Titanic (Rms) Wreck
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Wreck Category | non-dangerous wreck |
|
Titanic (rms) Wreck Location Marine Coordinates (DMM) |
41 43.533 N,49 56.817 W |
| Latitude, Longitude Decimal Degrees |
|
| Water Depth | 3500 m |
| Water Level Effect | always under water/submerged |
| Vertical Datum | Lowest Astronomical Tide |
| Name | TITANIC (RMS) |
| Type | liner |
| Flag | GB |
| Length | 259.7 m |
| Width | 28 m |
| Draught | 18 |
| Tonnage | 46329 |
| Tonnage Type | gross |
| Cargo | general and mixed goods |
| Conspic Visual | not visually conspicuous |
| Conspic Radar | not radar conspicuous |
| Date Sunk | Apr 15, 1912 |
| Original Detection Year | 1912 |
| Last Detection Year | 1994 |
| Original Source | other |
| Surveying Details | 27.6.67 LAST KNOWN POSN REPORTED TO BE 414600N, 501400W IN `LOSS OF THE TITANIC ENQUIRY'. (ADMIRALTY LIBRARY BOOK - FA 1160. H6872/68 6.10.69 ATTEMPT TO LOCATE THE TITANIC TO BE MADE BY INTERNATIONAL TEAM (LL 9.10.69). 22.10.76 ATTEMPT TO LOCATE AND PHOTOGRAPH THE WRECK PLANNED BY SEAWISE& TITANIC SALVAGE, THE CONSULTANT, CDR GRATTON ESTIMATES WRECK POSN TO BE 414000N, 500300W, AFTER STUDYING ORIGINAL SINKING REPORTS. (`NOW' MAGAZINE - NO 6 OF OCT 1979). H6872/68 5.9.80 REPD TO HAVE BEEN FOUND IN 414600N, 501400W IN 12000FT. (THE OBSERVER, 17.8.80). H6872/68 24.9.85 REPD TO HAVE BEEN LOCATED. PHOTOGRAPHS PUBLISHED AND GIVEN TV COVERAGE. POSITION VARIABLY REPD AS (A) MORE THAN 500 MILES SOUTH AND (B) 400 MILES SOUTH EAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND. (DR R BALLARD ON THE WOODS HOLE INSTITUTE SHIP `KNORR'). 9.12.85 POSN AMENDED TO 414336N, 495642W. (CONFIRMED BY ELECTRONICS AND CAMERA 1985). ACCORDING TO CANADIAN WRECK RECORDS. 28.10.86 WK IS BROKEN IN TWO. STERN SECTION LIES SOME 600 MTRS ASTERN OF BOW SECTION AND FACES IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. (OCEANUS, VOL 29 NO 3, FALL 1986). 24.4.89 VERY DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF WRECK SITE. LIES IN TWO MAIN SECTIONS; BOW IN 414356N, 495649W, STERN IN 414333N, 495655W. OTHER WRECKAGE SCATTERED OVER AREA ROUGHLY 1500 X 800MTRS, N/S. (OCEANUS, VOL 31, NO 4 - WINTER 88/89). HH111/400/03 15.12.94 POSN GIVEN AS 414332N, 495649W APPROX IN DEPTHS OF 4000MTRS. (US MARSHALS SERVICE, COURT ACTION OF 27.8.93). |
| Last Amended Date | Feb 8, 2007 |
Circumstances of loss
THOUGHT TO BE UNSINKABLE, THE `TITANIC' ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE, BUT WITH LIFEBOATS FOR ONLY A THIRD OF HER 1348 PASSENGERS AND 860 CREW SAILED FROM SOUTHAMPTON FOR NEW YORK ON APRIL 10TH. THE VOYAGE WAS UNEVENTFUL, THE WEATHER COLD BUT FINE, THE COLD INTENSIFYING ON THE 14TH WHEN WIRELESS MESSAGES WERE RECEIVED REPORTING THE PRESENCE OF ICEBERGS. IGNORING THIS CAPT SMITH MAINTAINED THE SAME SPEED, THOUGH BY NIGHTFALL IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS ICE IN THE VICINITY. SOON AFTER 11.30 PM WHEN ABOUT 400 MILES SSW OF CAPE RACE THE LOOKOUT REPORTED THAT ICE LAY AHEAD. THE OFFICER OF THE WATCH, MR MURDOCK, ORDERED THE QUARTERMASTER TO STARBOARD THE HELM BUT SHE WAS TOO SLOW IN ANSWERING AND STRUCK THE ICEBERG A GLANCING BLOW. THE SHOCK WAS NOT SEVERE BUT THE HULL WAS RENT OPEN 20 FT FROM HER STEM TEARING OPEN THE DOUBLE BOTTOM SO BADLY THAT IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE VESSEL HAD RECEIVED FATAL DAMAGE. THEREFORE WIRELESS CALLS FOR AID WERE IMMEDIATELY SENT BUT THE DECISION WAS MADE NOT TO PANIC THE PASSENGERS AND A SLOW AND LOW KEY EVACUATION WAS SET IN MOTION. THE VESSEL FINALLY SANK AT 2.15AM, TAKING WITH HER 815 PASSENGERS AND 688 CREW - 711 SURVIVED. THE CREW NUMBER LOST BEARING TRIBUTE TO THE DEVOTION TO DUTY OF HER CREW. THE SURVIVORS WERE RESCUED BY THE `CARPATHIA' WHO REACHED THE SCENE AT 3.30AM AFTER HAVING SAILED AT 16KNOTS FOR 4.5 HOURS TO PICK UP ALL THE SURVIVORS WITHIN 4 HOURS OF ABANDONING THE TITANIC. SHE THEN SAILED FOR NEW YORK. CAPT SMITH, MR MURDOCK THE FIRST OFFICER AND ALL THE ENGINEERS WENT DOWN WITH THE SHIP. (DODS).