Treasures Salvaged from Titanic's Sister Ship, the HMHS Britannic
Hellenic authorities has announced the recovery of maritime relics from the sunken remains of the Britannic, more than a century after the liner was lost in the Aegean Sea by a naval explosive.
The operation was carried out in recent months but only made public on Monday, when the culture ministry released findings about the artifacts.
An group of 11 professional deep-sea divers equipped with closed-circuit equipment conducted the mission, which was coordinated by a historical researcher.
Among the items retrieved were the vessel’s bell, a portside navigation lamp, viewing glasses, decorative tiles from luxury baths, and furnishings from first- and second-class cabins.
The recovered objects were stored in protective cases and quickly rinsed of biological growth.
They were then transferred to the laboratories of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities in Athens, where preservation efforts will proceed.
A number of items identified in the initial mission could not be recovered due to their deterioration and placement.
In time, they will go on display at the upcoming maritime museum in the port city, within a section honoring the First World War.
The Britannic was the third of the shipping company’s famous series of steamships, which included the ill-fated Titanic and sister ship Olympic.
Britannic was commandeered by the British Admiralty during the Great War to serve as a floating clinic.
In November 1916, it collided with a enemy mine off the Aegean island and submerged in a short time.
Of the the passengers and crew on board, there were 30 fatalities when escape vessels were sucked into the ship's propellers.
