Watertight doors during the Hawke Collision

[Jessie M.]

As most of us know; the Olympic was nearly identical to the Titanic save for her exposed Promenade deck and nameplates... If this was the case, in 1911 (before her watertight doors were fixed due to the issues the Titanic disaster brought to light) how is it possible that the Olympic survived the collision with the Hawke when water would've been able to overflow from the affected compartment?

Did Smith simply get the ship back to port before this happened? Or is there something I'm missing?

 

[Aaron_2016]

I believe the Olympic only had 2 compartments badly flooded by the accident. The weight of water was not enough to weigh down the ship so that E-deck would dip below the waterline, so the water could not spill into the other compartments. The Titanic damaged 6 of her compartments and this was enough to settle her down heavily in the water and E-deck was pulled below the waterline and the sea was able to spill over the tops.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

The weight of water was not enough to weigh down the ship so that E-deck would dip below the waterline

Actually, the bulkheads ran up to D deck in the after part of the ship. Water flowed into two compartments, but only one flooded up to the waterline because the WTDs dropped shut before that nearby adjacent compartment could flood significantly.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Smith was left in a tricky position as a captain carry's full responsibility. The ship with just three months of service and at the time the world biggest and luxury ship afloat. Which lead to them think that the ship was unsinkable!
He was fortunate the collision was at the stern end and not the mid ship section, which have lower bulkhead height. Also a quick action of a greaser who was on the spot at the time closed the watertight door before the bridge had time to react of the situation. O though bulkhead O did fill up with about 400 tons of water, it would appear the bilge pump could just keep pace.
Smith took the safety precaution by of loading passengers on the Isle of Wight and anchored overnight. Though there is some confusion if all passengers were of loaded, as the six tugs tow her slowly back to Southampton. There were passengers watching from decks above of the tugs in operation!