One can create any scenario they wish based on their imagination of what took place that night. But imagination cannot replace reality. The reality of what happened can only come from those who were there and lived to tell about it. From those who were there and lived to tell their stories (Fleet, Lee, Hichens, Olliver, Barrett), we are told:
0. Fleet sees this mass ahead. Tells Lee, "That's ice," and reaches up and strikes the bell 3 times.
1. Olliver on the compass platform amidships hears those 3 bells.
2. Hichens hears the phone ring in the wheelhouse a few seconds after the 3 bells,
Moody answers with, "Yes. What do you see?"
3. Fleet's responds with: "Iceberg right ahead," to which
Moody replied, "Thank you." This was followed by Moody calling out, "Iceberg right ahead," to Murdoch who immediately issued the order, "Hard-astarboard."
4. Hichens turns the wheel hard over while hearing the EOTs ringing down orders.
5. Lee sees the ship starting to turn to port and tells Fleet who was returning to his position on the port side of the nest.
6. Barrett hears bells ring, sees the BR telegraph go to STOP and calls out "Shut the dampers."
7. The ship turns from1 to 2 points before iceberg contact happens.
8. Olliver enters the bridge just as the ship strikes, notices Murdoch by the WTD switch, and seas the peak of the berg pass aft the bridge wing.
Timing it all out, the key is the amount of time it would have taken Olliver to go down from the platform amidships to the bridge, a known distance. Within that time is the time it took Murdoch to issue his helm order plus the time it took the ship to turn between 1 and 2 points.
According to both Fleet and Hichens there was very little delay in Moody answering the phone.
If you like to change the narrative, then you have to provide some good supportive evidence. That iceberg just didn't pop up in front of the ship like some deer or moose jumping out in front of an automobile. It became noticed when it was about 1/2 to 1/3 mile in front of the vessel.
That iceberg just didn't pop up in front of the ship like some deer or moose jumping out in front of an automobile.
Neither was Murdoch frozen like a kangaroo blinded by the headlights of an incoming off-road vehicle!
Collision sequence:
- Fleet sighted a rather small black mass right ahead, strikes the bell 3 times and as requested in case of danger, phoned straight away the bridge,
- Lee perceived that dark mass through the haze and as she moved away from it, there was just a white fringe along the top,
- Olliver left the compass platform, after making sure the lamps were burning properly and secured,
- Murdoch made out the berg dead ahead, within second(s) rushed toward the wheelhouse door and shouted Hard-a-Starboard,
- The telephone rang in the wheelhouse,
- Hichens acknowledged back the helm order,
- Moody making sure the wheel was turned in the proper direction, answered the phone,
- Murdoch rang the EOTs to Stop,
- Moody advised Iceberg Right Ahead,
- Hichens confirmed the helm hard over,
- Collision,
- Murdoch activated the WT Doors,
- Murdoch rushed back on the starboard wing, observed the berg and ordered back the Helm from Hard-a-Starboard to Hard-a-Port,
- Olliver on his way to the bridge, felt the shock, perceived grinding noise. Heard the order Hard-a-Port. Observed the berg without grinding noise, almost alongside of the boat and quit his location,
- A minute after the collision, Smith rushed out of his room to the bridge,
- Boxhall came into view,
- The engines came to a Stop a minute and a half after the shock, the liner is swinging to starboard under a port helm,
Notes:
- Fleet; «Well, she started to go to port while I was on the telephone».
- Lee, who was then keeping lookout in the centre of the nest, said; As soon as the reply ‘Thank you’ came in, the helm must have been (already)* put hard-a-starboard or very close to it, since she was «veering» to port and seemed almost as if she might have cleared the berg, but I suppose there was ice under water».
* It would have taken at least 6 to 8 seconds if not more «after» the helm order was given for a lookout that high, so close to the bow and with such lacking of points of reference, to even notice a significant change of heading. Thus, Murdoch order must have then been given at about the same moment if not before the bell warning. Fleet or Lee would not have heard about the helm order.
The ship turns from 1 to 2 points before iceberg contact happens.
