RMS Olympic Class: From Titanic to War

The RMS Olympic Class was a trio of ocean liners that left an indelible mark on maritime history. These magnificent vessels were designed to be the epitome of luxury and speed.

The Olympic Class liners were designed by Harland and Wolff, the same shipyard that built the Titanic. The Olympic, Britannic, and Titanic were the largest ships in the world at the time of their launch.

The Olympic Class liners were known for their impressive size, with the Olympic measuring 902 feet 6 inches in length. The Titanic, on the other hand, stood at 882 feet 9 inches.

The RMS Olympic class was a series of three ocean liners built in the early 20th century.

These massive ships were designed to be the epitome of luxury and technology, with a gross tonnage of over 46,000 tons.

The Olympic class liners were 902 feet 6 inches long, which is incredibly massive.

The RMS Olympic was the largest ship in the world when it was launched in 1911.

It had a top speed of 21 knots, making it one of the fastest ships of its time.

The Olympic class liners were equipped with some of the most advanced technology of the era, including electric lighting and a sophisticated ventilation system.

The RMS Olympic had a crew of over 850 people, which is a staggering number.

The ship's massive size and advanced technology made it a marvel of its time, and it continues to fascinate people to this day.

The RMS Olympic was launched on October 20, 1910, at Belfast, where officials were amazed by her massive size.

It took only 62 seconds for the 20,600-ton hull to slide into the water, a remarkable feat considering her enormity.

The Olympic began her fitting out process, which included using a £30,000 crane from Germany to place the funnels and other essential components.

The ship was dry docked in the newly completed Thompson Graving Dock, designed specifically for the new generation of giant ships.

On April 1, 1911, the propellers were fitted, marking a significant milestone in the Olympic's transformation.

It took until May 29, 1911, to complete the fitting out process, turning the hollow hull into a magnificent floating palace.

The Olympic then sailed down Belfast Lough to undergo her two-day sea trials, a crucial step before being declared seaworthy.

On May 31, 1911, the Olympic left Belfast bound for Liverpool to be registered, a day that would be marked by history as the Titanic was launched from slip way No. 3, attracting a massive crowd of over 100,000.

The Olympic-class liners were designed with luxury in mind, featuring lavish amenities that set them apart from other ships of the time. The first-class passengers enjoyed spacious cabins, some with private bathrooms, and could dine in the large and luxurious dining saloon or the more intimate A La Carte Restaurant.

The ship's interior was designed with a cleaner and sleeker look, thanks to the use of smaller air vents with electric fans, which replaced the bulky exterior air vents of other ships. This design choice gave the Olympic a unique appearance.

The Olympic-class liners were equipped with advanced technology, including a combination of reciprocating engines with a centre low-pressure turbine, which proved to be more economical than expansion engines or turbines alone. This innovative design allowed the Olympic to consume 650 tons of coal per 24 hours, compared to 1,000 tons for other ships.

The Olympic was designed as a luxury ship, with passenger facilities, fittings, deck plans, and technical facilities largely identical to its sister ship, the Titanic, with some small variations.

First-class passengers enjoyed luxurious cabins, some of which were equipped with private bathrooms. They could have meals in the ship's large and luxurious dining saloon or in the more intimate A La Carte Restaurant.

The Olympic had a cleaner, sleeker look than other ships of the day, thanks to smaller air vents with electric fans and a "dummy" fourth funnel used for additional ventilation. This design choice was a departure from the bulky exterior air vents commonly used at the time.

First-class passengers could also enjoy the lavish Grand Staircase, built only for the Olympic-class ships, along with three lifts that ran behind the staircase down to E deck. A Georgian-style smoking room, a Veranda Café decorated with palm trees, a swimming pool, and a Victorian Turkish bath were also available for their use.

Second-class facilities included a smoking room, a library, a spacious dining room, and a lift. This level of accommodation offered a reasonable standard for passengers of the time.

Third-class passengers enjoyed cabins containing two to ten bunks, a significant improvement over the large dormitories commonly found on other ships. They also had access to a smoking room, a common area, and a dining room.

The Olympic and Titanic shared a similar lifeboat arrangement in 1911-12. They had fourteen regulation boats, two emergency cutters, and four collapsible boats.

These collapsible boats were stored in a specific way. Collapsible C and D were broken down and stored under the lead boats on the port and starboard sides.

Two more collapsibles were stored on top of the officers' quarters, one on either side of the number one funnel. The officers' quarters also had collapsible lifeboat B stored on the port side roof and collapsible lifeboat A on the starboard side roof.

The RMS Olympic had its fair share of close calls and accidents throughout its career. The ship was involved in several collisions, including one with the HMS Hawke in 1911, which caused significant damage to the Olympic.

The Olympic also collided with the Nantucket Lightship in 1934, resulting in the sinking of the lightship and the loss of seven lives. Four crew members went down with the vessel, while seven were rescued, although three of them later died of their injuries.

The Olympic's crew reacted quickly to the accident, lowering boats to rescue the surviving crew members, which was confirmed by an injured crewman.

The RMS Olympic had a remarkable career, but it's also had its fair share of accidents. The Olympic survived a collision with a British warship in 1911.

During World War I, she even outsmarted a German U-boat, ramming and sinking the U-103 after the submarine attempted to torpedo her. This was a rare feat, making her a true hero of the war.

