THE RMS TITANIC RADIO PAGE
Specialising in the radio aspects of the Titanic disaster since 1999.
Please be patient - there are lots of photographs - the page may take some time to load......
The Titanic radio department - a brief background..
Equipment
The Titanic's "wireless" equipment was the most powerful in use at the time. The main transmitter was a rotary spark design, powered by a 5 kW motor alternator, fed from the ship's lighting circuit.
The equipment operated into a 4 wire antenna suspended between the ship's 2 masts, some 250 feet above the sea. There was also a battery powered emergency transmitter.
The main transmitter was housed in a special room, known as the "Silent Room". This room was located next door to the operating room, and specially insulated to reduce interference to the main receiver.
The equipment's guaranteed working range was 250 miles, but communications could be maintained for up to 400 miles during daylight and up to 2000 miles at night.
The Titanic Marconi room set from the James Cameron movie.
This set quite accurately portrays Titanic's sister ship Olympic's Marconi Room.
The Titanic set was based on archival pictures of Olympic, with the window omitted (see the Olympic photo below).
Another view of the Titanic radio room set from the James Cameron movie.
Clearly, no expense has been spared...note the Marconi uniform cap on the operating desk.
Olympic's Marconi Room - taken on her maiden voyage. Note the external porthole in the centre of picture.
Titanic's Marconi Room was located inboard (more detail later).
The only known photograph of Titanic's Marconi room. Taken by passenger Fr. Browne, who disembarked in Queenstown.
Operator is probably Harold Bride. Photograph from the Fr. Browne collection.
Staff
Titanic carried 2 Radio Officers (or, as they were known in those days, Marconi wireless operators or telegraphists).
In charge was 25 year old John (Jack) G. Phillips (left), with 21 year old Harold Bride (right) as the deputy or second R/O.
The R/O's remained at their posts until about 3 minutes before the vessel foundered... even after being released from their duties by the Captain.
Harold Bride remarked that water could be heard flooding into the wheelhouse as he and Jack Phillips abandoned the radio room. Jack Phillips was still sending as the power supply to the radio room failed...
The Titanic Radio Officers did great honour to their profession.
Jack Phillips died of hypothermia on or near Collapsible lifeboat B - his body was never recovered......
Harold Bride left the sea after WW1,
and faded into obscurity. He died in
The left hand photo actually shows the Marconi wireless Room of the Titanic's sister ship Olympic, with Radio Officer Brent receiving a message.
In the right hand picture Phillips and another R/O (NOT
Harold Bride) are shown on the White Star vessel
"
"Jack Phillips" (sitting at the equipment) and "Harold Bride" (standing) as portrayed in the James Cameron movie.
In another scene from the movie "Harold Bride" receives more passenger traffic from a Purser's clerk at the door to the
wireless room (probably not historically accurate - see the "Passenger Traffic" section below) , whilst "Jack Phillips" works away
Yet another wireless room scene - the main receiver can be seen on the operating desk to the left front of "Jack Phillips".
More information on Jack Phillips
– including updated photographs of his home town and
memorial (Dec 2006)
More information on Harold Bride, including his later life and account of the sinking - updated 18 Nov 2011 - Bride's great nephews visit Belfast
Titanic's radio callsign
Titanic was assigned
the callsign MUC in January 1912. Some time after
January, Titanic's callsign
was changed to MGY - this was previously assigned to the
As the dominant marine radio company of the time, Marconi allocated their own callsigns, most of which began with the letter M - these basically identified a Marconi installation, regardless of its location or the country of registration of the vessel in which it was installed.
Callsign allocation was eventually standardised at the
Trials and commissioning
The Marconi equipment was delivered to the vessel in time for sea trials on
April 2. Phillips and Bride spent the day completing the installation and
adjusting the equipment. They exchanged test calls with coast stations at Malin Head (Nth coast of
By this stage the "wireless" was in almost constant use, with sea trial
reports flowing from Captain Smith to Bruce Ismay
(Managing Director) at the company offices in
By April 3, the equipment was adjusted and working correctly - Phillips and Bride exchanged messages with coast stations at Teneriffe (2000 miles away) and even Port Said (more than 3000 miles distant).
