titanic voyage path

Map of the Titanic’s maiden and final voyage

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Encyclopedia Titanica

Keeping track of a maiden voyage, what was the route the titanic took on her maiden voyage.

This article illustrates the route the Titanic took on her maiden voyage.

On Thursday the 11 th of April 1912, the RMS Titanic departed Queenstown on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic ocean to New York. About 2:20 PM GMT, she took departure from the Daunt’s Rock light vessel, and proceeded at 70 revolutions per minute along a path that hugged the southern coast of Ireland toward Fastnet light. 1 From there she would follow the Great Circle track 2 westbound to a location in the middle of the Atlantic referred to as the Corner at 42° N, 47° W, and then follow a rhumb line track 3 taking her south of the Nantucket Shoals light vessel and then to the Ambrose Channel light vessel marking the entrance to NY harbor. 4

The planned route of the Titanic is taken as follows:

• Departure off Daunt’s Rock light vessel 5 – 51 ° 43’ N, 08 ° 16’ W
• Turning point off the Old Head of Kinsale 6 – 51 ° 33’ N, 08 ° 32’ W
• Departure off Fastnet light 7 – 51 ° 23’ N, 09° 36’ W
• Turning point at the Corner – 42° N, 47 ° W
• To a point south of the Nantucket Shoals light vessel 8 – 40 ° 35’ N, 69 ° 36.5’ W
• To Ambrose Channel light vessel 9 – 40 ° 28’ N, 73 ° 50’ W

As we all know, the RMS Titanic never completed her maiden voyage. On the night of April 14 th , she struck an iceberg at 11:40 PM apparent time ship (ATS), and sank just 2 hour and 40 minutes later. However, one of the questions that seem to come up is where was the Titanic on each of the first three days out since leaving Queenstown? To answer this question we can make use of the daily reported mileage runs for the first three days and the planned route of travel.

What we know about the distances covered comes from a memorandum that was provided by the Titanic’s 3 rd Officer Herbert Pitman to the American Inquiry. 10 This is shown in the table below:

Total distance run from departure at Daunt’s Rock at 2:20 PM GMT April 11 th to local apparent noon April 14 th was 1549 nautical miles.

By using the distance traveled per day along the known route of travel we can derive an estimate for the position of the ship at local apparent noon (LAN) each day for April 12, 13, and 14. The actual route taken was a series of rhumb line tracks along the Great Circle. But it is only the end point of each travel day taken at noon that we are most interested in. For the first day we need to consider the route taken from the Daunt’s Rock light vessel to Fastnet light, and then add the segment along the Great Circle track from Fastnet to local apparent noon on April 12 th . The route from Daunt’s Rock to Fastnet consisted of two segments. The first was from the Daunt’s Rock light vessel to a turning point off the Old Head of Kinsale Lighthouse, a distance of about 14 nautical miles.

The second segment was from that turning point to Fastnet light which was located on a rock off the southwest coast of Ireland, a distance of about 41 nautical miles. 14

The complete route of travel along the southern Irish coast is shown in the figure below.

The total distance taken along this route comes out to be about 55 nautical miles. This distance is then subtracted from the reported distance of the first day’s run to give 484 – 55 = 429 nautical miles, the distance from Fastnet to the noon position for April 12. This noontime position falls on a rhumb line from Fastnet light to an apparent alter course position for 7:00 PM GMT that was sent in a wireless message from the Titanic to the La Touraine that very day. 15 The distance between the position at noon and the position sent in the La Touraine message works out to be about 114 nautical miles.

To go from this 7:00 PM GMT position on April 12 th to the noontime position for April 13 th we have to travel over a distance of about 405 nautical miles to a point on the great circle track. This is because the run between noon April 12 to noon April 13 was reported as 519 miles, and the alter course point for 7:00 PM GMT on April 12 th was already about 114 miles beyond the noontime position.

To get to the noontime position for April 14 th we have to travel a distance of 546 miles from the noontime position of April 13 th to a point on a line of bearing of 060.6° true from a fixed point in the Atlantic called the Corner. 16 This corner point, the end of the great circle track at 42° N, 47° W, was the turning point for all westbound ships heading for the east coast of North America that time of the year. The result is a total of 429 + 519 + 546 = 1494 miles from Fastnet to local apparent noon for April 14 over the traveled route. A noontime location that was only 126 miles from the Corner.

Following the method outlined above we are able to find approximate geographic coordinates for local apparent noon on all three days. Not only that, we can easily derive the time, in GMT, when local apparent noon occurred using the ship’s longitude and the equation of time for each date. 17 Each of these noontime positions is an approximate position since the exact coordinates are of course unknown with the possible exception of the noon position for Sunday, April 14, the day of the accident. The results are shown in the table below:

The following table shows the actual distances that were worked out between key points along the route of travel for the derived coordinates as well as the rhumb line course angles rounded to the nearest degree.

A plot of the intended overall course of the Titanic from the Daunt’s Rock light vessel to the Ambrose Channel light vessel is shown in the attached figure. For completeness, the location of the wreck site as well as a derived position for the 7:30 PM ATS star site of April 14 th are also shown. 20

On the Titanic the ship’s clocks were set back each night so that at local apparent noon the following day the clocks would read 12:00. As quoted in a 1924 brochure for Olympic passengers:

It is necessary to put the clock back every 24 hours. The alteration in time is made at about midnight, and the clock is usually put back from 35 to 45 minutes on each occasion, the exact amount of time depending upon the distance the ship is estimated to make by noon the next day. During the first 24 hours, however, owing to the change from mean time to apparent time, the alteration is likely to be considerably more than 45 minutes...

Since we now have derived the time in GMT when local apparent noon occurred for each day since leaving Queenstown, we can easily determine the setback of the ship’s clocks. Clock setback times are simply the difference between the time in GMT of local apparent noon for a given day minus the time in GMT of local apparent noon for the previous day except for the first day out. In that case, if their clocks were keeping GMT when they left Queenstown, the total setback would be the difference between the GMT of local apparent noon for April 12 th and 12:00 which was 1 hour and 24 minutes. 21

The following table show the total clock adjustments for the first three days out from Queenstown.

