Titanic

[Mad Doug Biker]

A little irony: did anyone else notice that the Costa Concordia has the same funnel colours as White Star Line ships?

I do think that ships with other coloured funnels can, however sink too.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I do think that ships with other coloured funnels can, however sink too.

I'm sure they can. I just thought it ironic that they used the same livery thats all.

 

[Arch]

I'm sure they can. I just thought it ironic that they used the same livery thats all.

I'm not sure there's ever been a liner called the Ironic...

 

[asterix]

Shocking as the Titanic's sinking undoubtedly is, one particular ship's demise has gone almost completely unnoticed yet stands as one of the worst acts of man's inhumanity to man, even during wartime. The ship was the Wilhelm Gusthloff.

the loss of life was equal to more than six sinkings of the Titanic. It is arguably the greatest unknown single disaster in modern history. Furthermore, the true story surrounding the Gustloff is not only tragic but absolutely incredible – filled with a wide spectrum of human drama – during one of the most terrifying periods in history: World War II.

The Titanic was a testimony of the hubris of a civilization that worshipped technology and thought it could conquer nature. The Gustloff, on the other hand, was the symbol of the German hubris, the dream of a greater German empire that ended in a nightmare. It was Adolf Hitler's Titanic. Der Spiegel February 4, 2002

Exactly why the Titanic is remembered and the far worse tragedy in the Baltic forgotten is discussed here:
http://www.wilhelmgustloff.com/unknown.htm

The plain fact of the matter is that the war on the Eastern front does not figure in mainstream Western histories. It was a different war.

Hitler himself made it clear that this was a war different from that waged in the West. He called it a "war of extermination". When the tide eventually turned and the Soviets were marching toward Berlin, the Red Army had no mercy – and exacted horrific revenge.

Even so, the Titanic itself was a symptom of the struggle for supremacy between the Kaiser and his uncle, Edward VII.

So began the "decade of Germans" in transatlantic shipping, in which the NDL and the HAPAG dominated the routes with several record-breaking ships and vied with the British Cunard Line and the White Star Line as the largest shipping companies in the world. In 1902 and 1904, two NDL ships again won the Blue Riband: SS Kronprinz Wilhelm, now with an average speed of 23.09 knots, for the westbound passage from Cherbourg to New York and the Kaiser Wilhelm II with 23.58 knots in the eastbound passage. In 1907, RMS Lusitania, and then in 1909, RMS Mauretania, both of the British Cunard Line, won the Blue Riband back for the British, and Mauretania then retained it until 1929.[7]

The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (Kaiser Wilhelm der Große) was a German transatlantic ocean liner named after Wilhelm I, German Emperor, the first ruler of united Germany. Constructed in Stettin for the North German Lloyd (NDL), she entered service in 1897 and was the first liner to have four funnels. The first of four sister ships built between 1903 and 1907 by NDL (the others being Kronprinz Wilhelm, the SS Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Kronprinzessin Cecilie) she marked the beginning of a huge change in the way maritime supremacy was demonstrated in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century.
The ship began a new era in ocean travel and the novelty of having four funnels was quickly associated with size, strength, speed and above all luxury. Quickly established on the Atlantic, she gained the Blue Riband for Germany, a notable prize for the quickest trip from Europe to America which had been previously dominated by the British.

Whilst the Titanic was a milestone in this foolishness the Wilhelm Gustloff and its tragic passengers were the part of the conclusion.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I'm not sure there's ever been a liner called the Ironic...

But most big ships these days are made from irony and stuff

 

[ufkacbln]

It vaguely occurred to me that had the Californian or whatever it was come to the rescue, would they have possibly crashed into the same iceberg in the process, leaving a terrible scene for the crew of the Carpathia??

Also, how could they have rescued everyone in time anyway?


One of these great 'what ifs?' I suppose.

One of the "conspiracy theories" was that the whole thing was an insurance scam. This theory has the California standing off an awaiting the Titanic's impact with the iceberg and ready to sail in to the rescue.

When they saw the flares they could not respond as they knew they would be needed by the Titanic.

Titanic however had fired the wrong flare sequence, so they waited in vain for a rescue that never occurred.

 

[Silver Fox]

I blame whatsisface, James Cameron or whoever he is.

Exactly.

I mean, put this head the ball in charge what do you expect.

I can drive a boat, go on gizza job.

 

[classic33]

The first passenger vessel to send an SOS. Radio operator told "you might as well, you might neverget another chance".

 

[Maz]

When does irony stop being irony? Can it?

That was the problem with the Titanic - it wasn't irony enough - those hull plates didn't stand a chance.

 

[classic33]

Erm...teabags float, don't they?[/quote]

Many will have a neutral bouyancy. They will sink slowly.

Passengers rode the stationary bicycles in the Gymnasium to pass time before the ship sank!

 

[Norm]

Secondly what really irks me is that (if it's true) the ship sank because the builders skimped on the steel used for the rivets, which broke too easily when a multi-riveted steel structure should actually be immensely strong with a good ability to absorb partial damage. Similar techniques were invented a couple of centuries ago to build steam boilers and are still used successfully today. On top of the shoddy workmanship is the familiar story of the greed and arrogance of the owners who allowed the ship to be built with insufficient lifeboats and only partial bulkheads.

You obviously need to watch a bit more, then, as this myth was dispelled as soon as they found the wreck site.

For the proof, go to the bottom (irony ) of this page and click on the "Impact on the sea bed" link, then watch the first 30 seconds or so.

 

[colly]

I saw a cartoon about the Titanic sinking. I don't have the cartoon or know anyway I can track it down but....

A large crowd has gathered around a poster pasted on a wall. The news poster has the words ''Titanic Sinks'' across the top, and ''List of Survivors''
At the back of the crowd is a polar bear straining to see what's written
The bear says to someone next to him:

''Any news of the iceberg''




Well it made me laugh.

 

[Maz]

 

[BigonaBianchi]

i went to an exhibition in hamburg of stuff brought up from the wreck...there were toys, glasses, shoes, jewellry,wine bottles with wine still in them, plates, etc...facinating stuff....they had a wall of ice for you to try and climb up like some had to...but the most interesting thing was kate winslet promoting the film in the nude....

 

[slowmotion]

Shocking as the Titanic's sinking undoubtedly is, one particular ship's demise has gone almost completely unnoticed yet stands as one of the worst acts of man's inhumanity to man, even during wartime. The ship was the Wilhelm Gusthloff.






Exactly why the Titanic is remembered and the far worse tragedy in the Baltic forgotten is discussed here:
http://www.wilhelmgustloff.com/unknown.htm

The plain fact of the matter is that the war on the Eastern front does not figure in mainstream Western histories. It was a different war.




Even so, the Titanic itself was a symptom of the struggle for supremacy between the Kaiser and his uncle, Edward VII.






Whilst the Titanic was a milestone in this foolishness the Wilhelm Gustloff and its tragic passengers were the part of the conclusion.

Thank you for posting that. I never knew.