Titanic’s Evasive Maneuvers

[B-rad]

I couldn't find a thread that encompasses the overall Evasive Maneuvers taken the night of April 14, 1912, at 11:40pm, so I created one. If there already is one I apologize. I thought I would share a paper that I've been working on for a long, long time, just never figured how I'd present it. I've left off my conclusion to see what people thought and if they had anything to add. No one has edited this or even read it, so sorry for any errors. Hope you enjoy.

Moderator's note: Removed attachment, as per the member's request. JDT]

 

[Steven Christian]

I read it and I did enjoy it. You put a lot of work into that. Excellent work. Thanks. I'm the king of the typo's. I have to a edit a one sentance post 3 times to get it right. As for typo errors I only saw a few when I read it so I'm impressed. Good Job Mr. Payne.

 

[Georges Guay]

«Once the turn was initiated, Titanic's bow would begin to swing port. To those aboard Titanic it would appear that the ship was turning from a pivot point roughly 294ft from the ship's stem, or just aft of the 1st funnel.»

The Pivot Point is defined as being a «peripatetic» point around which a vessel turns. It is located at a resultant point where two major forces act out; one created by the advancement water resistance and the other produced by the engine thrust. When a vessel moves forward, the pivot point is located at about ¼ of the ship’s length by perpendicular aft of the forward perpendicular and when moving astern, the pivot point is located at about ¼ of the ship’s length by perpendicular forward of the after perpendicular, therefore at the mid-length by perpendicular when dead stop in the water. Consequently, the pivot point was located 212ft from the forward perpendicular or just about at the after wheel position or 638ft from after perpendicular.

 

[B-rad]

Thanks for your comments. I based this number off being told that the Apparent Pivot Point is about 1/3rd the ship's length, from conversations in this thread 'Mystery behind why Titanic starting moving again' (Start with post 93.). Thoughts? Anyway, Thanks Very Much for reading & replying, much appreciated!

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Hi Brad,
Quite an extensive article, and well researched. I do need some time to digest it all and will send you my comments after I do.

 

[Georges Guay]

A heading alteration of 22½° or 12°?
An Elm Hard-a-Starboard or an elm Hard-a-Starboard followed without delay to Hard-a-Port?

note: do not use for navigation !

 

[Jim Currie]

A Lot of effort there Brad. I take my hat off to you.

I Note: The lookout reported the bow had started to move when Fleet was still at the phone.
If the Forepeak tank was holed forward of the collission bulkhead, then the ship had not turned very much off her original course.
The wxperiments with the Olympic whcih produced 37 seconds for a 2 point turn were done with an unhamperred ship. i.e. Olympic did not touch anything during the experiment, nor , as i understand it, was her engine speed altered during the tuen.

 

[B-rad]

A heading alteration of 22½° or 12°?
An Elm Hard-a-Starboard or an elm Hard-a-Starboard followed without delay to Hard-a-Port?

View attachment 48402
note: do not use for navigation !

Great pic! Just want to clarify. Is this depicting that a 12 degree turn is what most likely occurred? Again, great pic!

 

[Jim Currie]

A Lot of effort there Brad. I take my hat off to you.

I Note: The lookout reported the bow had started to move when Fleet was still at the phone.
If the Forepeak tank was holed forward of the collission bulkhead, then the ship had not turned very much off her original course.
The wxperiments with the Olympic whcih produced 37 seconds for a 2 point turn were done with an unhamperred ship. i.e. Olympic did not touch anything during the experiment, nor , as i understand it, was her engine speed altered during the tuen.

Had to dump much more...got to the bit about northern lights and bow movement then my computer went funny. Any way consider if those who saw the northern lights were in a port lifeboat and look aft over the stern toward the Titanic and...there is but one way to prove a ship is swinging and that is with reference to an object you know is stopped. Those on Titanic who saw her bow swing relative to the nearby light had no idea whether it was the light that was moving or the bow that was swinging.

