Was the Britannic supposed to be identical to the Olympic/Titanic?

[Aurélien WOLFF]

Hello, I wonder if when the construction of the olympic and titanic started in 1910/11, the britannic/gigantic was supposed to be identical, a lot of modification in 1914 seem to have been added after the sinking of the titanic like the huge davits visible on the harland and wolff model

source: RMS-TITANIC.FR

 

[Mark Chirnside]

Hello, I wonder if when the construction of the olympic and titanic started in 1910/11, the britannic/gigantic was supposed to be identical.

When the order for Britannic was confirmed, her dimensions were specified as the same as Olympic/Titanic. Her breadth was increased by October 1911 and then, related to this, her boiler power and engine power was increased. She would therefore have been wider, heavier and more powerful if the Titanic disaster had not happened.

A number of structural design refinements were in the works before Titanic sank, so these were unrelated to the Titanic disaster.

I think we can also say that she would have been more luxurious than Olympic and Titanic.

And Britannic had to comply with new regulations which were not in force when Olympic/Titanic were built, including increased ladderways to provide access from third class compartments to upper decks.

Changes related to safety such as the huge davits were, however, a result of the Titanic disaster.

 

[Aurélien WOLFF]

so things like the covered well deck were already a thing in 1910/1911, do you have any drawing of it from that period? For the walking deck, I'm guessing it was suppose to be the same as this olympic/titanic model. For my what if, I'm thinking of using the revell titanic kit with some modification:

source RMS-TITANIC.FR
Thanks for your answers! I wish modelmaking company would take more interest in ship from this period, I'm surprise there's not many injected model of the lusitania despite the improtance of its sinking, beside revell and miniart no one seem to have done an injected olympic and no one bother to do britannic.

 

[Mark Chirnside]

To my knowledge, we don't know when the decision was taken to enclose Britannic's aft well deck.

It is hard to predict how Britannic's boat deck would have looked if she had been completed in 1914-15, in a world without the Titanic disaster. Cunard had already decided to provide enough lifeboat accommodation for everyone on Aquitania by February 1912. Aquitania made her maiden voyage in May 1914, so there would have been 'peer pressure' for improved lifeboat accommodation regardless of the status of government regulation.

 

[Aurélien WOLFF]

ok, so at first the aft well deck wasn't going to be enclosed, but then a decision was taken at some point during its conception to enclose it, did the architect began to drawn britannic while they were doing titanic/olympic or was it done after olympic construction/trial?
Thanks for your answers!

 

[Aurélien WOLFF]

On the promenade deck and life boat, would these part be different from the olympic when it was ordered? (note: I ordered the 2011 edition of your book "The olympic class ships - Olympic, Titanic & Britannic" tonight to have more documentation than just internet and my now outdated childhood book )

 

[Mark Chirnside]

ok, so at first the aft well deck wasn't going to be enclosed, but then a decision was taken at some point during its conception to enclose it, did the architect began to drawn britannic while they were doing titanic/olympic or was it done after olympic construction/trial?

We don't know exactly.

All we can say is that there was a decision made that Britannic would be different in that regard to Olympic/Titanic.

(note: I ordered the 2011 edition of your book "The olympic class ships - Olympic, Titanic & Britannic" tonight to have more documentation than just internet and my now outdated childhood book )

Thank you, that's doubled my sales for the year.

 

[Aurélien WOLFF]

ok so the britannic would've been different. I wonder if the large structure on the stern was added due to the huge davits or something else
(I know the morgue was there on the hospital ship version). I fond this rigging plan, it seem there's some differences with the actual ship (the red cross on the stern and the rope between the 2nd and 3rd funnel), do you know if it's original or not? I wonder when the decision to cover titanic promenade was planned, before or after the britannic was ordered.



source: RMS-TITANIC.FR
Thanks for your answers, I'll get your book in may.

 

[Aurélien WOLFF]

what are everyone thought on this "britannic/olympic" model? It seem to be one of britannic original design

Thanks for your answers!

 

[Aurélien WOLFF]

Would it be a good assumption to say that when the order was given to harland & wolff to proceed with the britannic in june 1911, it'd look more identical to olympic with a similar promenade deck? http://www.paullee.com/titanic/gigantic.html
Thanks for your answers!

 

[Michael Kitchens]

I think that if Britannic hadn't sunk, she might have given Olympic a run for her money.

Some design changes had been planned prior to Titanic's sinking, and some were made as a result of the sinking. Also, I think that Britannic would have been retrofitted as Olympic was following WW1. Between the pre and post-Titanic sinking design changes and a likely retrofit, Britannic may well have been better than Olympic in terms of shipbuilding technology (of the time) and passenger comfort(s).