Olympic Sinks a U-Boat

Olympic Sinks a U-Boat

0
Showing 1 of 4

This time, unlike the Lusitania disaster three years earlier, it was the ocean liner that sank the U-boat.

On 12 May 1918, while en route to France with US troops on board, Olympic (1911) sighted a surfaced U-boat approximately 500 meters (1,600 feet) ahead.

U-103

U-103

As Olympic’s gunners opened fire, the massive former White Star liner turned to ram U-103, which immediately crash-dived and turned to run a parallel course. Seconds later, Olympic struck U-103 just aft of the conning tower. The ship’s port propeller quickly sliced through the submarine’s pressure hull.

U-103’s crew blew their doomed vessel’s ballast tanks and then scuttled and abandoned the submarine. The incident marked the only known time in World War I when a merchant vessel sank an enemy warship.

Watch the video above to learn more about this unique incident and to see views of the U-103 wreck.

To continue, click the NEXT button on the top of this page.

Share.