 

[B-rad]

I forgot to add this tid-bit, which should be included right before 'Effect of the Evasive Maneuver Part 1'

Harland and Wolff architect Edward Wilding would recall at the Limitation of Liability hearing that during Titanic’s sea trails, that took place on April 2nd, 1912, that, “The telegraph showed full speed, but we were not doing that; we were doing about twenty knots. It was fast; it was not slow. The ship was going at twenty knots with the indicator at full speed and the order was given full speed astern,” and when asked at what distance it took Titanic to stop, Wilding replied, “Rather under half a mile.... I mean a nautical mile; about half a land mile.”

This is less than 3,038ft, which is the distance Lee gave as to how faraway the iceberg was when it was spotted. Murdoch was present during Titanic’s sea trials, which begs the question as to rather or not Murdoch knew of this distance, and rather or not Murdoch was trying to stop Titanic from hitting the berg instead of trying to steer around it. Perhaps Murdoch merely turned to port as a precaution, in case the ship did not stop in time. Of course, this is mere speculation, and according to Boxhall, Murdoch did state he 'intended to port around it.'

I have spotted some errors myself after re-reading some of the article. Again I apologize, it had been sitting around for A LONG TIME, and I briefly ran through it, having decided that I just needed to pull the trigger and get it out there - that's the only way to get anywhere.

 

[Georges Guay]

Great pic! Just want to clarify. Is this depicting that a 12 degree turn is what most likely occurred? Again, great pic!

Hi Brad,

If you observe the sketch although near to scale, a heading alteration of 22½° to port along with a single hard-a-starboard elm order would imply;
- a berg as twice as large or a medium berg sighted to port,
- something like 33% greater distance off from the berg,
- a very heavy pressure all along the starboard hull.

A heading alteration of 12° with an elm hard-a-starboard however changed over to port at or before impact would lead to;
- a medium berg size right ahead,
- a shorter sighted distance,
- a glancing blow and proportional pressure barely noticeable,
- a finally starboard swinging vessel to clear the starboard quarter from the berg,
- a reflex avoiding maneuver that would be made or recommended to be made by any ordinary seaman.

Make your own pick!

 

[B-rad]

Hi Brad,

If you observe the sketch although near to scale, a heading alteration of 22½° to port along with a single hard-a-starboard elm order would imply;
- a berg as twice as large or a medium berg sighted to port,
- something like 33% greater distance off from the berg,
- a very heavy pressure all along the starboard hull.

A heading alteration of 12° with an elm hard-a-starboard however changed over to port at or before impact would lead to;
- a medium berg size right ahead,
- a shorter sighted distance,
- a glancing blow and proportional pressure barely noticeable,
- a finally starboard swinging vessel to clear the starboard quarter from the berg,
- a reflex avoiding maneuver that would be made or recommended to be made by any ordinary seaman.

Make your own pick!

"Thanks for that fine forensic analysis", goes along with what Sam has deduced - a 15 degree turn to port (Strangers on the Horizon pg. 114). Thanks for sharing this, greatly appreciated.

 

[Georges Guay]

Simply said; «A point to port instead of two!»

 

[Jim Currie]

The fact that the first point of contact was in the forepeak tank less than 50 feet aft of the stem shows that the ship had hardly moved off her original course before she hit the ice.. We know that tank was holed because the air was being pushed out of the forecastle swan neck vent
If first contact was a couple of feet above tank top level just forward of the Forepeak Tank aft bulkhead, then contact took place when the ship had moved about 7'06" to the left of her original course line.Additionally, if she was making 38 feet per second snd if it took 6 second between on course and impact, the ship's bow was probably a few degrees of her original course when impact took place. It all comes down to the time when she was on course and the time of impact in combination with speed.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

If first contact was a couple of feet above tank top level just forward of the Forepeak Tank aft bulkhead, then contact took place when the ship had moved about 7'06" to the left of her original course line.

No it doesn't. You're assuming the southern extent of the berg below the ship's waterline was on or near the ship's extended centerline before any action was taken.

note: do not use for navigation !

I wouldn't think of it.