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Which ships did Sir John Franklin command on his final Northwest Passage expedition?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Map of the Arctic region highlighting the Northwest Passage, a maritime route shown with a red line connecting the Atlantic Ocean near Greenland to the Pacific Ocean via the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, passing north of Canada and Alaska through the Bering Sea. Major islands and surrounding countries such as Russia, Norway, Denmark (Greenland), the United States (Alaska), and Canada are labeled.
Northwest Passage

Sir John Franklin commanded two ships on his final expedition to discover the Northwest Passage: the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror.12

Franklin served as the commander of the Erebus, while the Terror was captained by Francis Crozier. Both vessels were specially outfitted for Arctic conditions, featuring reinforced hulls, steam engines, and heating systems. Despite these preparations, the expedition met with disaster after the ships became trapped in ice off King William Island, leading to the loss of all 129 crew members.231