National Geographic Channel 5 Britannic programme

P

Parks Stephenson

Member
I was literally knocked out of my chair by tonight's showing of National Geographic's "Mysteries of the Deep: Titanic's Doomed Sister," which showed footage from the 2003 Britannic expedition.

An intact multiple tuner in the Marconi Room and a swim down the Fireman's Passage to the open watertight doors leading to BR#6...my eyes boggled.

This is the most exciting documentary that I've seen since "Ghosts of the Abyss." I have some work to do now. I don't expect that I'll sleep much tonight.

Parks
 
Parks,

As National Geographic doesn't air where I live (France), do you have any idea how I could get my hands on this documentary? I guess most National Geographic documentaries get released on DVD, any idea about this one?

Thanks
Nicolas
 
Awwwwwwww Hell!!! I missed it!!!!
sad.gif


Oh well, the nice thing about National Geographic is that sooner or later, they release just about everything on vidio or DVD. (Hopefully, I can catch a rebroadcast.)
 
Nicolas,

I cannot answer your question. National Geographic used to offer copies of individual documentaries in VHS format, but it appears that they no longer do that. Instead, they offer boxed DVD sets, of three episodes each. Years ago, I bought a VHS copy of "Secrets of the Titanic;" nowadays, you have to buy "Secrets" as part of a 3-DVD pack (along with their Lusitania programme). You can buy it at:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078952J6X/?tag=encyclopediatita

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BMGETGQ/?tag=encyclopediat-21

I don't know if they will ever offer the Britannic show separately, or if we will have to wait for another collection to be put together.

Is there a different National Geographic site for those in the UK? If so, maybe it has different information. From what I read here on E-T, the show aired in the UK last month, well before the US.

Michael,

According to the online TV schedule for the National Geographic channel, the Britannic programme airs again next Thursday.

National Geographic Channel USA: Local Cable Television Program Listings

National Geographic Channel USA Daily Local Cable Television Schedule page is where to find program listings, show names, times, descriptions, e-mail reminders
web.archive.org

Be careful of the times, though...the online schedule indicated that the programme would air at 9p, but it actually aired an hour later. I found out later that there is a radio box at the top of the page to click for Pacific time, and for some reason, Eastern and Pacific showtimes are different.

Parks
 
I missed this show (I was watching Survivor!) but got a call from my sister to say that she was really engrossed in it. It must have been something, as she normally has no interest in this. She actually wants to read about Violet Jessop now!
 
The show hammered home a couple of specific points to a forensic analyst like myself.

First, the Britannic wreck is in much better condition than Titanic's. The difference being that the living creatures that inhabit the Britannic wreck are interested in building on a surface, unlike Titanic's rusticles, which leech elements out of the steel. The interior spaces were so much cleaner than Titanic's, some almost pristine.

Second, the Britannic wreck can teach us a great deal about Titanic. The programme that aired last night was, to me, a teaser...a brief glimpse of the opportunity that the Britannic wreck affords. After last night's viewing, I know that my course of study will not be the same as it was before.

Parks
 
Hi Parks!
I recall during the Cousteau dive back in the 70s, Cousteau swam down the grand staircase shaft, and some of the metal supports remained. What interested me was that according to sketches of the wreck, the skylights above both grand staircases still exist. Any idea if they were photographed on this recent expedition?
It would also be nice if areas on Britannic that were detroyed on Titnaic- like the smoking room and aft grand staircase, could be explored in greater depth.
Also, was there much remaining woodwork on the Britannic?

regards


tarn Stephanos
 
Tarn,

It appears that there was some footage edited out of the programme, at least the version shown here in the US. This is not unusual...what is of interest to the forensic analyst is not always of interest to the audience at large.

From what I've heard, the frame of the main dome electrolier is still there, at least partially. Even a section of GSC tile was photographed. That's all I know at this point...I hope to find out more as time goes on.

There is evidence of wood in the wreck, but I don't know how solid it is. The multiple tuner that was shown so well in the programme has a casing that is made from both mahogany and ebonite. The top and front sides of the tuner are made from dark ebonite and that survived well, giving the tuner case the appearance of being entirely intact. However, the mahoghany sides of the tuner look to be in a little worse shape...I need to study the video closer to determine just how much. I have heard that as the divers moved farther aft in the Officers' Quarters deckhouse, they encountered more intact walls that hindered their movements. In Titanic, all those same walls are completely gone.