It should also be noted that the planned setback for midnight of April 14/15 was 47 minutes. 22 Because of the accident, this was not carried out. 23

In addition to the above, we also can easily derive the interval of time between each day’s run. 24 This is shown in the table below:

Now that we have the time of each day’s run, we can get the speed made good over ground by simply dividing the distance run for each day by the time of each day’s run. This is shown in the following table:

It should be pointed out that the ship’s speed over ground is not the same as the speed through the water. Despite an increase in revolutions from 70 rpm on Thursday, to 72 rpm on Friday, and then to 75 rpm on Saturday, 26 the speed over ground did not necessarily increase by the same proportion. Clearly, the ship was affected by the North Atlantic Drift which varied in intensity along the route of travel. This is something that can be seen in modern day satellite data that measures the drift of oceanic currents. Despite the small increase in revolutions, the ship averaged about the same ground speed for the second day out as she did on the first day out. An increase of about 1 knot in ground speed was observed for the third day out when the revolutions were raised from 72 rpm to 75 rpm. It should also be noted that a further increase in revolutions were carried out early Sunday evening when additional boilers were added on line. It was recorded that the ship was averaging about 22.5 knots through the water less than two hours before the accident happened. 27 Considering the course over ground from the April 14 th noon location to a turning point just 4.5 miles to the southwest of the Corner, 28 then to the 7:30 PM celestial fix location, and then to an assumed collision point close to the location of the wreck site, we find a total distance over ground that would have been traveled of about 260 nautical miles. Taking 11 hours and 40 minutes from noon, the average speed over ground works out to be 22.3 knots. It is also interesting to note that the measured distance traveled through the water since noon as recorded on the taffrail log at the time of the accident was also 260 nautical miles. 29

In summary, we have derived the most likely locations of the Titanic at local apparent noon on each of the first three days out from Queenstown. These were obtained from the reported distances made good and planned route of travel. We also were able to derive the time in GMT of local apparent noon for each of those days, and the amount of time the clocks were set back each night. We also derived the average speed made good over ground for each of those three days of travel.

1 In 1880 the legal time for Great Britain was made Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) by Act of Parliament. In the same act the legal time for all of Ireland was made Dublin Mean Time (DMT) and was not changed till 1916 to be the same as GMT. Dublin is at longitude 6° 15' W, which meant that DMT was 25 minutes behind GMT. [For a more detailed history of events up to this point, see Derek Howse, Greenwich Time and the Longitude (National Maritime Museum / Philip Wilson Publishers, 1997).] However , according to the rules and regulations of the International Mercantile Marine Company (owners of the White Star Line) that were in effect in 1912, departure and arrival times when entering or leaving English or Irish waters were always to be recorded in GMT. Once out to sea, time was kept according to where the ship would be at local apparent noon, the instant of time when the true sun would reach its highest point in the sky. Time being kept this way was known as Apparent Time Ship or ATS. When arriving or departing points in the United States or Canada, ship’s time would be changed to the mean time for the 75 th meridian of longitude which was exactly 5 hours behind GMT.

2 A Great Circle track is the path you would get if you took a tightly stretched string and used it to connect any two points on a globe. It is the shortest distance that connects those two points.

3 A rhumb line track is the path that you would get by following a fixed compass direction without change. If the compass direction you followed was due north or due south, you would also be following a great circle track on one of the earth’s meridians. You would also be on a great circle track if you happened to be on the earth’s equator and went due east or due west. Any other direction to the north or south of due east or due west will eventually spiral in toward one of the earth’s poles.

4 This route was known as the southern track taken by steamers heading westbound across the Atlantic leaving Queenstown. It was in effect from January 15 th through August 23 rd . The point called “the corner” marked the end of the great circle part of the westbound voyage. Eastbound steamers on the southern track would reach a corner point 60 nautical miles to the south of the westbound corner point before they would take to the great circle part of their eastbound voyage. From August 24 th through January 14 th these routes were shifted northward by about 120 nautical miles, and were know as the northern track . A voyage taken on the northern track made the passage across the Atlantic about 110 nautical miles shorter. After the Titanic disaster the southern tracks were shifted further southward.

5 The Daunt’s Rock light vessel was located at 51 ° 43’ N, 08 ° 16’ W from 1905-1938. (Ref: “A Directory of Hydrographic and Atmospheric Datasets for the North East Atlantic and UK Shelf Seas,” Science Series Tech. Report No. 113, Centre for Environmental, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, 2001, App. 1 – MAFF Coastal Sea Temperature Stations.) The location of the rock itself is at 51° 43’ 30’’ N, 08° 17’ 30’’ W (Ref: www.traveljournals.net).

6 We take the turning point to be about 3.3 miles south of the Old Head of Kinsale lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is located on the coast at 51 ° 36.3' N, 8 ° 31.9' W (Ref: The Commissioners of Irish Lights at www.cil.ie).

7 Fastnet lighthouse itself is precisely located on a rock island at 51º 23.3’ N, 09º 36.1’ W (Ref: The Commissioners of Irish Lights at www.cil.ie ).

8 Following the Olympic’s second voyage of 1911, we will take this point to be about 2 miles south of the Nantucket Shoals light vessel. The light vessel itself was listed in the US Coast Pilot Part III for 1912 at 40° 37’ 05’’ N, 69° 36’ 33’’ W.

9 The Ambrose Channel light vessel was listed in the US Coast Pilot Part IV for 1909 at 40° 28’ 02’’ N, 73° 50’ 01’’ W. Before passing Ambrose the ship would also pass the Fire Island light vessel located at 40° 28’ 40’’ N, 73° 11’ 26’’ W. But it was the Ambrose Channel light vessel that marked the end of the Atlantic crossing and entrance to lower NY harbor.

10 Although there were several errors in the memorandum submitted by Pitman, the distances provided for each day’s run can be confirmed from other testimonies and sources. (See American Inquiry, pages 420-421.)

11 Confirmation of the run for Day 1 of 484 miles comes from testimony of J. Bruce Ismay.

12 Confirmation of the run for Day 2 of 519 miles comes from Ismay and 2 nd class passenger Lawrence Beesely. In his book, The Loss of the SS Titanic , Beesley wrote that the purser had mentioned to him that the 519 mile run for day 2 was a disappointment.

13 Confirmation of the run for Day 3 of 546 miles comes from Ismay, and passengers Lawrence Beesley, Henry Stengel and Archibald Gracie.

14 Photographs of the Old Head of Kinsale and Fastnet lighthouses presented in this article are by permission of Philip Plisson ( www.plisson.com ).

15 Although the course of the ship was usually set at noon each day, it appears that the Titanic’s course was changed about 5 hours 36 minutes past LAN (which was at 1:24 PM GMT) on the 12 th of April. This 7:00 PM GMT position, which was transmitted from the Titanic to the La Touraine at 7:45 PM GMT, is about 6 miles north of the great circle track at the reported longitude. It is interesting to note that in the log of Olympic’s second voyage to New York (in July 1911), the last two out of three noontime positions along the great circle part of her route were 10 and 8 miles to the north of the great circle track line, respectively. Additionally, the first noontime position for the part of Olympic’s route from the Corner to the Nantucket Shoals light vessel was 6 miles to the north of the rhumb line track that she was to be on.

