Deep-sea divers have retrieved the first batch of artifacts from the wreck of the HMHS Britannic, the sister ship of the Titanic, more than a century after it sank off the coast of Greece in 1916.
Greece’s Ministry of Culture confirmed on Monday that the recovery was carried out in May during a research programme that reached depths exceeding 120 metres (394 feet), marking the first-ever retrieval of objects from the wreck site.
The Britannic, one of three transatlantic liners built at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard, was requisitioned by the British Admiralty during World War I and converted into a hospital ship. It sank in less than an hour after striking a German mine near the island of Kea in November 1916. Of the 1,065 people on board, 30 lost their lives when lifeboats were pulled into the ship’s propellers.
The 11-member diving team, led by British historian Simon Mills, founder of the Britannic Foundation, operated under the supervision of Greece’s Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities. The ministry noted that the mission faced “particularly challenging” conditions due to depth, strong currents, and poor visibility.
Among the artifacts recovered are the ship’s observation post bell, a portside signal lamp, portable equipment from first- and second-class areas, ceramic tiles from a Turkish bath, and a pair of binoculars.
The items have been transported to conservation laboratories in Athens and will go on permanent display at a new Museum of Underwater Antiquities in Piraeus, currently under construction.
The Britannic was the second of the three Olympic-class liners, after the Titanic and before the RMS Olympic, which operated from 1911 to 1935 and was retrofitted with safety upgrades following the Titanic disaster in 1912.
A handout photo obtained from the Greek Ministry of Culture on September 15, 2025 shows a diver exploring the HMHS Britannic, a British hospital ship that sank near the Greek island of Kea in 1916 after hitting a mine during World War I. Deep-sea divers have retrieved a first batch of objects from the the Titanic’s sister ship that sank off the coast of Greece in 1916, the Greek culture ministry said September 15, 2025. The ministry said a research programme in May involved “the retrieval of objects from the wreck site (of the HMHS Britannic) for the first time, from depths exceeding 120 metres (394 feet).” The HMHS Britannic was one of three transatlantic passenger lines built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, the first of which was the infamous RMS Titanic. (Photo by Greek Culture Ministry / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSA handout photo obtained from the Greek Ministry of Culture on September 15, 2025 shows a pair of binoculars from the HMHS Britannic, a British hospital ship that sank near the Greek island of Kea in 1916 after hitting a mine during World War I. Deep-sea divers have retrieved a first batch of objects from the the Titanic’s sister ship that sank off the coast of Greece in 1916, the Greek culture ministry said September 15, 2025. The ministry said a research programme in May involved “the retrieval of objects from the wreck site (of the HMHS Britannic) for the first time, from depths exceeding 120 metres (394 feet).” The HMHS Britannic was one of three transatlantic passenger lines built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, the first of which was the infamous RMS Titanic. (Photo by Greek Culture Ministry / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSA handout photo obtained from the Greek Ministry of Culture on September 15, 2025 shows a member of a Greek-British search team holding a silver serving tray from the HMHS Britannic, a British hospital ship that sank near the Greek island of Kea in 1916 after hitting a mine during World War I. Deep-sea divers have retrieved a first batch of objects from the the Titanic’s sister ship that sank off the coast of Greece in 1916, the Greek culture ministry said September 15, 2025. The ministry said a research programme in May involved “the retrieval of objects from the wreck site (of the HMHS Britannic) for the first time, from depths exceeding 120 metres (394 feet).” The HMHS Britannic was one of three transatlantic passenger lines built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, the first of which was the infamous RMS Titanic. (Photo by Greek Culture Ministry / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / GREEK CULTURE MINISTRY – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
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