On November 21, 1916, the HMHS Britannic, a British hospital ship, was sunk after striking a mine in the Aegean Sea. The ship sank in less than an hour, killing 30 people.
Background
The Britannic was one of three sister ships, along with the Olympic and the Titanic. The Britannic was launched in 1914, and was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1915 to serve as a hospital ship. The ship was designed to carry over 1,000 wounded soldiers, and had a complement of over 1,000 crew members.
The Sinking
On the morning of November 21, 1916, the Britannic was sailing in the Aegean Sea when it struck a mine. The mine was laid by the German submarine U-73. The explosion ripped a hole in the ship's hull, and the Britannic began to sink.
The captain of the Britannic, Charles Bartlett, ordered the ship to be abandoned. The crew and passengers were evacuated into lifeboats, and the Britannic sank within an hour.
Casualties
A total of 30 people were killed in the sinking of the Britannic. Most of the victims were drowned, but some were also killed by the explosion.
Aftermath
The sinking of the Britannic was a major tragedy. The ship was one of the largest and most luxurious hospital ships in the world, and its loss was a major blow to the British war effort.
The sinking of the Britannic also raised questions about the safety of hospital ships. The German government argued that hospital ships were not immune to attack, and that they could be used to transport troops and supplies. The British government disagreed, arguing that hospital ships were clearly marked and that they should be treated as non-combatants.
The debate over the safety of hospital ships continued throughout World War I. In 1918, the German government agreed to stop attacking hospital ships, but it did not rescind its position that they were not immune to attack.