Another point of interest that wasn't brought out in the US version of the programme...the boilers are still on their foundations in BR#6! Edward Wilding talked about Titanic's boilers being expected to fall off their foundations at a downward trim angle in excess of 35 degrees. How does this relate to Britannic, which is lying on her side? I need to think about this some more.

The open watertight doors in the Fireman's vestibule allowed access into BR #6 and they were well shown in the NG programme. However, I don't know if the divers were able to examine the watertight door tracks, in order to help determine if the doors were jammed open by the mine explosion, or if the crew didn't otherwise close them. Examination of these tracks might teach us some lessons that might be applied to Titanic. I personally believe that the same doors in Titanic were jammed open during her collision (reference the White Paper on my site) and a study of Britannic's door apparatus might help explain why.

Britannic is a cleaner, more intact wreck than Titanic. Even more importantly, she is much more accessible. I believe that Britannic can be used as a "trial run" of sorts for deeper exploration of Titanic, or at the very least, a stand-in for those areas currently inaccessible in Titanic. The Fireman's Passage is a good example of this. Cameron tried to access the Passage by going down the spiral staircase, so too did the divers on Britannic. Both were frustrated by the hazards presented by the shape of the spiral. However, one of Britannic's divers kept knocking about and found another way into the Passage. Granted, Britannic's bow is ruptured, and the diver may have taken advantage of this (the programme didn't say). Regardless, that information might help us find another way into Titanic's Fireman's Passage.

At any rate, I go back to my initial statement...the programme absolutely blew me away and has inspired me with all the opportunities this new information presents, whether it be about Britannic herself or Titanic (or both). If you missed it last week, you really should try to catch it again this coming Thursday.

Parks
 
Hi Parks!
Did Britannic have roughtly the same configuration as Titanic's Marconi and Silent rooms, are were they totally different?

One of several modeifications on Britannic seemed to possess was a tube connection from the Marconi room to the bridge, so as to assure the instant delivery of navigation messages..
I wonder if that tube is still in place?


I can't think of any shipwreck from WW1 in as good shape as Britannic. Other than the damage in her bow, her wreck is the most articulated wreck of her age that I have ever seen...

The fact she is on her side ,yet her deck houses remain attached to the hull is remarkable and incredibly rare...
(in contrast to the Empress of Ireland and Andrea Doria, where everything above the main superstructure has broken away and fallen into the sediment)
...
And the fact she is on her side, but interior walls are still in place is equally a surprise...

I dont think we'll ever know how much opulant paneling was installed on Britannic-I picture her interior as having been in an unfinished state- exposed pipes and rivetheads everywhere, but some accounts suggested B deck cabins were completed...

A pre sinking photo of her Grand Staircase reveal a blank white wall, but the elegant bannisters were present.......

I have a hunch her D deck 1st class Reception Room and Dining Room were bare, and had never been fitted with leaded glass windows...I seem to recall a photo of men in thier bunks in one of those rooms, and behind them were the double rowed portholes, suggesting the windows were not in place....

Areas on Britannic I hope could be (or hopefully have been) explored are-

*The swimming bath- this is one area we know was completed..

*The Reading and Writing Room

*The 1st class Lounge

*The first class Smoking Room..
(I wonder if these three rooms were fitted with thier respective fireplaces?

*The gymnasium

*The Turkish Baths (*was this area completed?)

*The compass tower on the raised roof of the lounge


*The Childrens playroom

*The dome casings above the grand starcases, and heavy emphasis on the aft grand staircase


Plus Id be interested to know if the 2 support beams in Titanic's Reception Room (that were not on Olympic), were duplicated on Britannic.

Exploration of Britannic could indeed further aid in exploring the Titanic....

Im curious if the route Jake and Elwood took on thier aborted trek to the Turkish Baths (on Titanic) was the exact path one would take on Britannic?

I look forward to seeing this Britannic special!


reagards


Tarn Stephanos
 

Similar threads

R
National Geographic Channel's Britannic & Lusitania Programs
Replies
1
Views
1K
Mindy Deckard
M
Back
Top