That fabrication comes from Hichens who got mixed up and said everything and it’s opposite. He was almost imploring the attorneys to tell him what they wanted to hear. Probably instructed by the WSL counselors, their objectives was to make us believing that since they were keeping a good lookout and that the OOW was attentive to his duty, the liner altered course well in advance to avoid that gigantic iceberg in their own way.
Hichens:
- The helm is Hard-a- starboard, sir. But, during the time, she was crushing the ice or we could hear the grinding noise along the ship's bottom.
- Just as she struck I had the order Hard-a-starboard, when she struck.
- We had the order Hard-a-starboard and she just swung about two points when she struck.
- Not immediately as she struck; the ship was swinging. We had the order Hard-a-starboard and she just swung about two points when she struck.
- Had you time to get the helm hard a starboard before she struck? No, she was crashing then.
- Yes, the helm was barely over when she struck. The ship had swung about two points.
- How long was the bell warning before the order came Hard-a-starboard? Well, as near as I can tell you, about half a minute.
- Did any one of the Officers see you carry out the order? Yes, Mr. Moody and also the Quartermaster on my left. (Olliver was just there at all!)
- The Commissioner: She did not move anymore, because, as I understand, the crash came?
The Attorney-General: «Exactly; that is the story»
The Attorney-General: «So that Moody had reported and then it was after that that she strikes, is that right? She struck almost at the same time».
«Was that the only order you had as to the helm? Yes»
«She never was under a port helm? She did not come on the port helm, sir - (only) on the starboard helm.»
How did they manage to stop the liner swinging after 2 points, on a steady hard-a-starboard helm for 37 seconds like in the Olympic test? If the helm had been kept hard over, the berg would have grinded all the way down to the stern. The Commissioner: «
She did not move anymore, because, as I understand, the crash came»!!!
Olliver:
- I heard three bells rung up in the crow's nest, I left the standard compass platform, came forward and I was just entering on the bridge just as the shock came.
- I know the orders I heard when I was on the bridge. It was after we had struck the iceberg that I heard hard-a-port.
- The iceberg was away up the stern when the helm was shifted.
- I was just abaft the bridge when I saw the iceberg.
- The grinding sound was before I saw the iceberg. The grinding sound was not when I saw the iceberg.
- It did not rub behind where I was; it was before.
- It was almost alongside of the boat, sir. The top did not touch the side of the boat, but it was almost alongside of the boat.
- The iceberg got away from the boat before the place I was just abaft the bridge.
- Whilst I was on the bridge, she went half speed ahead after she struck!
How on earth did Olliver felt the shock just as he was entering the bridge, as when he was doing so, the helm had already been shifted Hard-a-port and at that moment, the berg was already away up the stern? He rather already heard, not visually sighted, the helm ordered hard-a-port when he was on the bridge and well after he felt the shock and heard the grinding noise. At the time the helm was shifted the berg was already away up the stern!
How did he know that the helm was shifted since he was on the compass platform when the first helm order hard-a-starboard was given?
«The grinding sound was before he saw the iceberg. The grinding sound was not when he saw the iceberg. It did not rub behind where he was; it was before. The iceberg got away from the boat before the place he was abaft the bridge».
If I know my lesson well, the berg grinded all the way past WT Bulkhead E, amid BR No.6 and No.5, which lined ups between Lifeboat 3 and 5.
Would a seaman take a chance to squeeze himself between lifeboats to observe an iceberg, so to witness fine details as the iceberg was almost alongside of the boat? One false step and he would have joined the berg over the side! The only safe place he could come up with his acute observations was from behind lifeboat No.7. These observations did also take time.
Olliver did not felt the shock just as he was entering the bridge but way behind. He felt the shock or grinding noise before he saw the berg. The berg even got away from the ship’s side forward of the place he was standing, aft of the WT Bulkhead E which lined ups between Lifeboat 3 and 5. He heard the helm ordered hard-a-port prior entering the bridge and clearly after he felt the shock. At that time the berg was already away up the stern. The safest place he could observe the berg so accurately was from the Boat Deck behind lifeboat 7, not between Lifeboat 3 and 5.
Olliver could not be at two places in the same time; sighting the berg getting away from the ship’s side forward of the place he was standing and feeling the shock just as he was entering the bridge, as at that time the berg was already all the way up to the stern.
That catastrophe happened much faster than we believe. The reason is that the iceberg was of the same type as the one Rostron almost collided with, if it’s not the same but ripped apart from its crest after a previous allision. When I plot everything on a nautical chart, the probability is rather high!
Carpethia, knowing very well she was steaming toward ice to the rescue of a liner actually sinking due to a collision with a berg, was steaming toward her CQD position at 13 to 15 knots. Fully manned on the bridge, in the nest, on the eye and in the engine room, she avoided about 6 icebergs before nearly colliding against the last one. «
The shape of the iceberg itself might have accounted for it. It about 30 feet high and the sides were rather precipitous. If it had a greater surface you would have more blink». I have plotted backward the position of that berg on a nautical chart. The probability of that iceberg being the same as the infamous one has to be considered, naturally ripped apart from its crest following a previous allision.
Titanic collided with a rather small pinnacle iceberg, impossible to sight in time due to its shape under the existing visibility and much faster than anyone would believe. Nearly as fast as an old «
deer or moose jumping out in front of an automobile» running at 42 km/h. 
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Here are some paste & copy testimonies coming from those who were there and lived to tell their stories...
Fleet:
17263. Did you say anything to your mate (Lee) about it?
- Well, I told him there was a
slight haze coming.
Senator SMITH.
Was it the size of an ordinary house? Was it as large as this room appears to be?
Mr. FLEET.
No; no. It did not appear very large at all.
Senator SMITH.
Suppose you had had glasses such as you had on the
Oceanic, or such as you had between Belfast and Southampton, could you have seen this black object a greater distance?
Mr. FLEET.
We could have seen it a bit sooner.
Senator SMITH.
How much sooner?
Mr. FLEET.
Well,
enough to get out of the way.
Lee:
2408. Did you notice this haze which you said extended on the horizon when you first came on the look-out, or did it come later?
My mate (Fleet) happened to pass the remark to me. He said,
"Well; if we can see through that we will be lucky." That was when we began to notice there was a haze on the water.
2425. Did you notice what the ship did?
- As soon as the reply came back "Thank you," the helm must have been put either hard-a-starboard or very close to it, because
she veered to port, and it seemed almost as if she might clear it, but I suppose there was ice under water.
2441. (
The Attorney-General.) I said 60 ft.; I am told it is about 55 feet. (
To the Witness.) Can you give us any idea of the breadth? What did it look like? It was something which was above the forecastle?
- It was a
dark mass that came through that haze and there was no white appearing until it was just close alongside the ship, and that was just a fringe at the top.
2442. It was a dark mass that appeared, you say?
-
Through this haze, and as she moved away from it, there was just a white fringe along the top. That was the only white about it, until she passed by, and then you could see she was white; one side of it seemed to be black, and the other side seemed to be white. When I had a look at it going astern it appeared to be white.
Hichens:
Senator SMITH.
Who gave the first order?
Mr. HICHENS.
Mr. Murdoch, the first officer, sir; the officer in charge. The sixth officer repeated the order, "The helm is Hard-a- starboard, sir."
But, during the time, she was crushing the ice, or we could hear the grinding noise along the ship's bottom.
Senator SMITH.
How long after the impact, or collision (the captain showed up to the bridge)?
Mr. HICHENS.
I could hardly tell you, sir. Judging roughly,
about 5 minutes; about 5 to 10 minutes.
948. Had you had any instructions before she struck? Had you been told to do anything with your helm before she struck?
-
Just as she struck I had the order "Hard-a-starboard" when she struck.
949. Just as she struck, is that what you said?
- Not immediately as she struck; the ship was swinging. We had the order, "Hard-a-starboard," and she just
swung about two points when she struck.
951. Had you time to get the helm hard a starboard before she struck?
-
No, she was crashing then.
952. Did you begin to get the helm over?
-
Yes, the helm was barely over when she struck. The ship had swung about two points.
The Commissioner:
She did not move anymore, because, as I understand, the crash came?
959. (
The Attorney-General.)
Exactly; that is the story. (
To the Witness.)
973. How long was that before the order came "Hard-a-starboard"?
- Well, as near as I can tell you,
about half a minute.
1009. (
The Attorney-General.) It is a mere question of taking the indication of course. (
To the Witness.) Did any one of the Officers see you carry out the order?
- Yes.
1010. Who?
- Mr. Moody, and also the Quartermaster on my left. He was told to take the time of the collision.
1015. (
The Attorney-General.) It is only because you cannot fix the time except by seeing exactly what happened. That is the point of it. The estimate of time is of very little value, but if you can get what happened you can form an estimate. So that he had reported, and then it was after that that she strikes, is that right?
-
She struck almost at the same time.
1016. Almost as he reported it?
-
Yes.
The Commissioner:
Wait a minute.
A minute after the collision, Captain Smith rushed out of his room and on to the bridge do you mean?
- Yes, Sir; he passed through the wheelhouse on to the bridge.
1027. He rushed out of his room through the wheelhouse on to the bridge?
- Yes.
1044. And were those all the orders you heard until you were relieved from the wheel?
-
Yes.
1315. Was that the only order you had as to the helm?
-
Yes.
1316. (
Mr. Holmes.) It is Question
354. (
To the Witness.) She never was under a port helm?
-
She did not come on the port helm, sir - on the starboard helm.
Olliver:
Senator BURTON.
Where were you when the collision occurred?
Mr. OLLIVER.
I was not right on the bridge; I was just entering the bridge. I had just performed an errand and was entering the bridge when the collision occurred.
Senator BURTON.
Just state what happened?
Mr. OLLIVER.
I heard three bells rung up in the crow's nest, which I knew that it was something ahead. I happened to be looking at the lights in the standing compass at the time. When I heard the report, I looked, but could not see anything, and
I left that and came and was just entering on the bridge just as the shock came.
Senator BURTON.
Describe it.
Mr. OLLIVER.
The iceberg was about the height of the boat deck; if anything, just a little higher.
It was almost alongside of the boat, sir. The top did not touch the side of the boat, but it was almost alongside of the boat.
Senator BURTON.
Where was the iceberg when you saw it, abeam or abaft?
Mr. OLLIVER.
Just abaft the bridge when I saw it.
Senator BURTON.
That is when the order "Hard-a-port" was given?
Mr. OLLIVER.
That is when the order "Hard-a-port" was given; yes, sir.
Senator BURTON.
Do you mean hard-a-port or hard-a-starboard?
Mr. OLLIVER.
I know the orders
I heard when I was on the bridge was after we had struck the iceberg. I heard hard-a-port, and there was the man at the wheel and the officer. The officer was seeing it was carried out right.
Senator BURTON.
Where was the iceberg, do you think, when the helm was shifted?
Mr. OLLIVER.
The iceberg was away up stern.
Senator BURTON.
Were the engines reversed; was she backed?
Mr. OLLIVER.
Not whilst I was on the bridge; but whilst on the bridge she went ahead, after she struck;
she went half speed ahead.
Senator BURTON.
The engines went half speed ahead, or the ship?
Mr. OLLIVER.
Half speed ahead, after she hit the ice.
Dillon:
3716. And shortly before that (shock) had the telegraph rung?
- Yes.
3717. Can you say at all how long before she struck that was?
-
Two seconds.
3720. Was anything done to the engines? Did they stop or did they go on?
-
They stopped.
3721. Was that immediately after you felt the shock or some little time after?
- About a minute and a half.
3722. Did they continue stopped or did they go on again after that?
-
They went slow astern.
- engines brought to stop 1½ minute after impact
- engines stop for ½ minute
- engines brought to Slow Astern for 2 minutes
- engines stop
- engines brought Ahead for 2 minutes
- engines Stop for good!
