#46: HMHS Britannic: The Titanic's Sister That Became a War Casualty
At 48,158 gross tons, HMHS Britannic was the largest ship lost during World War I. On November 21, 1916, she struck a mine in the Kea Channel off Greece and sank in just 55 minutes, three times faster than her sister ship Titanic. Despite the rapid sinking, only 30 of the 1,066 people aboard perished, a testament to improved safety measures after Titanic's disaster.
Originally built as a luxury liner for the White Star Line, Britannic was requisitioned by the Royal Navy before ever carrying a paying passenger and converted into a hospital ship. Her massive hull, even larger than Titanic's, could carry over 3,300 wounded soldiers. Her loss deprived the Allies of critical medical evacuation capacity in the Mediterranean theater, and her wreck remains the largest passenger liner on the ocean floor, lying at a depth of about 400 feet.
