The Sinking
Within minutes, Britannic developed a serious list to starboard. By 15 minutes after the explosion, the portholes on E deck were submerged. Unfortunately, many of the portholes had been left open by nurses to allow fresh air to circulate throughout wards. Now, the portholes were letting in water, shortening Britannic’s life.
In a desperate attempt to save Britannic, Bartlett attempted to beach the ship on Kea. It was a hopeless effort, however. Britannic had already taken on too much water to make headway. Realizing the futility of his effort, Bartlett ordered the engines to be stopped and the lifeboats to be prepared for lowering.
Hand-tinted image of HHMS Brtiannic.
A distress signal giving Britannic’s position was sent almost immediately after the explosion. Responding to the call were the British destroyer Scourge and the British auxiliary cruiser Heroic. A pair of French tugs, Goliath and Polyphemus, also joined the rescue effort.
Britannic’s lifeboats were now being lowered, a task made increasingly difficult by the ship’s growing list. Two lifeboats left without permission and were destroyed by the Britannic’s still spinning propellers.
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