The Forgotten Sister



HMHS Britannic

In slip No.2, where Olympic was build construction started of the largest of the three Olympic-class liners, HMHS Britannic at Harland&Wolff's shipyard in Belfast, N.Ireland. It was November 30, 1911.

Five months after contruction began all work stopped because of the sinking of Titanic in April of 1912, in order to evaluate the situation. After a comprehensive study it was decided to change the original plans of Britannic before work commenced again. The double bottom was going to be extented up the side, to give her a double skin. The watertight bulkheads were also extended up. In comparison to Titanic she could stay afload when the first six of her compartments were floaded. The ship that was originally meant to be known as Gigantic could now survive her sister's damage.

The ship was also fitted with five new and larger davits each responsible for launching six of the largest lifeboats. She also had the smaller Wellin Davits, as used on Titanic. With her 41,158 tons she was the largest British ship at the time. Unlike her sisters she was never the largest ship in the world. The Hamburg-Amerika Line launched a ship called the "Vaterland", which was the largest ship in the world with her 900 feet (300 meters) in length. Britannic was launched on February 26,1914 and was more luxurious than both of her sisters. Worth while mentioning is about where the famous clock of the Grand Staircase on Titanic was they had planned an elegant pipe organ. She was able to carry 790 first class passengers, 835 second class passengers, 950 third class passengers and 950 crew members.
Due to the outbreak of WW I, she never entered commercial service,since the British government needed the ships for war duties. As a result White Star Line had taken away six of it's ships by the British Admeralty. The line though was getting paid good money for this. During the turn of the centuary a lot of new technology was invented to make live better, however this technology was now used for destruction. Machine guns, poisonous gas and U-boats, which could sink ships from under the water without being detected.

During WW I the Straits of The Dardanelles connecting the Mediterranean Sea with Black sea was heavily defended in order to control this area, being a major seaport for Russia. Many soldiers were wounded and the ships available to take them back to England and France were too small. The British government gathered from Cunard the Mauretania and the Aquitania. However these two liners approved to be insufficiant to transport the wounded. The Britannic was still at Harland&Wolff in Belfast and her fitting out was not completely finished, because of the war. The first class reception room and dinning saloon became an intensive care ward. The rest dormitories, hospital wards and doctors offices.

On December 12, 1915, Bretannic was ready for war service with a green stripe and six red crosses on her hull. She arrived in Liverpool and was fitted for her duties as a hospital ship with 2034 beds, 1035 cots as well as a staff of 52 officers, 101 doctors and nurses, 336 orderlies and a crew of 675 men and women. She was now able to carry 3309 patients. Britannic was named "His Majesty's Hospital Ship" (HMHS), hospital ship No.G618.

Her maiden voyage

© Copyright protected Oss 2000. Last updated March 11, 2001.