RMS BRITANNIC
Illustration by Michael C Brady, 2020
THE WORLD’S LARGEST STEAMERS
Britannic’s construction was impacted by Titanic’s loss in a number of ways, not just as far as lessons learnt but in that the Olympic Class’ chief designer Thomas Andrews was lost, along with the notes he had been carefully compiling for improvements to be made for the third ship on Titanic’s maiden voyage.
Britannic’s Gross Registered Tonnage was greater than that of her sisters because of the addition of enclosed space that Olympic and Titanic did not; aft, a large tower was built to provide shaded promenade and additional public rooms for Third Class passengers while forward on the boat deck a children’s playroom was installed on the port side opposite the gymnasium.
Britannic’s interior would have been more luxurious than that of her sisters too, and a pipe organ was to be installed in the forward first class grand staircase.
THE details
The Gantry davits and boats seen here on the Poop Deck were never installed in reality; in her haste, Britannic instead went to sea with two sets of Welin davits instead.
The lifeboats and Gantry davit assemblies forward and abaft the fourth Funnel demonstrate their enormous size - each about the height and size of a three-story building.
Britannic’s forward A and B-Decks differed greatly in appearance to that of her sisters’.
The gracefully raked Olympic-class bow with nameplate painted in gold-yellow lettering.