Both Radio Officers
left the ship at
Watch hours
Both men were up early on sailing day, April 10, conducting final testing of the equipment. They arranged watches by personal agreement: Phillips, the chief, took the 2000 - 0200 watch, whilst Bride was on duty between 0200 - 0800. There were no fixed watch hours during the day: the men relieved each other to suit mutual convenience, however a continuous watch was maintained.
Location of the radio room
The "Marconi room" was situated on the boat deck (ie: the same deck as the bridge), at the after end of the superstructure containing the bridge and officer's accommodation - it was about 40 feet aft from the bridge, connected via the corridor which ran down the port side of the officer's quarters.
The operating room was in the centre of the accommodation - it did not have an outside facing porthole. Natural light was provided via a skylight in the deckhead (ceiling).
The R/O's sleeping accommodation was in a separate room to starboard of the operating room - connected to the operating room by an interconnecting door. The R/O's shared the officer's toilet/washroom facilities across the corridor.
The Silent Room, containing the main transmitter, was immediately to port of the operating room.
The operating room was connected to the ship's 50 line telephone exchange. However, it appears that there was no direct telephone connection to the bridge.
This problem was rectified on Titanic's sister ships Olympic and Britanic after the disaster - a speaking tube was installed which connected the operating room to the bridge..
Passenger traffic
As the liner's departure preparations were completed, both R/O's prepared for the daily onslaught of passenger communications directed to and from "ADVISELUM", the wireless code word assigned to Titanic for passenger's personal traffic.
Passengers sent their telegrams at the inquiry office, on the starboard side of the forward first class entrance. The handwritten messages were paid for at the desk, at the rate of 12 shillings and sixpence for the first 10 words, and 9 pence per word thereafter (a substantial sum in 1912, although not for a first class passenger…).
Telegrams were sent to the radio room by pneumatic tube. At the end of the day, a balance was struck between the purser's clerk and the R/O's regarding the number of chargeable words sent.
Incoming passenger messages were received by hand by the duty R/O, and typed on a telegram form by the other R/O. Passenger traffic was sent from the radio room to the inquiry desk using the pneumatic tube.
Messages concerning navigation were delivered directly to the bridge. Similarly, messages for the Captain were delivered by the R/O's to the Captain's cabin, down the starboard passage of the officer's quarters.
In the 36 hours between leaving
Site Index (where to from here...)
The actual Radio Distress Traffic sent by Titanic and her rescue vessels
Titanic related messages sold at auction....
THE ice warnings that could have saved Titanic...??
Memorial to Radio Officers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their shipmates...
Interesting marine wireless links
Distress Radio Traffic
Author's notes -
The distress traffic listed in the section below is a paraphrased account of the messages sent and received by the Titanic and nearby vessels. Verbatim transcripts of messages are included where available.
By necessity, some of these morse code messages contain abbreviations used by ship's Radio Officers. For historical accuracy, these abbreviations have been left in the messages, with the occasional explanatory note added in brackets.
The messages represent a compilation of the traffic received and sent by
vessels in the vicinity of the Titanic. The list of
messages was prepared by the Marconi Company in response to a request from the
The Marconi Company generated the compilation by reference to the "Process-verbal" (an original term for radio log book) of all ships in the area under their control - at that time Marconi employed almost all the Radio Officers afloat...
It should be noted that the message times may not be completely accurate, as the messages are a compilation of many individual log books.
Unfortunately, the Titanic's radio log book went down with the vessel...
Comments and clarifications have been added as a result of my research.
Distress calls
The message "CQD" means a general call to all vessels, which indicates the vessel sending is in distress and requires immediate assistance. At the time of the sinking, the Marconi company's "CQD" was still in common use, although it had been officially replaced by the well known "SOS" - which, by the way, does NOT mean "Save Our Souls" or anything so melodramatic - it was chosen specifically to be easily and instantly recognisable in morse - "dit dit dit, dah dah dah, dit dit dit".
Such was the dominance of Marconi over the infant marine radio industry that many ships still used CQD, rather than the official distress signal SOS.
This can be seen in the Titanic's initial and final distress calls - Jack Phillips stuck to the company CQD signal to the end....
