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The ‘Olympic’ Class Ships: Olympic, Titanic & Britannic
The intensifying competition on the North Atlantic in the early years of the twentieth century led the White Star Line to order three huge liners.
While their British rival, the Cunard Line, focused on speed, White Star concentrated on size and luxury.
Orders were placed for Olympic and Titanic to be built at Harland & Wolff ’s yard in Belfast, while the third sister ship, Britannic, would follow at a later date.
Each ship was subtly different. Lessons learned from the service of Olympic were put into practice for Titanic, as other shipping lines immediately began to plan their response.
Following Titanic’s loss on her maiden voyage, radical improvements were made to the third sister ship, improving the watertight subdivision. These changes, however, did not prevent Britannic sinking in less than an hour in the Aegean in 1916, while serving as a hospital ship for the war effort.
Illustrated with many rare images of all three ships, including a brand new colour section, this revised and expanded edition brings the story up to date, providing a comprehensive history in one volume.
Description
The “Olympic” class ships—Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic—were symbols of both triumph and tragedy. Conceived at a time of rapid technological advancement, these ships were ambitious in scale and design, aiming to surpass previous maritime records. Olympic, the first of the three, enjoyed a successful and lengthy career, establishing a reputation for reliability and even serving as a decorated troopship during World War I. In contrast, Titanic and Britannic met tragic ends, preventing the class from reaching its full commercial and operational potential.
This updated edition seeks to offer a clearer, evidence-based portrayal of Titanic’s story. The author aims to dispel myths and correct inaccuracies often repeated in Titanic literature, emphasizing the importance of primary sources and rigorous research. He highlights challenges in accurately documenting Titanic and her sister ships, noting corrections in tonnage estimates, lifeboat launch sequences, and other technical details. Careful consideration has been given to accounts from Titanic’s bridge during the collision. Emphasis is given to the need for precise historical context, avoiding judgments based on hindsight.
In the author’s introduction, Mark Chirnside reflects on twelve years of ongoing research and discoveries about the “Olympic” class ships—Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic. Since the first edition, new insights, reader feedback, and evolving historical evidence have enriched the understanding of these ships. This updated edition incorporates these findings, adding new chapters, appendices, rare images, and correcting errors found in earlier secondary sources. Chirnside emphasizes the book’s comprehensive scope, acknowledging the unique interests each reader may have, from structural details to personal stories of passengers. This revised edition aims to provide a clearer, more accurate portrayal of the ships’ historical significance.
Contents
- The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company
- Harland & Wolff
- The Competition: Lusitania, Mauretania & Aquitania
- Birth of the Olympics
- RMS Olympic
- RMS Titanic
- HMHS Britannic
- The Wreck of Britannic
- The Wreck of the Titanic
Appendices
Appendix 1. The “Olympic Class” ships
Appendix 2. Nomadic & Traffic
Appendix 3. Lusitania Voyage Notes
Appendix 4. Thomas Andrews’ Maiden Voyage Notes
Appendix 5. Financing the “Olympic Class”
Appendix 6. Titanic: Description of the Ship
Appendix 7. ‘Short of Coal?’
Appendix 8. The Ship That Stood Still
Appendix 9. Germanic – Titanic’s Replacement?
Appendix 10. Britannic & Aquitania Comparisons
Appendix 11. Britannic: Summary of First Cost
Appendix 12. Olympic’s New Running Mates
Appendix 13. North Atlantic Service 1931
Appendix 14. Britannic Remembrance
Appendix 15. UK Hydrographic Office Details of the Wreck of HMHS Britannic
Appendix 16. Glossary of Technical Abbreviations
Additional information
| Author | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The History Press |
| Publication date | |
| Language | |
| Paperback | 384 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0752458957 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0752458953 |
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