Olympic-class ocean liner

File:Olympic 1911.jpg RMS Olympic
Class overview
Builders	Harland and Wolff, Belfast, Ireland
Operators	White Star Line
Built	1908–1914
In service	1911–1935
Planned	3
Completed	3
Lost	2
Retired	1
Preserved	0
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	app. 46,000 gross - Titanic's figures displayed as all three vessels differ in dimensions, tonnage & horsepower.
Displacement	app. 52,500 tons
Length	882 ft 9 in (269.06 m)
Beam	92 ft 6 in (28.19 m)
Height	app. 60 ft (18 m) above water line
Draught	34 ft 7 in (10.54 m)
Installed power	24 double-ended (six furnace) and 5 single-ended (three furnace) Scotch boilers Two four-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engines each producing 15,000 hp for the two outboard wing propellers at 75 revolutions per minute One low-pressure turbine producing 16,000 hp to the centre propeller 59,000 hp was produced at maximum revolutions
Propulsion	Two bronze triple-blade wing propellers One bronze quadruple-blade central propeller
Speed	21 kn (38.9 km/h; 24.2 mph)
Capacity	3,295 passengers,officers,and crew
Notes	Approximate cost 7.5 million (USD) (approx. $177.56m at 2008 prices)

The Olympic-class ocean liners were a trio of ocean liners built by the Harland & Wolff shipyard for the White Star Line in the early 20th century. Although the three were the largest and most luxurious of their time, two were lost early in their careers: Titanic in the infamous disaster on the morning of 15 April 1912, and HMHS Britannic was mined by the Germans during World War I. Olympic, the eldest sister and namesake of the class, continued in service until she was layed up and scrapped in 1935, alongside Cunard's RMS Mauretania.

Origin

The Olympic-class ships were built to surpass rival Cunard's largest ships, the Lusitania and Mauretania in size and luxury. The Titanic, along with her sisters, the Olympic and the soon to be built Britannic (provisionally named Gigantic), were intended to be the largest and most luxurious ships to operate on the North Atlantic, but not the fastest as the White Star Line had already switched from high speed to size and luxury.

Fatalities

Name of Ship	Deaths before completion	Deaths after completion
RMS Olympic	None	8; one passenger jumped overboard during a voyage, and the Olympic also caused 7 deaths when it rammed and sank the Nantucket light ship, off New York.
RMS Titanic	8; 6 in Harland and Wolff Shipyard, 2 in works	Estimated 1,522 in sinking
HMHS Britannic	None	30 in sinking

File:Olympic titanic.jpg

6 March 1912: Titanic (right) had to be moved out of the drydock so her sister Olympic, which had lost a propeller blade, could have it replaced.

File:Dif T&O.JPG

This image shows the external difference between Titanic and Olympic's A & B decks. Olympic's A deck is open, while the one in Titanic is enclosed.

References

• Titanic & Her Sisters / Tom McCluskie, Michael Sharpe, Leo Marriott (1998) ISBN 1571451757