HMHS Britannic (1914)

Builder:
Harland & Wolff Ltd.
Belfast, Ireland
Keel laid:
November 30, 1911
Launched:
February 26, 1914
Year built:
1914
Completed:
December 8, 1915
Fate:
Sunk Nov. 21, 1916 by a mine laid by U-73.

Location: Aegean Sea, 2 miles northwest of Kea Island, Greece.
(37.42N - 24.17E)

30 crew killed, 1,066 survivors picked up by HMS Heroic, HMS Scourge, HMS Foxhound and
a Greek fishing boat and landed at Piraeus, Greece.
(Those who were killed died when two lifeboats, which were launched without permission,
were drawn into the propellers. Titanic survivor Violet Jessop, a volunteer nurse, was in
one of the lifeboats and sustained a fractured skull, about 39 others were also injured.)


Owner
Oceanic Steam Navigation Company
(White Star Line)
Liverpool, England


Dimensions, machinery and performance
Length:
882' 9"
Engines:
2 four cylinder triple expansion (outside props)
1 Parsons low pressure steam turbine (center prop)
Beam:
94'
Boilers:
24 double ended (coal fired)
5 single ended (coal fired)

Draft:
35'
Shafts:
3
Gross tons:
48,158
HP:
50,000
DWT:
N/A
Speed:
21 knots
Crew:
860 (a)
Funnels:
4
Passengers:
2,570 (b)
Masts:
2
(a):
675 as hospital ship.
(b):
3,300 wounded, 489 medical staff as hospital ship.


Captains
From
To
Name
Dec. 12, 1915
Nov. 21, 1916
Captain Charles A. Bartlett


History
Nov. 13, 1915:
Requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a hospital ship, pennant number G-618.
Dec. 12, 1915:
Departed Belfast after trials and arrived at Liverpool, commissioned as hospital ship
under the command of Capt. Charles A. Bartlett.
Dec. 23, 1915:
Departed Liverpool for Mudros, Lemnos Island, Greece.
Dec. 28, 1915:
Arrived at Naples, Italy for coal, departing Dec. 29.
Dec. 31, 1915:
Arrived Mudros and loaded 3,300 casualties.
Jan. 4, 1916:
Departed Mudros to return to Southampton.
Jan. 9, 1916:
Arrived at Southampton.
Jan. 20, 1916:
Departed Southampton for Mudros.
Jan. 25, 1916:
Arrived at Naples, the ship was held there and loaded casualties from other hospital ships
and returned to England rather than heading to Mudros.
Feb. 9, 1916:
Arrived at Southampton.
Mar. 20, 1916:
Departed Southampton for Augusta, Sicily where she loaded casualties from other hospital
ships and returned to England.
Apr. 4, 1916:
Arrived at Southampton. Following her arrival she was anchored off the Cowes, Isle of
Wight and used as a floating hospital due to the overload of casualties.
May 8, 1916:
Arrived at Harland & Wolff to be refit as a passenger ship.
June 6, 1916:
Officially released back to White Star Line.
Aug. 28, 1916:
Requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a hospital ship and sailed to Southampton.
Sept. 24, 1916:
Departed Southampton for Mudros.
Sept. 29, 1916:
Arrived at Naples and coaled (on or about this date).
Oct. 3, 1916:
Arrived at Mudros and loaded casualties.
Oct. 11, 1916:
Arrived at Southampton.
Oct. 20, 1916:
Departed Southampton for Mudros carrying extra medical personnel and supplies for
use in Egypt, Malta and India.
Oct. 28, 1916:
Arrived at Mudros.
Nov. 6, 1916:
Arrived at Southampton.
Nov. 12, 1916:
Departed Southampton for Mudros.
Nov. 17, 1916:
Arrived at Naples for coal. She was held up due to weather until Nov. 20.
Nov. 21, 1916:
Sunk by mine off Kea Island, Greece. The wreck is now a protected war grave.
Dec. 3, 1975:
Wreck located by Jacques Cousteau.


Builder's Data
Page published Aug. 27, 2008