Olympic

Stephen J. Card · Nov 15, 2015

Clyde. Seems to be but they say the damage was 'minimal' and the vessel was able to return to Southampton from New York. The damage in this photo looks quite serious... part of the stem buckled and the forepeak gashed. Perhaps the forpeak was filled with cement.... but this hole is below the waterline. As you say... seems to be the Nantucket event.

cunard61 · Nov 16, 2015

I don't know that it could be any other incident, I don't think she had any other collisions during peacetime. If I remember correctly, she didn't split the lightship in two, she actually ran it down, and pushed it under the water. Maybe that is why the damage is so far below the waterline.

Clyde (cunard61)

OlympicNut · Dec 13, 2015

This is well before the Nantucket Lightship collision. The B-deck windows are still in their pre-1929 configuration. Image would be from 1924-1928. The platforms you see on her bow are for painting and other work.

Brent

Ozzie · Dec 13, 2015

I believe that the first collision she had was actually in peacetime, on 20 September 1911, when she collided with the British cruiser HMS Hawke in the Solent off the Isle of Wight (the famous "interaction" collision). Possibly this is the results of that one, although I also understand that the major damage in that was to her after end, however maybe there was bow damage as well.
Regards

Boatman25 · Dec 13, 2015

Could this have been the damage caused when she rammed and sank the German U-boat U103 in April 1918

Ozzie · Dec 13, 2015

Yes good point, except she is obviously in peacetime colours and I understand that she was still in wartime camouflage at the time of the ramming and was still in that colour scheme until 1919.

Ozzie · Dec 13, 2015

In fact, isn't this previous posting on this site taken at the same time, judging by the apparent bow damage and the ship astern, i.e. earlier said to be 1924 ??
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/544433/title/olympic/cat/520.
Regards

cunard61 · Dec 15, 2015

It appears there's a collision from this time period that we don't know about? It can't be the WW1 collision with the U-boat. Does anybody know about the ship colliding with something in the mid 1920's?

Clyde (cunard61)

Ozzie · Dec 15, 2015

Apparently in March 1924 she collided with the Furness liner, 'Fort St. George', in New York, whilst leaving her berth. However according to what I read she actually suffered "stern" damage again, although I suspect she may have "stem" damage as well as "stern"...or maybe it is a typographical error passed down through various publications. Irrespective of that, from what I understand it wasn't until she was dry-docked in Southampton that they realised the extent of the damage, which is possibly the basis of this photo.
Rgds

Olympic

Stephen J. Card

cunard61

OlympicNut

Ozzie

Boatman25

Ozzie

Ozzie

cunard61

Ozzie

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