16 From testimony given by the Titanic’s 5 th Officer Harold Lowe (American Inquiry, p. 381), the course from noon to the corner was 240.6° true, and the distance was 126 nautical miles (after correcting what appears to be a transposition error of two digits in the transcript of his testimony). Working back from the Corner at 42° N, 47° W, and going 126 nautical miles along the reciprocal heading (060.6° true) gets us to a noon position of 43° 02’ N, 44° 31’ W. This position is a total distance run of 1549 miles from Daunt’s Rock over the course that was traveled.

17 Since the Earth makes one complete rotation with respect to the sun in 24 hours, and since there are 360 degrees in a complete rotation, each 15 degree change in longitude corresponds to an hour change in time. Traveling westward, for example, you would need to reset your clock back by 1 hour for every 15 degree change in longitude that you make. However, this 24 hour day that we are all so used to is measured with respect to a fictitious sun called the mean sun. The earth’s rotation with respect to the true sun, also called the apparent sun, is not exactly 24 hours. This difference arises from two separate causes. The first is that the plane of the equator is not the same as the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun, but is offset from it by the angle of obliquity, the tilt of the earth’s poles. The second is that the orbit of the earth around the sun is an ellipse and not a circle, and the apparent motion of the sun is not exactly equal throughout the year but appears to be moving fastest when the earth is closest to the sun. Even standing on the prime meridian at Greenwich, this difference can cause the true sun to be overhead several minutes before or several minutes after the clock strikes 12:00 PM GMT, depending on the time of the year. This difference is what is called the Equation of Time and must be added or subtracted from the mean time when calculating local apparent noon for any point on the surface of the earth.

18 Rhumb line distances shown here are based on a mid-latitude calculation method for a spherical earth. One minute of arc in latitude is equal to one nautical mile.

19 Rounded off to the nearest degree.

20 Samuel Halpern, “A Minute of Time,” THS Commutator , Vol. 29, No. 171 and 172, 2005.

21 Although the clocks were adjusted the night before to read 12:00 for local apparent noon the next day, a minor adjustment up to a minute if needed was made in the forenoon when they obtained a more accurate longitude for their noontime position (American Inquiry, p. 294.) If the Titanic’s clocks were adjusted back by 25 minutes the night before her arrival at Queenstown to Dublin Mean Time (which was kept throughout Ireland in 1912) as some people have suggested, then the total clock setback (including adjustment in the forenoon) for the first day out from Queenstown would have been 59 minutes. There is some indirect evidence that suggests that the clocks might have been set back about 58 minutes at midnight during the first night’s run since departing Queenstown as this number appeared in a memorandum prepared and submitted by 3 rd Officer Pitman to the American Inquiry (pp. 420-421). That memorandum had in it the distances run for each day and the departure time at Daunt’s Rock. As pointed out before, departure times in English and Irish waters were always recorded in GMT by White Star Line rules. A 2:20 PM GMT departure can also be check against the speed she was making carrying 70 revolutions per minute. Other setback times in that memo, however, can be shown to be completely unreliable, and cannot be verified by any other available evidence.

22 American Inquiry, page 451.

23 American Inquiry, page 294.

24 The time interval from LAN one day to LAN the next day is just 24 hours plus the amount of time the clocks were set back. This hold for all days except the first day out. Because they took departure in the afternoon at 2:20 PM GMT off the Daunt’s Rock light vessel, the time of the first day’s run is 24 hours minus the difference between their departure time in GMT on April 11 and the time of LAN in GMT on April 12. That difference was 2:20 – 1:24 = 0:56. Therefore 56 minutes from 24 hours leaves 23 hours and 4 minutes, the time interval from departure at the Daunt’s Rock light vessel on April 11 to local apparent noon on April 12.

25 Speed over ground is not the same as speed through the water. Ground speed is the vector addition of speed through the water plus the net affect of current and wind.

26 American Inquiry, page 3.

27 British Inquiry, 965.

28 Samuel Halpern, “A Minute of Time,” THS Commutator , Vol. 29, No. 171 and 172, 2005.

29 British Inquiry, 17608.

This article first appeared in the White Star Journal of the Irish Titanic Historical Society. Copyright 2006

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The Titanic has become famous as being the ‘unsinkable’ ship that did unfortunately sink. The Titanic made many successful port stops on her trip before the accident happened where she picked up passengers and supplies.

A common misconception is that the Titanic set sail from Southampton heading to New York and didn’t visit any other ports, this is not the case. In this post we will explore where the Titanic went, what she did in each port and where she was scheduled to go.

Where Did Titanic Set Sail From?

The Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on April 10th 1912. She was built in Belfast, Ireland, and sailed to Southampton in England for her maiden voyage. She stopped in Cherbourg in France and Queenstown in Ireland to pick up passengers, crew and supplies. Her final destination was to be New York, USA but she never completed the journey.

The Southampton – Cherbourg – New York route had become very popular by the early twentieth century. The crossing should have taken around 6 days in total.

The return journey should have been from New York to Plymouth in England, back to Cherbourg, and finally to Southampton.

The Titanic’s Scheduled Route

Many modern cruise ships complete transatlantic crossings regularly although the route has changed slightly. To learn more about how modern cruise ships compare to the Titanic, check out this post:

Titanic vs a Modern Cruise Ship Fleet – Comparison with Photos!

White Star Line (the company that owned the Titanic) planned to offer weekly sailings in each direction, leaving Southampton on Wednesdays and New York on Saturdays. 

Both the Titanic and her sister The Olympic were scheduled to sail throughout the year, with trips booked until December.

Titanic’s First Journey – From Belfast to Southampton

The Titanic left Belfast on Tuesday 2nd April at 8pm. She arrived into Southampton at 12:00am on Thursday 4th April.

Work on the White Star Line’s state-of-the-art luxury steamship began in March 1909 in Belfast, Ireland, at the Harland and Wolff shipyards, the Titanic was designed by Alexander Carlisle. It took two years to complete the ship, the hull of which was the largest movable manufactured object in the world at the time.

On 31 May 1911, the Titanic was officially launched, first entering the water at the River Lagan.

After a series of sea trials, the Titanic, with only a skeleton crew, set sail for Southampton on 2 April 1912, seen off by thousands lining the Belfast Lough.

On the journey to Southampton Titanic recorded a record speed of 23.25 knots. The journey to Southampton was 570 nautical miles .

