Britannic: The Largest Shipwreck under the Sea
Earlier, we shared the story of the United States, the transatlantic that is set to be sunk off the coast of Okaloosa County in 2025, becoming the largest artificial reef. It will thus become the biggest passenger shipwreck at the bottom of the sea. But who currently holds this unfortunate title? Britannic, the British transatlantic sunk on November 21, 1916, after striking a German mine in the Aegean Sea during World War I. This ship, largely unknown to most, had a gross tonnage of 48,158 tons, while the aforementioned United States surpasses it with a gross tonnage of 53,329 tons.
The suffix “ic” in its name reflects that it was a ship owned by the British White Star Line. Specifically, it was the last ship of the “Olympic” class, which also included the famous and ill-fated Titanic. The tragic fate of the latter relegated its sister ship’s story to obscurity, and historians have even dubbed it “the forgotten sister.”
HMHS_Britannic
However, a brief historical overview is needed to recall the origins of these ships: In 1907, White Star Line commissioned the construction of three giant transatlantic ships, each with a gross tonnage of 45,000 tons, at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast. These ships were meant to surpass the rival Cunard Line vessels in both size and luxury.
The first to enter service was the prototype Olympic in 1911. Its immediate success led to the laying of the keel for the third ship in the series, initially unnamed, on November 30, 1911. As we all know, in 1912, the second ship in the series, the Titanic, sank during its maiden voyage, causing a media frenzy. After its loss, work on the third sister was halted in order to implement safety improvements. It was decided to raise most of the watertight bulkheads to ensure the ship could stay afloat even with six damaged compartments. A double hull was built along the boiler and engine rooms, and the lifeboat provisions were increased. Construction delays were also caused by the ongoing inquiry into the disaster, and the ship was finally launched on February 26, 1914, under the patriotic name Britannic; however, darker winds of war were sweeping across Europe. World War I broke out later that year, and the still-unfinished liner in Belfast was converted into a hospital ship with over 3,000 beds. The Britannic began its service with the Red Cross livery at the end of 1915, initially deployed for the evacuation of the wounded from the Gallipoli Campaign, launched by the Allies against the Ottoman Empire and strongly advocated by Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty.
It made several voyages as a hospital ship, including technical stops in Italy, particularly in Naples, until its fateful journey began from Southampton on November 12, 1916. Previously, it had also returned briefly to Belfast with the intention of converting it back into a passenger ship.
Britannic_&_Olympic_Sisters_Together_in_Belfast_Shipyard
On November 21, while navigating in the Kea Channel, a German mine ruptured its hull, and despite the improvements made, the ship sank in just 55 minutes. How was this possible? There are three main causes. The first is that Captain Bartlett attempted to beach the ship by keeping the engines running, but this caused the ship to take on water much faster. Furthermore, one of the watertight doors failed to close due to a malfunction, while another had been damaged by the explosion. The situation worsened because the nurses had left the portholes open due to the heat in the lower hull, allowing water to flood in and undoing the safety measures made after the Titanic disaster. Fortunately, the ship was traveling without patients onboard, so casualties were minimal: of the 1,066 people aboard, only 30 died, most of whom were on two lifeboats that were destroyed by one of the still-running propellers. These lifeboats were lowered recklessly in a panic, without the proper authorization from the officer in charge.
The most incredible story related to the end of this ship is that of stewardess-turned-nurse Violet Jessop (nicknamed “Unsinkable”), who was aboard the Olympic when it collided with the cruiser Hawke, the Titanic when it sank, and finally the Britannic on the day it sank. It was on this occasion that she came closest to losing her life: she was on one of the lifeboats that was sucked into the ship’s propeller. Fortunately, she was thrown into the water and survived with a head injury, living to the age of 83.
The wreck of the Britannic rested at the bottom of the sea until 1975, when it was discovered by explorer Jacques Cousteau at a depth of 120 meters, and it has since become a destination for professional divers.
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