Radio callsigns
Radio callsigns for the ships and shore stations involved are listed below.
In 1912, ships were issued with 3 letter callsigns (this later changed to 4, as more ships were fitted with wireless).
Wireless shore stations:
Sagaponack
Siasconset
Vessels name and radio callsign (with the Captain's name listed where known):
Antillian Capt. Japha MJL
Amerika Capt. Knuth DDR
Asian Capt. Wood MKL
Baltic MBC
Blucher DDB
Birma SBA
Californian Capt. S.Lord MWL
Caronia Capt. Barr MSF
Carpathia Capt. A.H.Rostron MPA
Celtic MLC Cedric MDC
USS Chester Capt. S.G. Decker NDG
Empress of
La
Titanic Capt. Smith MGY
Mount Temple MLQ
Mesaba Capt. Clark MMU
Minnehaha MMA
Minnewaska Capt. Gates MMW
Noordam Capt. Krol MRA
Olympic Capt. Haddock MKC
Parisian MZN
Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm DKF
Virginian Capt. Gambell MGN
The messages -
| Titanic time |
Message(s) |
|
12-15 a.m |
CQD (6 times) DE (this is) MGY (6 times) position 41.44 N. 50.24 W La Titanic sends
position to |
|
12-15 a.m |
|
|
12-15 a.m. |
|
|
12-18 a.m. |
Ypiranga hears CQD from Titanic. Titanic gives CQD here (sic). Position 41.44 N. 50.24 W. Require assistance (calls about 10 times). |
|
12-25 a.m. |
Carpathia calls Titanic and says "do
you know that Titanic says "Come at once. We have struck a berg. It's a CQD OM (it's a distress situation old man) Position 41.46 N. 50.14 W." Carpathia says "Shall I tell my Captain ?. Do you require assistance ?" Titanic says "yes, come quick" |
|
12-25 a.m. |
|
|
12-25 a.m. |
MGY (Titanic) says CQD, Here (is my) corrected position 41.46 N. 50.14 W. Require immediate assistance. We have collision with iceberg. Sinking. Can hear nothing for noise of steam (engineers releasing excess steam pressure from boilers to minimise risk of explosion) Sent about 15 to 20 times to Ypiranga. |
|
12-26 a.m. |
DKF (Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm)
calls MGY (Titanic) and gives
position at MGY (Titanic) says, "Are you coming to our ?" "We have collision with iceberg. Sinking. Please tell Captain to come." DKF says, "O.K. will tell" |
|
12-27 a.m. |
Titanic sends following: "I require assistance immediately. Struck by iceberg in 41.46 N. 50.14 W." |
|
12-30 a.m. |
Caronia sent CQ message (message addressed to all ships) to MBC Baltic and CQD (ie: a distress relay message): MGY (Titanic) struck iceberg, require immediate assistance |
|
12-30 a.m. |
|
|
12-34 a.m. |
Titanic says (to
assistance ?" Ttianic says "We have struck an iceberg and sinking. Please tell Captain to come" Titanic says "O.K., yes, quick." |
|
12-45 a.m. |
Titanic calls Olympic
(Olympic is Titanic's sister ship - 500 miles
away en route to
|
|
12-50 a.m. |
Titanic calls CQD and says, "I require immediate assistance. Position 41.46 N. 50.14 W." Received by Celtic. |
|
12-53 a.m. |
Caronia to MBC (Baltic) and SOS,"MGY (Titanic) CQD in 41.46 N. 40.14 W. Wants immediate assistance." |
|
1-0 a.m. |
MGY gives distress signal. DDC (Cincinatti) replies. MGY's position 41.46 N. 50.14 W. Assistance from DDC (Cincinatti) not necessary as MKC (Olympic) shortly afterwards answers distress call. |
|
1-0 a.m. |
Titanic replies to Olympic and gives his position as 41.46 N. 50.14 W., and says, "We have struck an iceberg." |
|
|
Titanic calls Asian and said, "Want immediate assistance" Asian answered at once and received Titanic's position as 41.46 N. 50.14 W., which he immediately takes to the bridge. Captain instructs operator to have Titanic's position repeated. |
|
|
Virginian calls Titanic but gets no
response. |
|
|
Titanic to MKC (Olympic), "We are in collision with berg. Sinking Head down. 41.46 N. 50.14 W. Come soon as possible." |
|
|
Titanic to MKC (Olympic), Captain says, "Get your boats ready. What is your position?" |
|
1-15 a.m. |