I Was Amazed by The Titanic Belfast Museum

Today, the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction, based next to the Harland and Wolff shipyards, tells the story of the Titanic from its conception and construction.

I visited the museum in 2021 and was blown away by the experience. The museum even has a ride in the middle! A ride! I talk more about my excursion to the museum in the video below:

Titanic’s Second Journey – From Southampton to Cherbourg

The Titanic left Southampton on Wednesday 10th April at 12pm. She arrived into Cherbourg at 8.10pm on Wednesday 10th April.

Around midnight on 4 April 1912, the Titanic arrived in Southampton , where she remained docked for a week. The crew were the first to come aboard.

Most of the crew were from Southampton, of the 685 crew members who died in the tragedy, 549 were from the city. Captaining the ship was the most senior White Star commodore, Captain Edward J. Smith seen below.

A Ship Visit With a Difference

On 5 April, the public had an opportunity to visit the Titanic, she was decorated for the occasion with flags and other pieces.

After the public had visited the ship, passengers were welcomed aboard.

At the time there was a coal strike in Britain which meant that coal had to be borrowed from other ships, including the sister ship, Olympia, so that the Titanic could begin her voyage. 

At 9am on the 10th Titanic had her one and only lifeboat drill.

100,000 well-wishers and journalists, watched as the Titanic officially set sail from Southampton on 10 April 1912, at noon. George W.Bowyer was the pilot in charge as the Titanic left Southampton.

In what was later seen as a bad omen for the voyage, the Titanic narrowly missed colliding with the SS City of New York.

The larger ship displaced so much water that the New York’s mooring lines snapped as it rose and fell, swinging it round towards the Titanic. The swift action of a tugboat in towing the New York out of the way avoided tragedy.

This incident delayed the official maiden voyage’s departure by about an hour.

Titanic’s Second Journey – From Cherbourg to Queenstown

The Titanic left Cherbourg on Wednesday 10th April at 8:10pm. She arrived into Queenstown at 1:55pm on Thursday 11th April.

The Titanic sailed into Cherbourg, the world’s largest artificial harbor and dropped anchor near the Central Fort. Due to the fact that the water in the port was not deep enough the Titanic could not dock. Tenders transferred the 281 passengers (151 First Class, 28 Second Class, and 102 Third Class) to the luxury steamship, as well as 24 passengers who disembarked.

Among the passengers who embarked in France were some of the most famous and wealthy on the Titanic. These included:

• Millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and his pregnant wife Madeleine Talmage Astor
• Billionaire Margaret Brown.
• Sir Cosmo Edmund Duff Gordon and his wife Lady Lucy Christiana Duff Gordon

Also brought aboard in France were luxury food items, including champagne, wine, cheese, and mineral water.

Today, the Cité de la Mare Museum in Cherbourg has a dedicated Titanic exhibition in memory of the famous ship, where you visit the Art Deco Luggage Hall.

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By 8.10 pm, the Titanic was on her way, she sailed overnight to the south of Ireland and the harbor of Queenstown.

Titanic’s Third Journey – From Queenstown to New York

The Titanic left Queenstown on Thursday 11th April at 1:55pm.

The Titanic arrived in Queenstown (today known as Cobh) to pick up its last passengers before beginning the trans-Atlantic voyage. The ship dropped anchor at Roches Point.

Before the first world war Queenstown was Irelands most important mail and passenger port.

Two tenders were responsible for transporting the passengers from Cork Harbor, the PS Ireland, and the PS America.

Seven passengers disembarked, including Father Francis Browne, a Jesuit trainee, whose photographs are the last ever taken of the Titanic.

At 1.30 pm, to the sound of a whistle blast and bagpipes, the Titanic lifted her anchor and started her journey.

One final stop was necessary. At the Daunt Light-ship to drop off the pilot who had guided the ship in and out of Cork Harbor.

The Sinking of The Titanic

The ship made good time for the next two days but the Titanic was never able to complete her maiden voyage. 

On the 14 April 1912, after four days at sea, the Titanic struck an iceberg that tore a hole in the ship’s hull below the waterline. The hull began filling with water, and within three hours, the vessel had sunk. Because of a lack of lifeboats and the proper emergency procedures, only 705 people survived the disaster.

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It Wasn’t Just The Iceberg That Sank The Titanic – Survivor Accounts

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The Titanic Voyage

When arranging a tour around the United States I had decided to cross on the Titanic. It was rather a novelty to be on the largest ship yet launched. It was no exaggeration to say that it was quite easy to lose one’s way on such a ship.  Lawrence Beesley, Titanic Survivor

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After the success of Titanic’s sea trials in Ireland, she made the short journey to Southampton, England for what would be both the maiden and final titanic voyage.

Titanic arrived in Southampton only two weeks before her maiden voyage which meant there was an incredible amount of pressure from White Star Lines to turn her from an Irish built ship into their most elegant British Royal Mail Steamer.  Food, Linen and Furniture were thousands of other items were hauled aboard the Titanic around the clock and staff were selected and trained accordingly for their roles.

Captain Edward James Smith would be the man to steer Titanic to New York and was the perfect fit for the role due to his presence and stature for the media, experience from his crew and was a particular favourite of J.B Ismay the head of White Star Lines for all of these reasons. 

TITANIC VOYAGE MAP

As a crowd waited in anticipation at the Southampton wharf, Captain Smith reared his head around and looked at the first officer, Robert Murdoch, who was at the wheel. The Captain walked to the bridge and asked if the tugs were ready. Just then, the phone on the wall behind him rang. The First Officer walked over and picked it up. “Tugs all fast, sir,” was the message he heard. He said, “Thank you,” and walked to the wheel. He looked at the Captain and nodded. The Captain looked at him and said, “Take her to sea Mr Murdoch.” He reached past the Captain to the bridge telegraph and pushed it till it rang and went to ¼ ahead.

Like nearly all other elements of Titanic’s life thus far its departure was a successful event that was witnessed in large numbers by both the media and interested parties of all shapes, ages and walks of life.

“I enjoyed myself as if I were on a summer palace by the seashore surrounded by every comfort. I was up early before breakfast and met the professional racquet player in a half hour’s warming up prepority for a swim in the six-foot deep tank of saltwater heated to a refreshing temperature.” Colonel Archibald Gracie, Titanic Survivor

Passengers on the  Titanic  paid significantly different prices for different accommodation options. The suites and cabins on the  Titanic  cost the passengers no small sum for the time. At approximately $100,000 in today’s dollars, you can see why the world’s richest and most elite sailed on the  Titanic  — only they could afford the parlour suites. For the immigrants who travelled in third class, a berth cost was no small sum either. The immigrants were poor, and raising that kind of money (approximately $350 to $900 in today’s dollars) for passage to America was difficult in the early 1900s. 

