A Maltese underwater exploration vessel, U-Boat Navigator, has been used to explore the wreck of the Britannic, the sister ship of the Titanic, which sank during the First World War after hitting a mine off Greece.

U-Boat Navigator, equipped with the C-Explorer 5 submersible, ROV (Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle) and other cutting edge equipment, served as a base vessel for the 10 day mission during which high quality underwater video footage was shot for an upcoming documentary.  

The researchers also investigated another WW1 wreck, S/S Burdigala, which also sank after striking a mine. 

S/S Burdigala went to the bottom on November 14, 1916 with only one casualty.

HMHS Britannic sank exactly one week later, having struck a mine just two miles away from the earlier disaster scene. 1036 people were rescued, 30 died in the tragedy.

The wreck was first found and explored by Jacques Cousteau in 1975. Burdigala was discovered by luck in 2007.

 

 

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