Britannic's evacuation and Captain Bartlett's command choices

With steering damaged and no confirmation that help was coming, Bartlett tried to reach Kea by steering with unequal propeller revolutions. Two lifeboats launched without his order were drawn into the still-turning propellers, killing about thirty people and forcing an emergency stop. The crew then launched thirty-five boats, and Bartlett briefly restarted the engines in hopes of beaching and preserving a nationally valuable hospital ship; the added motion accelerated flooding and forced the final abandon-ship signal. Bartlett and Commander Dyke walked off last, continued coordinating from a collapsible boat, and saw rescue support arrive quickly in warm Mediterranean water. Design changes, drills, crew conduct, and local conditions helped 1,036 of the 1,066 people aboard survive. The premature launch still shows the tragic cost of confused initiative.