First-class passengers sipped wine and enjoyed cigars and hors d’oeuvres, whilst those on the lower decks were overcome with happiness and sadness at the prospect of entering a new life in the United States but also knowing they may never see their families or beloved England again.

The Titanic seemed to have everything on board, including its own newspaper. The Atlantic Daily Bulletin was printed every day on board the Titanic . The newspaper included news, advertisements, stock prices, horse-racing results, society gossip, and the day’s menu.

To learn more about the accommodation and events of a first-class passenger read our article here.

Titanic had stopped in Cherbourg, France, to pick up additional passengers. Here, one of the most famous people on the ship boarded, Colonel John Jacob Astor and his young, pregnant wife, Madeline. Madeline was nineteen, and there was some dispute about this among the passengers who knew him.  That evening she sailed for Queenstown, Ireland, and at 1:30 PM on Thursday, April 11, she headed out into the Atlantic.

Originally, a lifeboat drill was scheduled to take place on board the  Titanic  on April 14, 1912 – the day the  Titanic  hit the iceberg. However, for an unknown reason, Captain Smith cancelled the drill. Many believe that had the drill taken place, more lives could have been saved.

“Each night the sun sank right in our eyes along the sea, making an undulating glittering pathway, a golden track charted on the surface of the ocean which our ship followed unswervingly until the sun dipped below the edge of the horizon, and the pathway ran ahead of us faster than we could steam and slipped over the edge of the skyline – as if the sun had been a golden ball and had wound up its thread of gold too quickly for us to follow.” — Lawrence Beesley, Titanic Survivor

On the night of April 14, wireless operator Phillips was very busy sending chatty passenger’s messages to Cape Race, Newfoundland, whence they could be relayed inland to friends and relatives. He received a sixth ice-warning that night, but didn’t realize how close Titanic was to the warning position and put that message under a paperweight at his elbow. It never reached Captain Smith or the officer on the bridge.

The R.M.S. Titanic was a Royal Mail Ship, a designation which meant the Titanic was officially responsible for delivering mail for the British postal service. Onboard the Titanic was a Sea Post Office with five mail clerks (two British and three American). These mail clerks were responsible for the 3,423 sacks of mail (seven million individual pieces of mail) onboard the Titanic . Interestingly, although no mail has yet been recovered from the Titanic wreck, if it were, the U.S. Postal Service would still try to deliver it (the USPS because most of the mail was being sent to the U.S.).

The night was uncommonly clear and dark, moonless but faintly glowing with an incredible sky full of stars by all accounts. The stars were so bright that one officer mistook the planet Jupiter (then rising just above the horizon) for a steamship light. The sea was, likewise, unusually calm and flat, “like glass,” said many survivors. The lack of waves made it even more difficult to spot icebergs since no tell-tale white water broke at the bergs’ edges.  The lookouts were questioning White Star personnel as to where their binoculars were. They were told that they were misplaced, which would play a role in destroying the ship.

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A Timeline of the Sinking of the Titanic

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From the time of its inception, the Titanic was meant to be gigantic, luxurious and safe. It was touted as being unsinkable because of its system of watertight compartments and doors, which of course proved to be just a myth. Follow the history of the Titanic, from its beginnings in a shipyard to its end at the bottom of the sea, in this timeline of the building of the ship through its maiden (and only) voyage. In the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, all but 705 of its 2,229 passengers and crew lost their lives in the icy Atlantic .

The Building of the Titanic

March 31, 1909: Construction of the Titanic begins with the building of the keel, the backbone of the ship, at Harland & Wolff's shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.

May 31, 1911: The unfinished Titanic is lathered up with soap and pushed into the water for "fitting out." Fitting out is the installation of all the extras, some on the exterior, like the smokestacks and the propellers, and a lot on the inside, like the electrical systems, wall coverings, and furniture.

June 14, 1911: The Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic, departs on its maiden voyage.

April 2, 1912: The Titanic leaves the dock for sea trials, which include tests of speed, turns, and an emergency stop. At about 8 p.m., after the sea trials, the Titanic heads to Southampton, England.

The Maiden Voyage Begins

April 3 to 10, 1912: The Titanic is loaded with supplies and her crew is hired.

April 10, 1912: From 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., passengers board the ship. Then at noon, the Titanic leaves the dock at Southhampton for its maiden voyage. First stop is in Cherbourg, France, where the Titanic arrives at 6:30 p.m. and leaves at 8:10 p.m, heading to Queenstown, Ireland (now known as Cobh). It is carrying 2,229 passengers and crew.

April 11, 1912: At 1:30 p.m., the Titanic leaves Queenstown and begins its fated journey across the Atlantic for New York.

April 12 and 13, 1912: The Titanic is at sea, continuing on her journey as passengers enjoy the pleasures of the luxurious ship.

April 14, 1912 (9:20 p.m.): The Titanic's captain, Edward Smith, retires to his room.

April 14, 1912 (9:40 p.m.) : The last of seven warnings about icebergs is received in the wireless room. This warning never makes it to the bridge.

Last Hours of the Titanic

April 14, 1912 (11:40 p.m.): Two hours after the last warning, ship lookout Frederick Fleet spotted an iceberg directly in the path of the Titanic. The first officer, Lt. William McMaster Murdoch, orders a hard starboard (left) turn, but the Titanic's right side scrapes the iceberg. Only 37 seconds passed between the sighting of the iceberg and hitting it.

April 14, 1912 (11:50 p.m.): Water had entered the front part of the ship and risen to a level of 14 feet.

April 15, 1912 (12 a.m.): Captain Smith learns the ship can stay afloat for only two hours and gives orders to make first radio calls for help.

April 15, 1912 (12:05 a.m.): Captain Smith orders the crew to prepare the lifeboats and get the passengers and crew up on deck. There is only room in the lifeboats for about half the passengers and crew onboard. Women and children were put into the lifeboats first.

April 15, 1912 (12:45 a.m.): The first lifeboat is lowered into the freezing water.

April 15, 1912 (2:05 a.m.) The last lifeboat is lowered into the Atlantic. More than 1,500 people are still on the Titanic, now sitting at a steep tilt.

April 15, 1912 (2:18 a.m.): The last radio message is sent and the Titanic snaps in half.

April 15, 1912 (2:20 a.m.): The Titanic sinks.

Rescue of Survivors

April 15, 1912 (4:10 a.m.) : The Carpathia, which was about 58 miles southeast of the Titanic at the time it heard the distress call, picks up the first of the survivors.

