Divers Recover Artifacts from HMS Britannic, Titanic’s Sister Ship

In a remarkable find, divers have retrieved artifacts from the Britannic, the sister ship of the famed Titanic, nearly a century after it sank during World War I.

Originally designed as a luxury cruise liner in 1914, the Britannic met its fate in the Aegean Sea near Greece in 1916, repurposed as a hospital ship. It sank on November 21, after colliding with a mine close to Kea Island, about 45 miles southeast of Athens.

At the time of the disaster, there were over a thousand people on board. Fortunately, most survived the incident, but tragically, 30 individuals lost their lives due to the ship’s rotating propellers.

On September 16, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced that a team of 11 divers conducted a specialized operation to recover items from the ship.

The diving mission, which took place in May, had remained undisclosed to the public until now. The divers faced challenging conditions, as the wreck lies approximately 400 feet deep in poorly lit waters, yet they uncovered some intriguing artifacts.

Among the notable finds is a boat observation deck and a Port Nautical Lamp. Additionally, some items are believed to showcase the ship’s elegant features, such as silver-plated trays and tiles from Turkish baths.

“Some ceramic tiles decorated for the Turkish baths were also retrieved, along with a pair of binoculars,” the statement indicated.

Once the conservation process is completed, these artifacts are expected to be displayed in the National Water Museum currently being built in Piraeus.