The Debunk Dossier: The Titanic swap

The claim that Titanic was secretly swapped with a sister ship sinks quickly.

OpinionsSelina Martelli — Published November 9, 2024 2 minutes

In the spring of 1912, the RMS Titanic, a British ocean liner, sank during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, U.S.A. The ship ultimately collided with an iceberg causing its demise and the death of more than 1,500 people. The wreckage was disastrous. Its peculiar end has been a beacon for human fascination and curiosity for over 100 years.

Naturally, where there is curiosity, there is conspiracy. If you have been on Conspiracy TikTok, then this intrigue is old news. According to the conspiracy, the Titanic never actually sank. Instead, the ship was switched with its sister ship, the RMS Olympic.

This conspiracy focuses mainly on insurance fraud. The Olympic was damaged during one of its voyages in September 1911,  prompting its return to the Harland and Wolff’s shipyard (where it was built) in Belfast, Ireland. 

Following the repairs, the Olympic was again sent on its customary route from Southampton to New York City and back again. The ship made its way back to Belfast to be repaired again in March 1912, a few weeks before the sailing of the Titanic.

The damage that the Olympic accrued in its final voyages was so considerable that it could no longer continue its journeys at sea. If a ship cannot sail, then it cannot make money for its owners. The Olympic would not be profitable any longer for its shipping company, the White Star Line. Would the only obvious answer for the White Star Line be to switch the Titanic with the Olympic, deliberately sink the Olympic, kill a bunch of people, and collect insurance money instead?

No, absolutely not!

Harland and Wolff’s shipyard would have had thousands of workers working on both the Titanic and the Olympic when they were both in business. For the swap to work, it would’ve necessitated for all these people to never say a word. 

Though this might be the stance that conspiracy theorists believe, it is quite improbable. How many people would need to be sworn to secrecy? How would they ensure that no one speaks out? Additionally, both ships had many differences. Ventilator, window and porthole configurations or placements are among these differences. 

Later, when the Olympic was actually scrapped and its parts auctioned off, it was noted that all its pieces were stamped with the number “400,” whereas pieces of the Titanic that were retrieved were stamped with “401.” Finally, the Titanic cost US$7.5 million to build and was insured for only US$5 million, so its sinking was a financial loss for the White Star Line. In this case, the swap and the insurance fraud wouldn’t have been financially viable. 

The claim that the Titanic was secretly replaced by the Olympic sinks fast—it is nothing more than a conspiracy without a shred of solid evidence.