April 15, 1912 (8:50 a.m.): The Carpathia picks up survivors from the last lifeboat and heads for New York.

April 17, 1912: The Mackay-Bennett is the first of several ships to travel to the area where the Titanic sank to search for bodies.

April 18, 1912: The Carpathia arrives in New York with 705 survivors.

April 19 to May 25, 1912: The United States Senate holds hearings about the disaster; the Senate findings include questions about why there were not more lifeboats on the Titanic.

May 2 to July 3, 1912: The British Board of Trade holds an inquiry into the Titanic disaster. It was discovered during this inquiry that the last ice message was the only one that warned of an iceberg directly in the path of the Titanic, and it was believed that if the captain had gotten the warning that he would have changed course in time for the disaster to be avoided.

Sept. 1, 1985: Robert Ballard's expedition team discovers the wreck of the Titanic .

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• The Sinking of the Lusitania and America's Entry into World War I
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Titanic Maiden Voyage

Introduction.

Following her prestigious launch in front of a crowd of around 100,000 spectators and a throng of excited reporters, Titanic began her maiden journey, first collecting the passengers sailing – and even migrating – to America. It was a voyage that would end in disaster amidst the ice-strewn waters of the Atlantic. Read on for a comprehensive summary of the facts about this tragic trip.

Above: Footage of RMS Titanic leaving for her maiden voyage in 1912.

471 miles – the distance of the journey to deliver Titanic from Belfast – the city in which she was built – to Southampton, England – the city from which her maiden voyage would commence.

Where did the Titanic leave from?

Although Titanic initially sailed from Belfast (where she was built) to Southampton, her maiden voyage is considered to have begun in Southampton.

02 April 1912 – the date that Titanic set sail from Belfast to Southampton.

Southampton

6 – the number of days that the Titanic was at rest in Southampton, before the start of her maiden voyage to New York.

Above: The Titanic at Southampton at the beginning of her maiden voyage.

05 April 1912 – the date Titanic was briefly opened for viewing by the paying public, two days after sailing to Southampton. The ship was “dressed overall”, with flags and pennants hung from the rigging in a salute to the people of the city.

07:30 am – the time Captain Smith arrived on board on the morning of the maiden journey, along with the crew. The officers were already on board, having spent the previous night on the ship.

2 – the number of lifeboats employed in a brief safety drill, conducted at 08:00 am; starboard lifeboats 11 and 12.

Where was Titanic going?

The Titanic was on her maiden voyage, a return trip from Britain to America. The outward route was to be Southampton, England – Cherbourg, France – Queenstown, Ireland – New York, USA. The return route was going to be New York – Plymouth, England – Cherbourg – Southampton.

09:30 am – the time the second- and third-class boat trains began to arrive and passengers started to board the Titanic.

11:30 am – the time that the first-class boat train arrived from London.

Did You Know?

At the time of her maiden voyage a coal strike was on, and so coal for Titanic had to be scavenged from other company ships.

06 April 1912 – the date that the strike was ended, however there would not be time to deliver enough coal to Southampton docks before Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage.

84 miles – the length of the first leg of the journey, from Southampton to Cherbourg, France.

12.00 pm – the time Titanic cast off from Southampton Dock, towed out into the River Test by tugboats.

4 feet – the margin by which a collision with the USMS New York was averted, when the undertow from the much larger Titanic caused the smaller boat to be sucked toward the ship, snapping the six mooring ropes holding the New York in place.

60 minutes – the approximate time that departure was delayed by this incident, sailing finally resuming at 1pm.

04:00 pm – the time the boat train from Paris arrived in Cherbourg, around 90 minutes before passengers could be ferried out to the delayed Titanic.

22 – the number of cross-channel passengers who disembarked in Cherbourg.

274 – the number of passengers who boarded at Cherbourg.

08:10 pm – the time Titanic departed Cherbourg and set sail for Queenstown (now known as Cobh) in Ireland.

307 miles – the length of the next stage, from Cherbourg to Queenstown, Ireland.

Queenstown (Cobh)

11:30 am – the time Titanic dropped anchor in Queenstown, on the morning of 11th of April 1912, about 2 miles offshore.

7 – the number of passengers who disembarked in Ireland.

123 – the number of passengers who boarded at Queenstown (3 first-class, 7 second-class and 113 third-class ticket-holders).

63 – the number of male passengers who boarded in Ireland.

60 – the number of female passengers who came aboard.

2 – the number of tenders that ferried the passengers from Heartbreak Jetty to Titanic; they were named PS Ireland and PS America.

1,385 – the number of bags of mail delivered on board during the Queenstown stop.

01:30 pm – the time Titanic raised anchor and set sail on her first and last transatlantic crossing.

The Atlantic Ocean

2,825 miles – the intended distance of the longest leg of the voyage, from Queenstown to New York, USA.

137 hours – the anticipated journey time sailing from Queenstown to New York City.

How many people boarded the Titanic?

There were 2,223 people aboard Titanic for her maiden trip, 1,324 passengers and 908 crew.

116 – the typical number of hours taken to cover the same distance by the Titanic’s rivals, the Cunard liners Lusitania and Mauritania (the idea that the Titanic captain ignored the iceberg warnings because he was trying to set a new time record is just one of the many Titanic myths that endures).

Above: The route of the voyage of the Titanic and the location of her sinking.

4 – days into the crossing when the collision with the iceberg occurred.

How much were Titanic ticket prices?

The average cost for a First Class berth was $150 (£30). A parlour suite would have set you back the princelier sum of $4,350 (£875).

The average cost of a berth in Standard (Second) Class was $60 (£12).

The average cost of a Steerage (Third) Class berth was $15-$40 (£3-£8).

3 – the intended number of legs planned for Titanic’s return voyage (New York to Plymouth to Cherbourg to Southampton).

As she set sail on her maiden voyage, some interior work was still to be completed. For example, some areas of the ship were without heating, whilst others were too hot. A team of nine Harland & Wolff employees, including the ship’s designer, Thomas Andrews, sailed as members of a guarantee group, tasked with ensuring any problems were attended to. All died in the sinking.

More To Explore

Read about the passengers on the Titanic , about the iceberg that was her undoing, and about the spot in the Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic sank .

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See maps of where the Titanic sank and how deep the wreckage is amid search for missing sub

By Caitlin O'Kane

Updated on: June 20, 2023 / 7:35 PM EDT / CBS News

A submersible headed for the wreckage of the Titanic  went missing in the Atlantic this week, prompting the Coast Guard to launch a search and rescue mission . The Titanic, which sank in 1912, has been explored dozens of times. Where is the wreckage located and how deep underwater is it?

What was the Titanic's planned path?

