The Titanic’s catastrophic loss occurred on the night of April 14-15, 1912, when it hit an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The disaster claimed more than 1,500 lives and left many unanswered questions.

In an interview with the BBC, historian Parkes Stevenson, who was involved in the “Titanic” research, expressed his optimism that this project is an important step towards putting all the events and details on a solid scientific foundation.

The wreckage of the Titanic was first discovered in 1985 and has led to extensive research over the years. However, due to the ship’s massive size, cameras exploring the depths of the ocean were only able to capture fragmentary images of the wreck.

A recent scan, however, reveals a full view of the Titanic, with its bow and stern about 800 meters apart and surrounded by a large debris field.

What is known about the project

The ambitious screening project was carried out by two companies in the summer of 2022:

• Deep-sea mapping Magellan Ltd.
• Atlantic Productions, known for their documentary work.

Using remote-controlled underwater vehicles, the team spent more than 200 hours carefully examining the length and width of the sunken steamship. They collected over 700,000 complex images and eventually created an extremely accurate 3D model.

Parts from a ship model / Photo by MAGELLAN

Gerhard Seifert, who led the planning of the Magellan expedition, described this work as the largest underwater dredging project he has ever participated in. Working in the middle of underwater currents at a depth of about 4,000 meters presented significant challenges. The team had to be extremely careful to avoid damaging the fragile debris by mapping every square centimeter, including seemingly uninteresting details like silt.

The extensive scan captured both the ship’s large scale and its smallest details, such as the serial number engraved on one of its blades.

Serial number of the “Titanic” knife / Photo: MAGELLAN

How’s the ship?

A century after the tragic death of the Titanic, the ship’s rust-covered nose remains instantly recognizable. The upper part of the boat deck offers a glimpse into the cavernous space where the great main staircase once stood. However, the stern suffered significant damage, turning into a mass of bent metal that broke when it hit the seafloor.

Scattered on the ocean floor are the luxurious remains of the ship, including decorative ornaments, statues, and uncorked champagne bottles. Among the debris are personal items, including shoes that have been frozen in time. As noted by the researchers, the ship’s scans offer an unprecedented opportunity to see the sinking ship as a whole, in context and perspective. According to Stevenson, these scans allow researchers to understand the true condition of the sunken ship.

Why is this important?

Stephenson stressed that examining the footage could shed light on the nature of the iceberg collision and challenged the dominant notions portrayed in the movies. He also believes that analysis of the stern can provide valuable insight into the mechanics of the ship hitting the seafloor, where it was severely damaged.

The urgency of a comprehensive study of the iconic maritime disaster is heightened by the gradual decomposition of the wreckage from the devastating effects of the marine elements. Bacteria eroded the metals, causing corrosion, while large holes had formed in the hull and the upper deck had almost completely rotted.