The HMHS Britannic was the third and final vessel in the Olympic-class of ocean liners, following the RMS Olympic and the famous RMS Titanic. Originally designed as a transatlantic passenger ship, the Britannic was converted into a floating hospital during World War I. In November 1916, it struck a German mine and sank off the coast of Greece. The sinking was swift, occurring in less than an hour, and resulted in the deaths of 30 people.
New Discoveries from the Wreck
A recent expedition led by a team of deep-sea divers, in collaboration with the Greek culture ministry and the Britannic Foundation, has successfully recovered the first-ever batch of objects from the wreck. This was a challenging undertaking due to the depth of over 120 meters and difficult underwater conditions. The retrieved artifacts include a signal lamp, ceramic tiles from a Turkish bath, a pair of binoculars, and a silver serving tray.
What Happens Next
The recovered items have been taken to a laboratory in Athens for conservation. The Greek culture ministry plans to display these artifacts in a permanent exhibition at a new museum of underwater antiquities currently under construction in Piraeus. The research project, which was supervised by underwater archaeology experts, marks a significant step in documenting the historical wreck site.
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Source: The Guardian