The RMS Titanic was dubbed "unsinkable" before it embarked on its maiden voyage in April 1912. It took off from Southampton, England, for New York City.

It first made stops in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland, before heading across the Atlantic. It was supposed to return via Plymouth, England, and Cherbourg — but never made it to New York. On April 15, 1912, with about 2,240 people on board, it hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. The massive ship broke into two parts and sank to the bottom of the ocean, killing about 1,500 people. 

This area off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada has been dubbed  "Iceberg Alley ." Icebergs are large chunks of ice that break off of glaciers and float in the ocean. The icebergs in Iceberg Alley –  located between Labrador and Newfoundland – come from the glaciers of Greenland, usually floating through in spring and summer. 

Carpathia, another passenger liner that had departed from New York in April, was tasked with sailing toward the Titanic after it hit the iceberg. The ship  helped rescue 705 people  in lifeboats, then sailed back to New York City, arriving on April 18.

Where is the Titanic wreckage?

The ship was near Newfoundland, Canada, when it sank. It was just about 400 miles off the coast.  

Most of the Titanic wreckage remains about 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland,  according to NOAA . The wreckage was  first located in 1985 by marine explorer Robert Ballard, who returned about 20 years later to study the deterioration of the boat.

How deep is the Titanic wreckage?

The Titanic is sitting on the ocean floor, about 12,500 feet below sea level. The two broken parts of the ship – the bow and the stern — are more than 2,600 feet apart and are surrounded by debris.

Several expeditions have captured images of the ship before. In May, the first full-sized digital scan of the wreckage was released, showing the entirety of the wrecked ship in 3D.

What happened to the sub?

The submersible heading to the wreckage was run by  OceanGate Expeditions , which organizes deep-sea expeditions that cost about $250,000 per person. 

Five people were on board the sub when it went missing and the U.S. Coast Guard  said  it was searching for it about 900 miles off of Cape Cod, which is parallel to where the Titanic wreckage is. 

The submersible crew started their dive on Sunday, after being ferried out by the Polar Prince, which lost contact with the underwater craft about 1 hour and 45 minutes after it began its dive, according to the Coast Guard.

British businessman Hamish Harding said in a Facebook post ahead of the expedition that he would be on the OceanGate trip, which he said took off from St. Johns, Newfoundland. 

"The team on the sub has a couple of legendary explorers, some of which have done over 30 dives to the RMS Titanic since the 1980s," Harding wrote the day before they departed. "Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow."

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

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Titanic: Voyage To The Past

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April 4, 1912: The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, on her ill-fated first voyage. Southampton City Council/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

The Two-Way

Australian billionaire says he's building 'titanic ii;' would you go aboard.

April 30, 2012 • "Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it," says mining magnate Clive Palmer. He says he's contracted with Chinese shipbuilders and that the liner will be ready to sail in 2016. First voyage: From London to New York.

Laurie and Dan Castaneda from Long Beach, Calif., walk the pool deck of the Azamara Journey on a Titanic Memorial Cruise. Preparation for their costumes involved several weeks of research, last-minute purchases and even home-sewn clothing from vintage patterns. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

A Dispatch From The Titanic Memorial Cruise

April 15, 2012 • One hundred years ago, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank into the Atlantic on its maiden voyage. At that very spot today is another luxury liner, there to mark the centennial of the disaster. Writer Lester Reingold is on board the memorial cruise, and he sends us this report.

Tennis shoes lay on the beach on Terschelling island, Netherlands, Feb. 10, 2006. They were from a shipping container that fell off a ship during a storm. Marleen Swart/AP hide caption

Krulwich Wonders...

The strange persistence of shoes at sea.

April 14, 2012 • When explorer Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic on the sea floor in 1985, he also found a pair of leather shoes sitting on the deck near the stern of the ship.

Surviving officers of the Titanic recalled ship's doctor John Edward Simpson as perfectly calm in the face of death, even giving his pocket flashlight to one of the lifeboat captains. Courtesy of Kate Dornan hide caption

History Lost And Found: A Letter From Titanic

April 14, 2012 • John Edward Simpson was a ship's doctor aboard the Titanic. He wrote a letter to his mother back home in Belfast, a few bits of news and fond wishes. The letter, sent from the great ship's last port of call, made it home. Simpson did not.

Celine Dion sings "My Heart Will Go On" at the 1998 Academy Awards. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

15 Years After 'Titanic,' Does The Power Ballad Go On?

April 13, 2012 • From the tootle of its opening pennywhistle, "My Heart Will Go On" became Titanic 's third co-star, and no power ballad since has matched it for size or emotion.

The cast and crew of Titanic , as pictured in my 2001-2002 yearbook. I'm standing in the third row back on the right side, in front of the "captain." Courtesy of Dana Farrington hide caption

I Died On The Titanic

April 13, 2012 • Titanic the musical, that is. NPR.org's Dana Farrington played a drowning victim as an eight-grader in 2002. The costumes and set were memorable in a good way, she says. But portraying the tragic ordeal was a bit creepy.

Portraits of Wallace Hartley (top center) and the other musicians aboard the Titanic, published after the ship sank in 1912. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

Remembering The Titanic's Intrepid Bandleader

April 13, 2012 • Wallace Hartley left work as a bank teller to become a conductor. He spent his final moments on the deck of the Titanic, leading the ship's seven musicians in song as they sank into the North Atlantic.

Planet Money

Why didn't passengers panic on the titanic.

April 12, 2012 • People behaved very differently on another ship that sunk around the same time. An economist thinks he knows why.

The bow railing of RMS Titanic, illuminated by the Mir 1 submersible. Read more about the wreck in a National Geographic report . Emory Kristof/National Geographic Stock hide caption

Wreck Explorer: Titanic's Captivating Heroes, Villains

April 10, 2012 • On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set sail for New York City. The rest of the story has been the subject of countless books, shows and films about the legend of the "unsinkable" ship. Bob Ballard, who discovered the wreckage, talks about why the story is still so fascinating.

Why 'Titanic' Is So Hard To Find

April 9, 2012 • I'm working on a radio story about the sinking of the Titanic, and I need to grab a few audio clips from the movie. That's harder than I thought.

The ill-fated Titanic rests at Harland and Wolff's shipyard, Belfast, in February 1912. Topical Press Agency/Getty Images hide caption

100 Years Later, Titanic Lives On In Letters

April 6, 2012 • It's been 100 years since the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and the anniversary brings with it a barrage of literature. Former NPR editor Rachel Syme has been keeping track of the new releases and lists her favorites here. Do you have a favorite Titanic book? Let us know in the comments.

