THE OLYMPIC-HAWKE COLLISION: PRECURSOR TO THE TITANIC DISASTER

Months before the Titanic disaster, her sister ship Olympic was involved in a collision with HMS Hawke. The incident created a storm of controversy in the popular press and, later, the courts. It was hotly debated as to which ship was at fault. At the time, it was a logistical nightmare for the White Star Line, who had to take Olympic out of service for weeks of repairs at the height of her first season. Press reports spoke about the ship’s safety: she had survived serious flooding, not only remaining afloat and stable but also returning to port under her own steam. It was argued she had proven herself ‘unsinkable’.

Many of the same individuals were involved, including Captain E. J. Smith, Chief Officer Henry Wilde and First Officer William Murdoch - all of whom lost their lives in the Titanic disaster. We hear from them as they testify in court, providing interesting insights into their actions.

Mark Chirnside’s latest book is Olympic & Titanic: Triumph and Disaster (2026), a 412-page hardback which includes extensive coverage of the collision and previously unpublished information. He has authored many critically acclaimed books, including Olympic, Titanic & Britannic: An Illustrated History of the ‘Olympic’ Class Ships (2012), The ‘Big Four’ of the White Star Fleet: Celtic, Cedric, Baltic & Adriatic (2016) and Oceanic: White Star’s ‘Ship of the Century’’ (2018) and contributed to many more. His works are ‘extraordinarily researched’ and ‘highly recommended’: ‘Once you see the author’s name on the cover you know it’s worth buying’. He has won no fewer than four ‘Ship of the Month’ awards from Ships Monthly.