Baltic to Caronia, "Please tell Titanic we are making towards her." |
|
1-20 a.m |
Virginian hears MCE ( |
|
1-25 a.m. |
Caronia tells Titanic, "Baltic coming to your assistance" |
|
1-25 a.m |
Olympic sends position to Titanic 4-24 a.m. G.M.T. 40.52 N. 61.18 W, and asks "Are you steering southerly to meet us?" Titanic replies, "We are putting the women off in the boats." |
|
1-27 a.m |
Titanic says, "We are putting the women off in the boats." |
|
1-30 a.m |
Titanic tells Olympic, "We are putting passengers off in small boats." "Women and Children in boats, can not last much longer" |
|
1-35 a.m. |
Olympic asks Titanic what weather he had. Titanic replies, "Clear and calm." |
|
1-35 a.m |
Baltic hears Titanic say "Engine room getting flooded." (Captain Smith had just visited the Titanic's radio room and advised this to Phillips and Bride) |
|
1-35 a.m. |
|
|
1-37 a.m. |
Baltic tells Titanic, "We are rushing to you." |
|
1-40 a.m. |
Olympic to Titanic "Am lighting up all possible boilers as fast as (we) can." |
|
1-40 a.m. |
Cape Race says to Virginia: "Please tell your Captain this: "The Olympic is making all speed for Titanic, but his (Olympic's) position is 40.32 N. 61.18 W. You are much nearer to Titanic. The Titanic is already putting women off in the boats, and he says the weather there is calm and clear. The Olympic is the only ship we have heard say, "Going to the assistance of Titanic. The others must be a long way from Titanic |
|
1-45 a.m. |
Last signals heard from Titanic by Carpathia, "Come as quickly as possible old man: the engine-room is filling up to the boilers" |
|
1-45 a.m. |
Mount Temple hears Frankfurt calling Titanic. No reply. |
|
1-47 a.m. |
Caronia hears Titanic though signals unreadable still |
|
|
Virginia hears Titanic calling very faintly, his power being greatly reduced. (At 2-05 a.m. the Captain visits the wireless room for the last time and says: "Men, you have done your full duty. You can do no more. Abandon your cabin. Now it's every man for himself" Phillips looks up for a second, and then bends over the equipment once more. Captain Smith tries again "You look out for yourselves. I release you." A pause, then he adds softly "That's the way of it at this kind of time....every man for himself" He then leaves the wireless room. Phillips continues sending) |
|
1-48 a.m. |
Asian heard Titanic call SOS Asian answers Titanic but receives no answer. DFT ( |
|
1-50 a.m. |
Titanic says to Frankfurt "You fool, stdbi and keep out" Caronia hears Frankfurt working to Titanic. Frankfurt according to position 172 miles from MGY (Titanic) at time first SOS sent out. |
|
1-55 a.m. |
Cape Race says to Virginian "we have not heard Titanic for about half an hour. His power may be gone." |
|
|
During this period Phillips and Bride are struggling with a stoker who entered the wireless room and tried to steal Phillips life jacket. Bride holds the stoker, while Phillips punches him. The stoker is (presumably) knocked unconscious. |
|
2-10 a.m. |
Virginian hears 2 v's signalled faintly in spark similar to Titanic's (Most probably Phillips was transmitting a test signal whilst Bride adjusted the main transmitter motor-generator field regulators to compensate for the dying power supply from the engine room). |
|
2-17 a.m. |
Virginian hears Titanic call CQ (call to all ships) , but unable to read him. Titanic's signals end very abruptly as (if) power suddenly switched off. His spark rather blurred or ragged... (Phillips had actually intended to send "CQD DE MGY", however at this point there is a loss of all power to the radio room - water can be heard flooding the wheelhouse - Phillips says to Bride "Come on, let's clear out". Bride climbs to the roof of the officer's quarters and assists with launching collapsible lifeboat B - Phillips disappears aft.) |
|
2-17 a.m. |
