- In full:
- Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Olympic
Olympic
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What was the Olympic ship?
The Olympic was a British luxury liner and the sister ship to the Titanic and the Britannic. The Olympic was in service from 1911 to 1935. At the time of its completion in 1911, the Olympic was possibly the worldâs most luxurious liner. It was also the largest, with a length of approximately 882 feet (269 meters) and a gross tonnage of 45,324. It could carry more than 2,300 passengers.
The Olympic was nicknamed âOld Reliableâ and had a long and interesting career. In September 1911, the Olympic collided with the HMS Hawke. After the Titanic sank in 1912, the Olympic underwent major safety improvements. In 1915, the Olympic was requisitioned as a troop ship, and in May 1918, it rammed and sank a German U-boat.
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Who built the Olympic?
The Olympic, a British luxury liner and sister ship to the Titanic and Britannic, was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast. Construction on the Olympic began on December 16, 1908, with the laying of the keel, and it was launched on October 20, 1910. Upon its completion in 1911, the Olympic was the largest and most luxurious liner at the time, measuring approximately 882 feet (269 meters) in length and having a gross tonnage of 45,324. The White Star Line commissioned the Olympic to compete with the Cunard Line in the transatlantic passenger trade.
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What type of ship was the Olympic?
The Olympic was a British luxury liner, a sister ship to the Titanic and the Britannic. The White Star Line created this class of liners to compete with the Cunard Line for transatlantic passenger traffic, emphasizing comfort over speed.
Constructed by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, its keel was laid on December 16, 1908, and it launched on October 20, 1910. Upon completion in 1911, the Olympic was considered the worldâs most luxurious and largest liner at approximately 882 feet (269 meters) long, with a gross tonnage of 45,324, and the capacity to carry over 2,300 passengers.
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How was the Olympic related to the Titanic?
The Olympic and the Titanic were sister ships built to compete in the transatlantic passenger trade. The Olympic was the first to be constructed, with its keel laid in December 1908, followed by the Titanic in March 1909. After the Olympic's maiden voyage in June 1911, slight design changes were incorporated into the Titanic. Following the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the Olympic underwent major safety improvements, including an increase in the number of lifeboats and an extension to the double bottom.
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What were some important events in Olympicâs service history?
The Olympic, a British luxury liner, served from 1911 to 1935. Some important events in its service history include:
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In September 1911, the Olympic collided with the HMS Hawke.
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After the Titanic sank in 1912, the Olympic underwent major safety improvements, such as increasing the number of lifeboats and lengthening the double bottom.
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During World War I, in 1914, the liner helped rescue survivors of the HMS Audacious.
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In 1915, the Olympic was requisitioned as a troop ship.
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In May 1918, the Olympic rammed and sank a German U-boat.
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In May 1934, the Olympic struck and sank the Nantucket lightship, killing seven of the lightship's crewmen.
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Why is Olympic remembered as a famous British ship today?
The Olympic was a British luxury liner that was the sister ship to the Titanic and the Britannic. At the time of its completion in 1911, the Olympic was possibly the worldâs most luxurious liner. It is remembered today because it was in service from 1911 to 1935 and was known as "Old Reliable." The Olympic had a long and eventful career, including colliding with the HMS Hawke in 1911, undergoing major safety improvements after the Titanic sank in 1912, being requisitioned as a troop ship during World War I, ramming and sinking a German U-boat in 1918, and striking and sinking the Nantucket lightship in 1934.
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Olympic, British luxury liner that was a sister ship of the Titanic and the Britannic. It was in service from 1911 to 1935.
To compete with the Cunard Line for the highly profitable transatlantic passenger trade, the White Star Line decided to create a class of liners noted more for comfort than speed. The first ships ordered were the Olympic and Titanic; the Britannic was added later. The Belfast firm of Harland and Wolff began construction of the Olympic on December 16, 1908, with the laying of the keel. After work finished on the hull and main superstructure, the Olympic was launched on October 20, 1910. At the time of its completion in 1911, the Olympic was perhaps the worldâs most luxurious liner. It was also the largest, with a length of approximately 882 feet (269 metres) and a gross tonnage of 45,324. It could carry more than 2,300 passengers.
To much fanfare, the Olympic embarked on its maiden voyage on June 14, 1911, traveling from Southampton, England, to New York City. The ship was captained by Edward J. Smith, who would later helm the Titanic. In September 1911 during its fifth commercial voyage, the Olympic collided with the HMS Hawke near the Isle of Wight, southern England. It was later determined that suction from the Olympic had pulled the Hawke into the ocean liner. Both ships suffered major damage, and the Olympic did not return to service until November 1911.
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After the Titanic sank in 1912, the Olympic underwent major safety improvements. In addition to an increase in the number of lifeboats, the shipâs double bottom was lengthened, and five of its watertight compartments (which featured doors that allowed the sections to be isolated from each other) were raised from E deck to B deck. The ship resumed its transatlantic crossings in April 1913. Despite the start of World War I in 1914, the liner continued to operate commercial voyages, and in October it helped rescue survivors of the HMS Audacious, which had struck a mine near Tory Island, Ireland. In 1915 the Olympic was requisitioned as a troop ship. It subsequently made a number of solo Atlantic crossings to ferry Canadian and U.S. troops to Europe. In May 1918 the Olympic sighted a German U-boat near the Isles of Scilly, England, and rammed and sank the enemy vessel. The following year âOld Reliable,â as the liner was nicknamed, ended its military career. It subsequently underwent major renovations before resuming commercial voyages in June 1920.
Despite competition from larger ships, the Olympic remained a popular vessel, making frequent Atlantic crossings. On May 15, 1934, in a heavy fog, the Olympic struck and sank the Nantucket lightship, a boat that was positioned to mark the shoals near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Seven of the 11 crewmen aboard the lightship were killed, and the Olympic was later blamed for the accident. In April 1935 the Olympic was retired from service. It was later sold for scrapping, and many of the fixtures and fittings were bought and put on display by various establishments, notably the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, Northumberland, England.