Prior to the start of the war in August in 1914, ships of other IMM companies began to appear on the traditional White Star Line routes but at the outbreak of the war, some of the line’s passenger ships were taken over by the Admiralty as auxiliary cruisers.

The giant Olympic provided valuable service as a troopship, particularly after the U.S. entered the war, the Liverpool-New York service was resumed by the ‘Big Four’ and the Southampton-New York service resumed in September 1919. Britannic, 48,158grt, the largest of the Three Sister Ships, never got to serve in White Star Line colours.

The ship was launched by Harland & Wolff on February 26 1914, but while she was being fitted out, the First World War began and the ship was recalled stripped of all her fine fittings and converted into a hospital Ship.

Britannic never survived the war. On November 21 1916, she struck a mine that had been laid by the German submarine U-73 and she sank with a loss of 30 lives, most of which were a result of the some of the lifeboats collided with Britannic’s giant propellers as she was going down.

Britannic

In 2000 the Britannic story was dramatised for television, starring Amanda Ryan as a British agent undercover onboard as governess to the children of Lady Lewis played by Jacqueline Bisset.

It is her first assignment and as a woman she is not taken seriously by the Captain played by John Rhys Davies and senior officers. However she foils the plot to sink Britannic but falls for the German spy she is supposed to be tracking.

The Britannic is sabotaged by the German spy and sinks. Directed by Brian Trenchard- Smith this is not a Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio romantic epic but is a watchable drama full of mystery and intrigue, with some original footage of Britannic as a bonus.

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