Virginian Called Titanic and suggested he should try emergency set, but heard no response |
|
2-20 a.m. |
Virginian to Olympic,"have you heard anything about Titanic" Olympic says, "No. Keeping strict watch, but hear nothing more from Titanic. No reply from him" |
|
about 2-20 a.m. |
This was the official time the ship foundered in 41.46 N. 50.14 W. as given by the Carpathia in message to the Olympic. |
|
2-35 a.m. |
Mount Temple hears MPA (Carpathia) send, "If you are there we are firing rockets." |
|
2-40 a.m. |
MPA (Carpathia) calling MGY (Titanic). |
|
2-58 a.m. |
SBA (Birma) thinks he hears Titanic so sends, "Steaming full speed for you. Shall arrive you 6-0 in morning. Hope you are safe. We are only 50 miles now." |
|
3-0 a.m. |
MPA (Carpathia) calling MGY (Titanic) |
|
3-28 a.m. |
La Provence to Celtic, "Nobody has heard the Titanic for about 2 hours." |
|
4-24 a.m. |
SBA (Birma) says "we are 30 miles S.W. off Titanic". |
|
6-40 a.m. |
Parisian hears weak signals from MPA (Carpathia) or some station saying Titanic struck iceberg. Carpathia has passengers from lifeboats |
|
6-40 a.m. |
Asian, with German oil tank in tow for Halifax asked what news of MGY (Titanic). Sends service (message) later saying heard MGY (Titanic) v. faint working. C. Race up to 10.0 p.m., local time. Finished calling SOS midnight. |
|
7-40 a.m. |
6-45 a.m. Mount Temple hears MPA (Carpathia) report rescued 20 boat loads. |
|
8-07 a.m. |
Baltic sends following to Carpathia: "Can I be of any assistance to you as regards taking some of the passengers from you? Will be in position about 4-30. Let me know if you alter your position." |
|
8-10 a.m. |
Baltic in communication with MPA. (Carpathia). Exchanged traffic re passengers, and get instructions to proceed to Liverpool |
|
8-15 a.m. |
Baltic turns round for Liverpool, having steamed 134 miles W. towards Titanic |
|
8-40 a.m. |
Mount Temple hears MPA (Carpathia) call CQ and say, no need to std. Bi (stand by) him. Advise my Captain (sic), who has been cruising round the icefield with no result. Ship reversed. |
|
8-45 a.m. |
Olympic sent MSG (message) to Owners, New York via Sable Island saying, "Have not communicated with Titanic since midnight." |
|
8-55 a.m. |
Carpathia replies to Baltic, "Am proceeding to Halifax or New York full speed. You had better proceed to Liverpool. Have about 800 passengers on board." |
|
9-0 a.m. |
Carpathia to Virginian: "We are leaving here with all on board about 800 passengers. Please return to your Northern course." |
Harold Cottam -
Radio Officer of the rescue
ship "Carpathia" - on deck outside the ship's radio room (taken in
Chief Radio Officer Moore (L) and
Second Radio Officer
Bagat (R) of the Olympic (Titanic's sister ship) - all distress traffic with the
Titanic was handled by
Moore. Olympic's Captain Haddock was particularly impressed with Moore's
performance during the disaster, reporting to the Marconi Company:
"'Can scarcely speak too
highly of these officers' conduct at a very trying and anxious time.
'Mr
Moore, especially worthy of promotion. Thoughtful, reliable."
R/O's from various ships involved in the disaster.
On the subject of Titanic messages...
Christie's auction house sold the actual telegrams (messages) received and transmitted to and from Titanic by Olympic.
The messages and prices (US $) obtained are listed below:
1. A Marconigram from Capt Smith to Capt Haddock (Olympic) dated Apr 3, 1912. Christie's estimate was $1,000 to $1,500. Actually sold for $7,000
2. A collection of 34 messages back and forth from the Titanic including the famous "We have struck an iceberg..." and the famous Olympic response, "...are you steaming towards us?" Christie's estimate was $2,200 to $2,800. Actually sold for $110,000.
Yes, that is one hundred and ten thousand dollars....!
