How Did the RMS Britannic Sink in the Aegean Sea

The RMS Britannic sank on November 21, 1916, after colliding with a mine in the Aegean Sea.

The ship was on its way to the port of Piraus when it struck the mine, which was likely laid by the Germans to disrupt Allied supply lines.

The Britannic was the sister ship of the Titanic, and it was designed to be unsinkable, but the mine caused significant damage to its hull.

The ship's watertight compartments were not designed to handle the amount of water pouring in, and it eventually sank just over an hour after the collision.

The explosion occurred on the stern-side of the vessel at around 08:12 am on November 21st, causing immediate damage and water seepage into the boiler rooms and firemen's cabins.

The ship's watertight doors were designed to remain above water even if six rooms were filled with water, but two of the doors couldn't be shut, allowing more water to seep in.

The portholes on the lower decks were open, leading to a faster increase in water seepage - just 15 minutes after the explosion.

The captain's decision to head towards the Greek island of Kea, three miles away, caused a delay in lowering the lifeboats.

A couple of lifeboats were lowered onto the portside, where the propellers were in motion, causing them to be torn apart.

The ship's engines were stopped, and the captain finally gave orders for the lifeboats to be lowered, but it was too late for some.

The HMS Scourge and the HMS Heroic rescued the passengers from the 35 lifeboats, taking them to the island of Kea for further treatment.

The ship hit a naval mine in the Kea Channel, laid by the German submarine U-73, causing a huge explosion that tore a hole in the side of the ship.

The explosion occurred at 08:12 am, and the ship sank just one hour later, at 09:12 am, but the exact time is disputed.

The ship was carrying 1,125 people, and nearly all were saved, with only 30 people killed in the disaster.

The captain, Bartlett, stopped the propellers before they could suck in any more lifeboats, but not before two lifeboats were struck.

The lifeboats were launched from the ship, and the survivors were rescued by nearby ships, including the HMS Scourge and the HMS Heroic.

The ship's bow slammed into the sea floor, causing massive structural damage to the hull, and the stern slowly dipped beneath the surface at 09:07 am.

The ship was over 800 feet long, and it only sank 400 feet of water, leaving the bow on the sea floor.

The explosion was caused by a naval mine, not a torpedo, according to the captain of the U-73, who said he had only been laying the mines.

The survivors believe the ship was torpedoed, but the official account says it was a mine explosion.

The ship's length was greater than the depth of the water, causing the impact to cause major structural damage to the bow before it slipped completely beneath the waves.

The ship came to rest on the sea floor, becoming the largest ship lost in the First World War and the world's largest sunken passenger ship.

The RMS Britannic sank due to a combination of factors. The ship struck a mine in the Aegean Sea on November 21, 1916, which caused significant damage to its hull.

The mine explosion occurred at 8:12 am, and the ship sank just 55 minutes later. This was a relatively short period of time, considering the size of the ship and the number of people on board.

The Britannic's sinking was a tragic event that resulted in the loss of 30 lives.

The explosion that struck HMHS Britannic on November 21, 1916, was a pivotal moment in the ship's tragic fate.

At 08:12 am European Eastern Time, the ship hit a mine planted by SM U-73, causing an explosion that would ultimately lead to its demise.

The explosion occurred on the starboard side, between holds two and three, and damaged the watertight bulkhead between hold one and the forepeak.

This damage allowed water to flood the first four watertight compartments, which filled rapidly.

The boiler-man's tunnel connecting the firemen's quarters in the bow with boiler room six was seriously damaged, allowing water to flow into that boiler room.

The force of the explosion also caused the antenna wires slung between the ship's masts to snap, rendering the ship unable to receive radio transmissions.

The watertight door between boiler rooms six and five failed to close properly, allowing water to flow further aft into boiler room five.

This was a crucial failure, as it meant the ship had exceeded its flooding limit and could no longer stay afloat.

The open portholes along the front lower decks, which had been left open by the nurses to ventilate the wards, also contributed to the ship's downfall.

As the ship's angle of list increased, water reached this level and began entering aft from the bulkhead between boiler rooms five and four.

A wreck can be caused by a combination of human error and environmental factors. Human error is a leading cause of wrecks, with 94% of marine accidents attributed to mistakes made by the crew.

The most common type of wreck is a collision, which can occur when a vessel is traveling too fast or doesn't have enough visibility to avoid other boats. A collision can also happen when a vessel is not properly maintained or if the crew is not adequately trained.

Human error can also lead to grounding, which occurs when a vessel runs aground on a rock or reef. This can happen when a vessel is navigating in unfamiliar waters or if the crew is not paying attention to their surroundings.