German Navy 2, White Star Line 1

[bellinghman]

I note that two White Star liners were sunk by enemy action during WWI (Arabic torpedoed off Kinsale and Britannic struck a mine off Greece), but also that RMS Olympic herself got lucky, was missed by a torpedo, and then rammed and sank the submarine responsible (U-103).

Mind you, Olympic did seem to ram everything in sight. She had a go at taking out HMS Hawke in 1911, and nailed the Nantucket Lightship in 1934. Bearing in mind that her sistership Titanic achieved immortality by having a go at an iceberg, perhaps the entire Olympic class was the maritime equivalent of a pitbull.

Comments

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

Titanic, built in Belfast, home city Liverpool, actually loaded at Southampton, but with Glasgow in her veins!

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

*snort*

[sparrowsion]

Set sail from Southampton 10^th April. Which will be our wedding anniversary. I hope this is not an omen.

(It's a singularly bad day for maritime disasters, marking also the loss of the Thresher, the Wahine disaster (the worst maritime disaster in New Zealand's history), and the collision of the Moby Prince and the Agip Abruzzo.)

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

My birthday is April 8th, the Titanic struck the iceberg on the 14th (before midnight) and sank on the 15th. April Fools day is April 1st. 1-8-15, seven days between each, so I always say I'm halfway between a fool and a disaster ... :-)

Don't worry, you have nothing to worry about in your relationSHIP (aiiieee!!!!)

[sparrowsion]

I'm trying not to think about the fact that Captain Edward Smith is one of the famous sons of my home town….

[epocalypse.livejournal.com]

The Olympic is my favourite conspiracy theory ever.

I'd forgotten about the Arabic, I always think of the later vessel, a captured German prize when that name is mentioned.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

my favourite conspiracy theory ever

Now I'm not aware of that one.

[epocalypse.livejournal.com]

It's utter bunkum but a fun read. The Olympic's collision with the Hawke resulted in her being substituted with Titanic and then sunk in an insurance scam, but it went horribly wrong.

This page has a pretty good summary of it and Richard Hammond did a nice show looking into it.