3. A collection of 18 signals congratulating Capt Smith on taking command of the Titanic, and messages with ice warnings. Christie's estimate was $4,500 to $6,500. Actually sold for $40,000.
The fateful ice warnings that could have saved Titanic...?
At 7.50 PM on the night of April 14, 1912, the MV Mesaba of the Atlantic Transport Line sent the following telegram to the Titanic:
" In lat 42N to 41.25N long 49W to long 50.30W saw much heavy pack ice and great number of large icebergs also field ice. Weather good, clear."
This telegram gave precise details of the massive icefield already in the path of the ship. The surviving officers of the Titanic claimed that they had never seen the signal. Various theories have been advanced over the years as to why this terrible oversight occurred.
One suggestion was that as Titanic had come within range of Cape Race coast station, Jack Phillips was attempting to clear a huge backlog of telegrams for the United States, and this vital warning was overlooked.
A study of the ice warnings received by the ship indicates that WITH THIS ONE EXCEPTION, all had been sent with the MSG prefix, indicating a personal message for Titanic's Captain - which he was required by regulations then in force to personally acknowledge.
All the previous ice warnings addressed to Captain Smith had been personally acknowledged by him. How then did this vital telegram fail to reach the Captain ?
A study of the Mesaba telegram provides the answer - the vital MSG prefix was not used by the Radio Officer on the Mesaba, who substituted the words "Ice report".
There is no doubt in the opinion of this writer that had Jack Phillips, a skilled and experienced operator, been given a MSG prefix when he received the signal, it would have been delivered to the bridge and would have received the necessary acknowledgment from Captain Smith - who would have at once been alerted to the danger ahead.....
In probably the most ironic wireless signal exchange of the whole Titanic saga, Evans, the (inexperienced) Radio Officer on the Californian also failed to use the MSG prefix when instructed by Captain Stanley Lord to inform the Titanic of the icefield - Evans informal, chatty message to the Titanic lead to the (in)famous rebuke by the overworked Phillips - "Keep out, I'm working Cape Race ! ".
(From the winter 1997 edition of the " Titanic Signals News" by John Booth)
Cyril Evans (R/O Californian), as portrayed in the James Cameron movie - this scene (which never actually made it into the movie) depicts the famous rebuke delivered to Evans by a tired and overworked Phillips...
Contrast the appearance of the actor portraying the supposedly youthful Evans in the scene above with the actual Evans as depicted in the photographs of the R/O's involved....somewhat of an oversight by the casting department, hmmmm?
Almost (but not quite) as bad as the mis-casting of the actor playing Phillips in the 1950's classic Titanic movie "A night to remember"....... He looked about 50, not 25......
At least the Morse Code used in that movie was 100% accurate....
More information on the message traffic...
More details of Titanic message traffic may be found in the book
" Titanic: Signals of Disaster" , available from:
White Star publications,
30 Eden Vale Road,
Westbury, Wiltshire,
England BA13 3NY
Sources:
" Titanic - Triumph and Tragedy"
" Titanic - An illustrated history"
"A night to remember"
"Watchers of the Waves - a history of the UK coast radio service"
Parks Stephenson
Col Harvey, VK1AU
" Titanic Signals News"
" Titanic - Signals of Disaster"
The Titanic Internet mailing list
The transcripts of the US and British investigations into the loss of the Titanic - thanks to all that put them on the web....
Introductory image from the motion picture "Titanic"
Titanic Radio Room set photo by Phil Ottewell
Many thanks to Morgan Ford Mford@thegrid.net for locating the article on the Marconi system from the June 10, 1910 number of The Electrician and to Joe Knapp for his support.
This site is dedicated to those Merchant Navy Radio Officers who never signed off articles.....
Memorial to Radio Officers who died at
their posts - Battery Park,
(thanks to Carolyn Crapo)
Jack Phillips' name on the memorial
For as long as there are those of us who remember our halcyon days, the art will never die...
Some interesting marine wireless links:
A look at modern marine radio - The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System....
An excellent site detailing RMS Queen Mary's radio room (s)
Titanic Universe - interesting list of things Titanic
|
Contact the webmaster by email:
info AT gmdss.info
(substitute the normal email @ for AT)