Museum Tracks Titanic Mania Over Unsinkable Ship

April 4, 2012 • The world seems obsessed with the Titanic, which went under nearly 100 years ago. At a museum in Britain, you can study Titanic products. Items include: Iceberg Beer, a Titanic Barbie doll which looks like Kate Winslet's character from the movie and a Tubtanic bathtub plug.

James Cameron's 1997 epic Titanic is being rereleased in 3-D. Paramount Pictures/AP hide caption

James Cameron: Diving Deep, Dredging Up Titanic

March 30, 2012 • Filmmaker James Cameron has just returned from a successful submersible expedition to the deepest spot in the ocean — and he's also gearing up for the 3-D rerelease of his 1997 epic, Titanic . Cameron says that for him, filmmaking and exploring are two aspects of the same basic impulse.

Auction House To Sell Titanic Collection

March 28, 2012 • Next month marks the centennial of the sinking of the Titanic. A collection of more than 5,500 objects amassed during seven expeditions to the site is up for sale. Items range from binoculars and tea cups to a giant slab of the ship's hull. The collection has been appraised at $189 million. David Greene talks to Arlen Ettinger, president of Guernsey's, the auction house managing the sale.

The Titanic, which sank 100 years ago in April. Central Press/Getty Images hide caption

All Deck Chairs Are Filled: Titanic 100th Anniversary Cruise Is Fully Booked

January 11, 2012 • A ship will leave Southampton on April 8 and stop at the site of the Titanic's sinking on the 100th anniversary of that tragedy. Then, it is to finish the voyage that the Titanic couldn't.

Currency is among the artifacts salvaged from the wreck of the Titanic. Stanley Leary/ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

Titanic Artifacts To Be Auctioned

December 29, 2011 • The company that salvaged thousands of artifacts from the Titanic will auction them together next April, on the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking.

White Star Line heir J. Bruce Ismay was one of 325 men to survive the sinking of the Titanic.

'How To Survive The Titanic,' And Sink Your Reputation

October 15, 2011 • In 1912, J. Bruce Ismay was one of the most hated men in America: He owned the Titanic; gave the ship just 20 lifeboats; and — unlike so many — lived through its maiden voyage. Frances Wilson tracks the scandal of Ismay's survival in How to Survive the Titanic .

Titanic Victims Honored With A Watery Memorial

August 7, 2011 • NPR's summer road trip series continues with a tribute to two influential Washington, D.C., figures from the early 1900s. A 12-foot fountain in the nation's capital honors the friends, who took an ill-fated trip in 1912 aboard a brand-new ocean liner called the Titantic. Emily Friedman reports.

Lesson Learned: Don't Name Your Boat Titanic

June 9, 2011 • Mark Wilkinson of Birmingham, England, may have invited a bit of bad luck when he named his used 16-foot cabin cruiser Titanic 2. When the boat returned to harbor from its maiden voyage, it sank. The harbormaster took Titanic 2 in tow, and pulled Wilkinson out of the water.

A London newspaper boy sells copies of the Evening News with a story about the sunken ship. Topical Press Agency/Getty Images hide caption

Classics in Concert

Gavin bryars' 'sinking of the titanic' in concert.

March 31, 2008 • Bryars' first major composition, The Sinking of the Titanic, still sounds as vital, fresh and forward-thinking as it did when it was written in 1969. The piece was performed in 2008 as part of the Wordless Music Series recorded by WNYC in New York City.

Where did the Titanic sink? The wreck location may not be where you think it is.

• Five people in a submersible heading for the RMS Titanic shipwreck have gone missing. 
• The Titanic was found in 1985 and is about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
• The ship sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg.

A submersible named Titan heading for the shipwreck of the RMS Titanic has been missing since Sunday, leading to an intense search operation led by the US Coast Guard, US Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Canadian military's air & marine search and rescue team.

The five passengers who lost communications with the Canadian research ship The Polar Prince include the CEO of OceansGate — the company in charge of the exploration — three British nationals, and a French diver.

The Coast Guard estimates the sub will run out of breathable air by Wednesday evening.

Related stories

OceansGate estimates the largest piece of wreck, which is split into two main pieces, exists at a depth of 2 ½ miles — or 12,800 feet — about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The Titanic, described as "unsinkable" before its first and final voyage from Southern England to New York City, sank on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg.

In 1985, explorer Robert Ballard found the Titanic after requesting the US Navy help fund the technology needed to reach the shipwreck . The US Navy agreed, but only if Ballard helped them with the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion — two sunken submarines that ended in disasters. The Navy wanted to investigate how the disasters happened.

Ballard convinced the Navy, and then-President Ronald Reagan, to let him search for the Titani c — which was estimated to be somewhere between the two submarine wrecks — while on his mission. His rationale was that if the Titanic was found by the US Navy, it would demonstrate their might and "drive the Soviets crazy," according to Ballard in the 2021 book "Into The Deep." Reagan agreed with the idea, he wrote.

Then, at the end of August 1985, a team led by Ballard came across the shipwreck in their submarine. Ballard described it as "a quiet and peaceful and fitting place for the remains of this greatest of sea tragedies to rest."

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Missing Titanic submersible: Maps, graphics show last location, depth and design

U.S. and Canadian rescue teams are searching for a submersible carrying five people to the Titanic wreckage site before losing contact with the vessel deep in the Atlantic. The sub was equipped with a four-day supply of oxygen when it dived from its support ship on Sunday.

Explore the wreckage : What we know about the Titanic

Where was the submersible lost?

The 22-foot submersible and its support ship left from St. John's on Friday. The submarine submerged with five people on board Sunday morning, the Coast Guard said. The Canadian ship monitoring the submersible lost contact with it about an hour and 45 minutes later.

How big is the Titanic tourist submersible?

Built by OceanGate Inc, the Titan submersible is designed to take five people to depths of 13,124 feet for site survey and inspection, research and data collection. The submarine weighs 25,000 pounds and has a titanium crew compartment and a carbon fiber hull. Unlike submarines, submersibles has limited power reserves, so they require a support ship that can launch and recover them.

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How deep is the Titanic wreckage?

The Titanic lies about 370 miles off Newfoundland, Canada, at a depth of about 12,500 feet. Trips to the site typically involve a two-hour descent. Few vessels can endure the pressure at such depth — more than 5,300 pounds per square inch. For comparison, the test depth of Navy nuclear Seawolf-class submarines is 1,600 feet.

Who is searching for the missing submersible?

Several ships and a C-130 aircraft were searching for signs of the missing vessel. Rescuers have described a difficult search above and below the waters. The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating with the U.S. Navy and Canadian military to organize the search.