Diving The HMHS Britannic Wreck

Not many divers have ever dived the nearly fully intact HMHS Britannic Wreck, discovered by Jacques Cousteau and team in 1976.

The HMHS Britannic was the sister ship of the RMS Titanic. The ships were practically identical in construction. Considered unsinkable, they both sank. However unfortunate, they both sank under somewhat different circumstances.

It is commonly known that the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage. However, not much is said about her sister ship, the Britannic that sunk as a result of hitting an underwater mine in 1916 during WWI in the Aegean Sea.

The HMHS Britannic wreck, unlike its sister ship RMS Titanic resting at over 12000 ft, is reachable by expert technical divers at a depth of about 400 ft. However, it is said that less than 100 divers have ever visited her. The HMHS Britannic wreck is heavily guarded by the Greek Government and it is is somewhat out of reach except for the most experienced technical divers.

It was rumored that the ship’s bell (a highly valuable and most sought after artifact) was secretly removed and stashed away by its original discoverers, Jacques Cousteau. This rumor persisted for years until recently. Listen for the diver’s reaction to finding it in the video clip below.

Watch the vide below for a brief description of what happened and some awesome footage of diving the HMHS Britannic in search of her bell.

Its easy to get caught up in the history and tragedies that befell these amazing sister ships. More on that another time.

BTW: RMS vs. HMHS

Alternatively, they might have reflected a vessel’s purpose, e.g. “RMS” (Royal Mail Ship), or “RV” (research vessel). … Historically, the most significant navy was Britain’s Royal Navy, which has usually used the prefix “HMS“, standing for “His/Her Majesty’s Ship”.

H/T – Wikipedia

Images Source: YouTube Clips

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