National Geographic Channel 5 Britannic programme

[Mike Bull]

Thanks, Inger, but as an avid follower of the Bluebird story, I'm already familiar with Bill Smith's web site! I knew he'd been down there, I just wasn't sure if it was that particular dive that was being featured in this TV show.

There was a separate, not awfully good site made for the Britannic dive, I posted the link on here some time ago...

 

[Mike Bull]

...just found my old post, and the link is dead now, anyway.

 

[Remco Hillen]

Hello Inger,

If you can't find footage of the Marconi room back on the tape, it's very well possible you've had the same thing I had some weeks ago; you're watching an older Britannic documentary! I remember Simon getting quite a bit of airtime, CGI images and the divers of GUE were on-screen often too.
Although it wasn't of the 2003 dive, it was still quite interesting as I somehow hadn't seen it before.

Regards,
Remco

 

[Parks Stephenson]

I've been talking to a couple of people and finding out that the Channel Five programme, which aired last night in the UK, is significantly different from the National Geographic version that aired in the US. In addition, another Britannic doco has recently been shown elsewhere, so maybe that's what Inger saw. Too bad that we can't take the best of each and air it simultaneously across the many countries represented here.

Parks

 

[Mike Bull]

Last night? That's confused me, I've just come online from watching it! I have had a couple to drink, but...

Well, good CG of the ship sinking, footage of her building/launch, really great wreck interior footage (Parks, you must have been wetting yourself at the radio gear!) but also an awful lot of bilge spoken about a 'curse' on the Olympic class; total rubbish.

Still, very nice to see Britannic recognised.

Won't type anymore now, I'm a bit worse for wear!

 

[Parks Stephenson]

<font color="#000066">Last night?

Mike,

You weren't supposed to read my post until after you woke up in the morning....



The person who I got my info from had seen the programme before it aired, which is why I spoke about it in the past tense. Sorry for the confusion.

Luckily, all the rubbish about a "curse" was omitted from the US telecast. Why do people insist that class of ships was cursed when Olympic enjoyed a full career and even fended off a U-boat attack or two? I know, I know...it appeals to the masses. The same reason why we have to endure a "haunted" Queen Mary every year around Halloween or the absurdity of a "mummy" aboard Titanic.

Parks

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Ill agree w/ mike about the curse being rubbish and whats odd is every single show ive seen on britannic brings up the subject of a curse.

 

[Inger Sheil]

No worries, Mike - I should have realised that, even if you weren't already familiar with the site, a quick google would turn it up. Didn't realise you'd followed the Bluebird story so closely - I watched it unfold when I was still in the UK, but only casually.

Parks and Remco, you may be correct that we're talking about two docos. The GUE connection doesn't seem to have been as emphasised in the 2003 doco - did National Geo put together another for the 1999 expedition? I don't recall any talk about a curse, and I'm sure that if Marconi material showed up I would have jumped in my seat. This is the show where Simon mentioned his disappointment that the glass dome wasn't intact, and there was virtually nothing in the Grand Staircase area. Unfortunately I don't recall dates being mentioned. I'll see if I can wrestle the cable guide out of the clutches of the Family Keeper.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>but also an awful lot of bilge spoken about a 'curse' on the Olympic class; total rubbish.<<

I've seen this sort of thing kicked around on the History Channel's presentation on these ships. As Parks said, it appeals to the masses. That's about all I can say for it. Seems interesting that White Star wasn't the only one to attempt a three ship service with identical (or nearly so) sisters. Cunard tried it, and the Germans did. Lusitania ate a torpedo, leaving only the Mauritania and the Aquatania, and the German ships ended up in somebody elses line as war reparations. If there was a "curse" it sure got around!

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

The Germans if they had won the war or been able to keep their ships, would've had the only surviving trio of the war and also the biggest trio, as none of the ships of the Imperator class were surpassed in size until 1935 by the 79,000 GRT Normandie.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

It would be interesting to know how the HAPAG trio would survive an major accident. We know more or less how the Cunard trio and the Olympic Class ships behaved when they are in the danger of, or sinking. The German trio were supposed to have extra-safe features designed due to the Titanic disaster but were never put to the real test. LOL

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>The German trio were supposed to have extra-safe features designed due to the Titanic disaster but were never put to the real test. LOL <<

Oh I wouldn't complain about that. Dull days at sea may be just that...dull...but at least people don't end up dead. "Tests" like that tend to produce a surplus of corpses.

 

[Paul Lee]

I thought this was very informative, even though I had heard much of the information before (TV always has to advertise already known info as "brand new" sigh!).
For instance, the theory that the portholes being left open contributed to the sinking. However, I don't believe the 2nd watertight door being found in the hull has been seen before..... or am I going mad?

Best wishes

Paul

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

I'm not so sure the Imperator would have survived a brush w/ an iceberg, as most of these safety features were incorporated into the Vaterland, and not so much into the Imperator. The Imperator's lack of stability also would have probably added to a list and made more lifeboats harder to launch. the however the Imperator like the Vaterland did have a search light on her forward mast, which would certainly help in spotting bergs.

 

[Parks Stephenson]

Paul,

The 2003 expedition is the first to bring back footage of the Fireman's Passage and BR#6. It was also the first to bring back images from Britannic's Marconi Room and show concrete evidence of a nearby German minefield. There may have been other new finds as well, but those three were new enough to capture my complete attention. I'm still analysing a taped copy of the show.

BTW, did a moderator change the title of this thread? It appears that when that happens, previously-selected automatic e-mail notification turns off. I had selected the option to receive responses posted in this thread as e-mails and everything was working fine until the last day or so.

Parks