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HMHS Britannic World Naval Ships Forums Archive

HMHS Britannic

Posts 1 to 11

[B]HMHS BRITANNIC[/B] [B]The Titanic's forgotten sister.[/B] I would like to introduce you to my book "Lost Liners" and in particular the hospital ship Britannic. I have put this post here because Britannic was commissioned during WW1 as HMHS Britannic. The loss of this beautiful ship epitomises the absolute wastefulness of war. She was on her way to the Island of Moudros to pick up wounded. Fully fitted out as a hospital ship with every medical assistance available on board, she hit a mine as she passed through the Greek Islands and sank on November 21st, 1916 off the Greek island of Kea. In researching the ship I discovered a most wonderful site dedicated to her. The site is below and I would like to say to the owner whoever he is, what a marvelous job he has done. [url]http://www.hospitalshipbritannic.com/[/url] Below are pics from my book "Lost Liners". Note the photo of the crew survivors on the Deck of the Battleship Lord Nelson. The ship hit a mine that was almost certainly laid by the mine laying submarine U-73 pictured below.
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What a tragic story. And what an impressive site you directed us to. It seems there will always be doubt as to what happened. I go for the mine theory. Perhaps you might tell us more about your book! By the way, we torpedoed a Turkish hospital ship in the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign. But we don't talk about this!

No Herk, That's because we are part of the 'us' group and they are only part of the 'them' group. Only us count. The Japs got one of ours too. The Centaur, just off Brisbane. She was heading for Pt Moresby to bring back the wounded.

Wouldn't it be great if others went to this much trouble for their forum? Probably took me more than an hour to take the photos, research it and put this together for the members for just your single answer. I don't think I have ever seen a forum where so many lurkers join and do nothing after.

Well, I found it interesting at least! There have been 40 viewings.

I understand that it was RMS Britannic that was being escorted by HMS Rodney when the famous encounter with the Bismark happened. This Britannic was also a sister ship to the Titanic as she was a White Star liner. She made her maiden voyage in 1930. But this Britannic was the third White Star liner to bear the name Britannic. She spent WW2 as a troop ship.

The Britannic was the sister ship to the Olympic and Titanic, although it never ran on the North Atlantic. There is a story that it was originally to have been named Gigantic. The White Star Line always denied it but the legend has never been definitely proved or disproved Its completion was delayed pending the outcome of the court enquiry into the Titanic disaster. [B]As a result of this extra safety features were added. [/B] It was finally launched on 26 February 1914 as the Britannic. White Star announced that it would begin sailing the Southampton-New York route in the spring of 1915. The outbreak of World War One changed this and it was converted into a hospital ship with over 3,300 beds. On 13 November it was fitted out medically and on 8 December commissioned as a hospital ship and handed over in International Red Cross livery. The Britannic arrived at Liverpool, from Belfast, on 12 December 1915, but it did not leave on its maiden voyage to Mudros until 23 December. The ship went on to make further voyages as a hospital ship. Next it was to call at Mudros on the Isle of Lemnos and assist in the evacuation of wounded troops from the Gallipoli campaign. It also spent four weeks as a floating hospital ship off Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Subsequent to this it returned to Belfast on 6 June 1916 and was released from war service. Harland and Wolff had already begun refitting the Britannic as a Royal Mail and passenger steamer when the Admiralty recalled the ship to war service. The ship made two further trips to Mudros before its final voyage. On 12 November 1916 the Britannic left Southampton and, after bunkering at Naples on the 17th, on the 21st it ran into a mine field in the Zea Channel, 4 miles west of Port St.Nikolo, Kea. The mines had been laid by German submarine U-73 and despite the fact that the Channel had been swept the day before some mines obviously still remained. The ship was racked by an explosion starboard below the bridge and the forward part flooded when the water-tight doors failed to function. Captain Bartlett tried unsuccessfully to beach the ship on Kea Island whilst preparations were made to save the 1,125 aboard, incidentally none of whom were patients. As it settled by the head abandon ship was ordered. Two boats were lowered and slashed by the still rotating propellers killing 30. One hour after the explosion the ship keeled over to starboard and sank. The survivors were picked up by the escorting destroyers Foxhound and Scourge and the armed merchant cruiser Heroic. [B]Two of the survivors had also been aboard the Titanic. [/B] [B]The Britannic was the largest ever, 48,158 tons, British Merchant Service war loss.[/B][/B]
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This detail rounds things of nicely. Mines were used very successfully during the Gallipoli campaign. They played a large part in the defeat of the combined French and British navies on 18th March 1915. What a victory for the Germans to finish off such a large ship. You say no wounded were on-board at the time. Do you know if she was marked as a hospital ship? Not that that would matter to a mine I guess.

In my book "Lost Liners", it sets out how the ship sank. Following the Titanic disaster where it was discovered that the bulkheads did not go full height and the water flowed over from one compartment to the next, the Britannic was altered to take the bulkheads all the way up. [B]What went wrong then?[/B] It said that during the first world war in was strictly forbidden through merchany navy regulations to sail through a war zone with the lower portholes open. As the ship was sailing through the Greek Islands, it was very hot and with over 1100 people on board this regulation was put aside in the interests of keeping cool. All the port holes were wide open for any breeze. When the ship heeled over after it was hit, water flowed unabated through the entire length of the ship. At the board of enquiry, the Captain was later held responsible for this. Bit late wasn't it.

My g/father Chas Fred'k Wm Hatfield (listed originally incorrectly as 136 Hadfield) was a greaser stoker on Britannic and "went down with the ship" but actually vanished and turned up on his wife's doorstep some considerable time later! - It was ironic that he was dropped in the drink as he was earlier the actual model for the R M S Titanic Engineer Officers memorial in Andrews Park Southampton unveiled April 1914 - He was chosen I understand because he was a stoker for other White Star Line ships and would have been in great peril below the water line - Engine room men were vital to keep power going in battle and were often heroes. In this respect our family was informed by Grandad that engine room doors were sometimes welded closed when battle was joined (WW1) Does anyone know about this? (Regarding the web site that is not active I have the owner's address and will write to Michail) Aug 2012

Greaser Fredk Wm Hatfield (wrongly listed as 136 Hadfield) my grandfather survived but I want to know if any picked up survivor lists are known for destroyer Scourge (339 survivors) aux cruiser Heroic (494) and later Foxhound so I can work out how he got home to Southampton very much later - also around were 2 French tugs Goliath and Polyphemus He was known as Bill and his merchant career included Majestic Olympic Colonia Empress of France Queen Mary He was the model used for the Titanic Engineers Memorial Southampton (ironic!) Any help appreciated W

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