Titanic: A Fresh Look at the Evidence by a Former Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents

Description

Reviews

“By far the most thorough and well-written investigative book on RMS Titanic’s short life and tragic sinking that this reviewer has read . . . fascinating.” — Choice Reviews

“A fascinating account . . . this book looks at the facts from a new perspective and uncovers some unexpected findings. A worthwhile read.” — Royal Naval Sailing Association

“Provides genuine insight into what almost certainly happened before, during and after the ice sliced through the five compartments on the liner’s starboard bow.” — Viewpoint

“Lang, with his experience of marine accident investigation has found an angle in examining events of April 1912 from the perspective of an MAIB officer. His analysis is supported by detailed background material enabling the reader to understand the events of the collision and sinking more fully as he brings the standards of a 21st-century investigation to bear on the events in determining exactly what happened and why.” — Flash

Contents

• Foreword
• Preface
• Prologue
• Background
  • The North Atlantic
    • Ice in the North Atlantic
    • Ships, shipping and the North Atlantic
    • The migration to North America
    • The White Star Line
    • Immigration rules and regulations
  • Maritime matters
    • North Atlantic routing
    • Time
    • Navigation Lights
    • Helm Orders
    • The Compass
    • Coal
    • Distinguishing night signals of steamship lines
    • North Atlantic safety record
    • The sinking of HM Troopship Birkenhead
    • Wireless Telegraphy
    • Distress signals: wireless
  • The People
    • Edwardians
    • Merchant Seamen
    • Titanic’s navigating officers
  • Marine accidents and their investigation
    • Marine accident investigation today
  • Numbers embarked
    • The human factor
• Part One: Introduction
  • Factual information
    • Particulars of ship
    • Time
  • Narrative of Events
  • Construction, equipment and certification
    • Boilers and propulsion
    • Bunkers and ash
    • Steering
    • Bilge and ballast pumps
    • Gangway doors
    • Charts
    • Wireless Equipment
      • Wireless defect
    • Lifesaving equipment
      • Lifeboats
      • Boat drills
  • Fire on board
  • Sea Trials
  • Readiness for sea
  • Passengers
  • Olympic class scheduling
  • Titanic’s schedule
    • Sailing directions
    • The passage plan
  • Ice warnings
    • Prior to departure from Southampton
    • The 1912 icefield
    • Early in the voyage
    • Friday 12 April
    • Saturday 13 April
    • Sunday 14 April
  • Weather
  • Visibility
  • Speed
  • Lookout
  • Binoculars
    • Ice Sighting
  • Actions on sighting the iceberg
  • Damage assessment
  • Ship’s officers
    • The master: Captain E J Smith
    • Chief officer: Henry Wilde
    • First officer: William Murdoch
    • Second officer: Charles Lightoller
    • Third officer: Herbert Pitman
    • Fourth officer: Joseph Boxhall
    • Fifth officer: Herbert Lowe
    • Sixth officer: James Moody
  • Damage and flooding
  • Mustering of crew and passengers
  • Clearing away, launching and deployment of the lifeboats
    • Women and children
  • Wireless distress messages
  • Visual distress signals
  • Sinking to rescue: the lifeboats
  • Ships in the vicinity
    • SS Californian
    • SS Carpathia
    • SS Mount Temple
    • Other ships
  • Wireless traffic post sinking
  • Discovery of the wreck
• Part Two: Analysis
  • The captain
  • The navigating officers
  • The passage plan
  • Ice warnings
  • Handling ice warnings
  • Navigation plan: 14 April
  • Wireless defect
  • Weather
  • Visibility
  • Speed
  • Lookout
  • Binoculars
  • Haze
  • The iceberg: sighting
  • The iceberg: avoiding action
  • Damage assessment
  • Lifeboats
    • Lifeboats: capacity
    • Lifeboats: preparation, loading and lowering
    • Loading of lifeboats: crew
    • Loading of lifeboats: passengers
    • Women and children first
  • Command and control
  • Distress messages: wireless
  • Distress signals: visual
  • Sighting of lights
  • Titanic’s foundering
  • Other ships
    • SS Californian
      • Californian and distress messages
        • Wireless
        • Visual
    • SS Mount Temple
    • Other Ships
  • Lifeboat action after the sinking
  • The rescue
  • The victims
  • Casualty figures
• Part Three: Conclusions, causes and recommendations
  • Introduction
  • Findings
  • The initiating cause
  • The root or key causes
  • Underlying and contributory causes
    • General
    • Collision with an iceberg
    • The sinking of the Titanic
    • The extensive loss of life
    • The actions of the Californian
    • The rescue
  • Recommendations
• Epilogue
  • Mr Bruce Ismay
  • Captain Stanley Lord
  • Lessons to be learned: could it happen again?
  • Rudder angles
  • Mass rescue operations
  • The last word