Keep Reading...Show less
10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over
reference.com

To those who celebrate, you just spent an entire day cooking an elaborate meal with all of your favorite foods. You probably ate your body weight in pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. What happens now? Oh yea, Christmas. It’s time to take out all of the decorations and Christmas themed things that have been sitting in the attic since last year; it’s time to make a reappearance. So, here are 10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

3536
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

2157
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

201482
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments