Samuel Halpern
Member
And that includes Cameron's block buster flick. Not even close.
How common was rocket use?
- Thread starter Steven Christian
- Start date
Samuel Halpern
Member
Screen grab from the 1953 film trailer. The socket they used is hidden by the flash.
Samuel Halpern
Member
Stars.
Rob Lawes
Member
I presume the 53 film got it correct because at the time, the equipment and the experience in using it, were still around.
Does anyone recall the UK series about 8 or 9 years ago where they recreated elements of the ship (cabins, part of the hull, the anchor etc). I seem to remember they recreated a socket signal. Does anyone remember this and did they get it right?
Does anyone recall the UK series about 8 or 9 years ago where they recreated elements of the ship (cabins, part of the hull, the anchor etc). I seem to remember they recreated a socket signal. Does anyone remember this and did they get it right?
Harland Duzen
Member
I think it was "We Built The Titanic".
Aaron_2016
Guest
Reminds me of this parachute flare gun e.g.
Skip to 0:30
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Skip to 0:30
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Dave Gittins
Member
The technical advisor for the 1953 flick was Sir Gordon Illingworth, a retired Cunard commodore. He would have been familiar with socket signals. You can see the effect of socket signals at modern firework displays. The devices used today are very similar, except they are electrically fired.
Here's a better screen grab, showing the socket and lanyard. The socket is correctly shown as 20° off the vertical, to make sure the signal goes clear of the ship.
Here's a better screen grab, showing the socket and lanyard. The socket is correctly shown as 20° off the vertical, to make sure the signal goes clear of the ship.
Aaron_2016
Guest
A few more frames from Titanic (1953)
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Julian Atkins
Member
Ooeer... it isn't rocket science!
Titanic's rockets were fired from dedicated sockets attached to the vessel at an angle. A lanyard was required to fire them. There was probably some detonation 'bang' as they shot upwards to a considerable height, then a further 'bang' as they exploded into white stars. Apart from my guess as to the detonation 'bang', the above is as per the Cotton Powder Co. spec.
One would not want to insert a further unfired rocket into firing socket until same had cooled down after a previous firing and heat generated.
However, after 12.25am etc on Titanic on the 15th April, in the freezing cold conditions, this would have been of no worry, and a 5 minute delay or longer between firings, could have been considerably increased, and alternative socket fixings for firing utilised port and starboard, so that the distress rockets could have been fired alternatively from each side's socket in very quick succession, and there were ample stocks of boxes to fire off.
Boxhall knew the ship was going to founder and sink. He should have kept firing all those rockets in quick succession. The Titanic had no further need to retain any stock of distress rockets - she was doomed and sinking. If he was not personally able to give attention to this, he should have delegated far more frequent firing of all the stocks of rockets to Rowe and others.
It does not require any skill to insert a rocket into a socket, stand back, and pull the lanyard to fire it.
In the middle of the night, with a dangerous ice field stopping The Californian and knowing Titanic was fast approaching (from other Marconi reports from other ships) an extensive ice field some 20 miles southwards if both ships were on the correct tracks, Stone sees a 'flash' then 7 white rockets that 'burst', and Gibson sees 3 of these that exploded into white stars when he rejoined Stone on the flying bridge.
My personal view is that Stone ought to have realised the importance of the signals he saw, and had Boxhall done his job properly, with more rockets fired at closer intervals than there would be no doubt whatsoever.
Cheers,
Julian
Titanic's rockets were fired from dedicated sockets attached to the vessel at an angle. A lanyard was required to fire them. There was probably some detonation 'bang' as they shot upwards to a considerable height, then a further 'bang' as they exploded into white stars. Apart from my guess as to the detonation 'bang', the above is as per the Cotton Powder Co. spec.
One would not want to insert a further unfired rocket into firing socket until same had cooled down after a previous firing and heat generated.
However, after 12.25am etc on Titanic on the 15th April, in the freezing cold conditions, this would have been of no worry, and a 5 minute delay or longer between firings, could have been considerably increased, and alternative socket fixings for firing utilised port and starboard, so that the distress rockets could have been fired alternatively from each side's socket in very quick succession, and there were ample stocks of boxes to fire off.
Boxhall knew the ship was going to founder and sink. He should have kept firing all those rockets in quick succession. The Titanic had no further need to retain any stock of distress rockets - she was doomed and sinking. If he was not personally able to give attention to this, he should have delegated far more frequent firing of all the stocks of rockets to Rowe and others.
It does not require any skill to insert a rocket into a socket, stand back, and pull the lanyard to fire it.
In the middle of the night, with a dangerous ice field stopping The Californian and knowing Titanic was fast approaching (from other Marconi reports from other ships) an extensive ice field some 20 miles southwards if both ships were on the correct tracks, Stone sees a 'flash' then 7 white rockets that 'burst', and Gibson sees 3 of these that exploded into white stars when he rejoined Stone on the flying bridge.
My personal view is that Stone ought to have realised the importance of the signals he saw, and had Boxhall done his job properly, with more rockets fired at closer intervals than there would be no doubt whatsoever.
Cheers,
Julian
Julian Atkins
Member
Oops typo - "increased" should be "reduced".
I think the subsequent context makes this clear, but apologies nevertheless.
Cheers,
Julian
Robert T. Paige
Member
Would Titanic's rocket flashes be in one large bright "blob" as shown in the 1953 movie or would they burst into "stars":as shown in other movies? I believe ANTR does show Quartermaster Rowe firing them from the of a ledge or railing ?
I don't know how to transfer this to this website from this nook, but searching on "White's Chapel Fireworks Show" for views from a drone. There are several shots of fireworks exploding into "stars" on this video. Someone on this website might be able to find this and transfer it to this website for comparison with the Titanic's rockets.
Mike Spooner
Member
Looking Appendix B Distress Signals at Sea under Article 31of Rules of the Road.
There would appear there is daytime and night time distress rockets.
I guest Carpathia was firing night time rockets ever 15 minutes. Did those rockets throw out exploding shooting stars?
It also states for day or night time a ship in distress. A continuous sound any fog-signal apparatus!
As for Carpathia she was not in distress, therefore didn't require a fog horn.
But did Titanic use her fog horn continuous? And if she had used it, what was range that could be heard in Titanic position?
There would appear there is daytime and night time distress rockets.
I guest Carpathia was firing night time rockets ever 15 minutes. Did those rockets throw out exploding shooting stars?
It also states for day or night time a ship in distress. A continuous sound any fog-signal apparatus!
As for Carpathia she was not in distress, therefore didn't require a fog horn.
But did Titanic use her fog horn continuous? And if she had used it, what was range that could be heard in Titanic position?
Harland Duzen
Member
Titanic (according to TTSM: V1) had 2 whistles on the first 2 forward funnels*, a Norwegian fog-horn and a gong (the latter for use while anchored).
Her whistles (from memory I think) could be heard from between 8 -10 miles away. But on the night none of the above were use. However the sound of the boilers being vented of steam out of the funnels was also very loud and the fact that no one on the Californian mentioned hearing any of it (including Gill who would have used it to validate his claim had he heard it) shows they were further away than what Gill said they were.
Back to topic!
*The Aft 2 also had whistles but these were fake, didn't work and only there for aesthetic reasons so all the funnels matched visually.
Steven Christian
Member
After reading thru the 1992 re-examination of the evidence that Mr. Standart posted in the Californian thread I got to thinking about the rockets as according to testimomy, Captain Lord asked more than once if the rockets were white...no color. Before and during the time of Titanic when wireless was still not that common aboard ships, did ships ever use rockets to signal ice hazards to other ships?
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