In 1934, the White Star Line merged with the Cunard Line, and the Olympic became part of the new Cunard-White Star Line. This marked a significant change for the ship.

The Olympic struck a lightship in 1934, cutting it in half and resulting in the loss of seven of the lightship's crew members. It was a tragic incident that left a somber mood on the ship.

The Olympic continued its voyage after rescuing the survivors of the lightship, flying its flag at half-mast as a sign of respect.

The Olympic, the world's largest ship at the time, had its fair share of close calls and collisions during its career.

The first notable collision occurred in 1911, when the Olympic and HMS Hawke collided while traveling parallel. The Olympic suffered significant damage, requiring a major repair.

The Olympic's crew and passengers faced tense transatlantic crossings during World War I, with extra drills, blacked out portholes, and mounted guns for protection.

In 1934, the Olympic struck and sank the Nantucket Lightship LV-117, resulting in seven fatalities out of a crew of 11. The incident occurred in heavy fog, with the Olympic failing to turn in time.

The Olympic's crew reacted quickly to rescue the surviving crew members from the lightship, lowering boats to assist in the rescue.

The Titanic and Britannic were two of the most iconic ships in the Olympic class.

Britannic was the last built and largest member of the Olympic class of vessels.

Both the Titanic and Britannic had a large number of people aboard, with 1,065 on the Britannic and a similar number on the Titanic, although the exact number is not specified in the text.

The Britannic managed to avoid the same losses as the Titanic, with 1,035 survivors.

After the Titanic disaster, Olympic underwent significant changes to improve safety. The number of lifeboats was increased from twenty to sixty-eight.

These changes were made in response to the lessons learned from the Titanic's sinking, where water spilled over the top of the bulkheads as the ship sank and flooded subsequent compartments. This flaw had been exposed during the disaster.

To correct this flaw, five of the watertight bulkheads were extended up to B-Deck, extending to the entire height of the hull. An extra bulkhead was also added to subdivide the electrical dynamo room, bringing the total number of watertight compartments to seventeen.

The ship's pumping apparatus was also improved, allowing Olympic to survive a collision similar to that of Titanic.

The Olympic and Britannic may not be household names like the Titanic, but they are still worth remembering and exploring for their contributions to maritime history.

The Olympic and Britannic had impressive and unique stories of their own, despite not having the same tragic end as their sister ship, the Titanic.

Their stories are worth exploring, and they played a significant role in maritime history.

The Olympic and Britannic were sister ships to the Titanic, and they each had their own distinct characteristics and experiences.

After the Titanic disaster, Olympic underwent a major refit to improve safety and add more amenities to the ship. The number of lifeboats carried by Olympic was increased from twenty to sixty-eight, a significant improvement over the original twenty.

The refit also included the installation of extra davits along the boat deck to accommodate the increased number of lifeboats. This was a crucial change, as it ensured that passengers could evacuate the ship more quickly and safely in the event of an emergency.

Olympic's B Deck underwent a significant transformation during the refit, with extra cabins added in place of the covered promenade. This change not only provided more space for passengers but also allowed for the creation of private bathing facilities.

The Á La Carte restaurant was also enlarged during the refit, giving first-class passengers more options for dining. A Café Parisien was added, offering another dining option to first-class passengers.

These changes, along with others, helped to make Olympic the "new" Olympic, with improved safety features and more amenities for passengers.

During World War I, Olympic was painted in a grey colour scheme to make the ship less visible.

The schedule was altered to terminate at Liverpool, and later at Glasgow, to accommodate wartime measures.

Olympic carried few passengers on eastbound journeys, as Americans trapped in Europe were eager to return home on westbound voyages.

By mid-October 1914, bookings had fallen sharply due to the threat from German U-boats.

Olympic left New York for Glasgow on her last commercial voyage of the war on 21 October 1914, carrying only 153 passengers.

The HMHS Britannic was the largest member of the Olympic class vessels, built by the White Star Line. She was slightly larger than her sisters, with a gross tonnage of 48,158 tons.

Britannic had a more powerful turbine engine and a larger rudder for better maneuverability. This made her a significant improvement over her sisters, Olympic and Titanic.

She came into service at the start of World War 1 and was quickly put to use as a hospital ship. This was a far cry from her intended purpose as a luxury ocean liner.

Britannic's service as a hospital ship was short-lived, as she hit a sea mine and sank off the Greek island of Kea on November 21st 1916. This tragic event resulted in the loss of 30 lives, with 1,035 survivors.

The Britannic was the largest ship lost during World War 1, with 1,065 people on board. Despite this, her losses were significantly lower than those of the Titanic, which also sank during the war.

The Britannic's legacy lives on, remembered alongside her sisters, Olympic and Titanic, as one of the most iconic ocean liners of her time.

Olympic's UK official number was 131346, a unique identifier assigned by the flag state.

Official numbers were issued by individual flag states and shouldn't be confused with IMO numbers.

Olympic's code letters were HSRP until 1933.

In 1930, new four-letter call signs superseded three-letter ones for ships like Olympic.

Her wireless telegraphycall sign was MKC until 1934.

Olympic's new call sign was GLSQ in 1934, replacing her old code letters.