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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 15 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 RMS Olympic
December 16, 1908. When the plans for the three ships was in progress, Harland & Wolff had to convert three of the slipways to allow construction to start on these Olympic class vessels. Olympic's construction started on December 16, 1908.
No. Like her two sister ships, the Olympic was never christened. It is believed that it was bad luck for a ship not to be christened. Later that would prove true to all three vessels.
October 20, 1910. The Olympic was launched and sent for outfitting on October 20, 1911. The first of the Olympic class vessels was born and in the water.
HMS Hawke. On September 20, 1911, the Olympic, which was under the command of Captain E.J. Smith, was steaming through Southampton waters and pulled the British warship Hawke toward her. The suction from the Olympic drove the Hawke into her side and caused serious damage. The impact caused two of her watertight compartments to flood and twisted her propeller shaft. As a result, workers had to borrow the propeller shaft from the Titanic which was under construction. Ironically, two crew members, who were on the Olympic during this accident, were onboard the Titanic when she went down. One was the captain and the other was Stewardess Violet Jessop.
No. When Jack Phillips, radio operator on the Titanic, sent the SOS signal, the Olympic did answer back but was too far away to be of any help. Olympic was about 500 miles south of Titanic's position when the distress signal came through. However, Olympic had trouble figuring out Titanic's message. Olympic asked Titanic, "Are you steering south to meet us?" Titanic responded that they were putting the women off in boats and that the engine room was filling up to the boilers. Olympic had also later requested that Arthur Rostron, captain of the Carpathia, transfer the survivors to her. Rostron declined saying that he couldn't subject the survivors to another sea transfer and that the Olympic was the Titanic's sister ship and the sight may frighten the survivors. He said it would be "like a hideous ghost."
WWI. At the outbreak of war, the British Admiralty seized many British ships and outfitted them for warships an for troop transport. The Olympic was fitted for guns, armory, and other wartime features. She was also repainted in a "dazzle camouflage" color and used as a troop transport. She would carry up to 210,000 troops and personnel between Halifax and Britain during the war .
Old Reliable. For her years at sea during the war and for her role in the war, the Olympic became known as "Old Reliable." This is because she carried over 210,000 troops and personnel. She also burned up 347,000 tons of coal and traveled over 185,000 miles.
U-103. Olympic was attacked by U-103 on may 12, 1918. The captain ducked the torpedo and then turned his ship and rammed the U-boat; sinking it. It was the first time in the war that a submarine was sunk by a merchant ship. However, Olympic was widely criticized because of the risk of passengers to make the maneuver.
Yes. The Olympic returned to service for carrying paying passengers in 1920. Her engines were modernized to burn oil instead of coal. With the increase in tonnage, she still claimed she was the largest ocean liner afloat.
Great Depression. The Olympic suffered through the Great Depression. It tried such things as making the old third-class into "tourist third-class." This allowed passengers to experience second-class accommodations without having to pay for the extras that go along with second-class. In one year, the Olympic experienced her worse passenger trade ever; only transporting about 10,000 passengers that year.
Nantucket Light Ship 117. Like most vessels coming inbound into New York, the Olympic accidentally got too close to Nantucket Light ship 117 and ran into it; causing the light ship to founder. The Light ships were a way to help guide ships into New York harbor and many ships had the terrible habit of getting so close that accidents form. LS 117 went down, killing 7 out of the 11 crew members.
White Swann. As the Olympic was being demolished, many of her fittings from the dining saloons, smoking rooms, and the aft Grand Staircase were later built into the White Swann hotel. This hotel is located in Alnwick, England.
Celebrity Cruise Lines. In 2000, when Celebrity Cruise Lines was building it's newest ship, Millennium, it bought some of Olympic's original paneling and created the RMS Olympic restaurant onboard the ship.
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