Cluld Murdoch have done better to save the ship from it collision wif the iceberg?

yeah he did save many lives by helping people get off the and into lifeboats.

No, he could not have done a better job in the midst of the time of the incident. He did what he was trained to do. He had about 39 seconds to avoid the ice. We do know now that if they hit head on, the ship would most likely have remained afloat. However, Murdoch was trying to avoid any contact whatsoever. Little did he know that they rudder was too small and that the fast she went(He reversed the engines) the more quickly she would turn.

He tried to "port around" the berg, which pretty much was a stop-and -turn. Needless to say, he didn't have the time to pull that off, and probably by the time he realized it, it was too late. I don't feel it was his fault though. He just happened to be the senior man on the bridge when they reached the ice. Considering the size of the ice flow, it's amazing they lasted as long as they did.

Also, we have to realize that although Olympic had been in service for a year, these two ships (Olympic and Titanic) were really new technology with new physics involved in navigating them.

You could make the arguement that the ships were evolving faster than the most senior officers (like Murdoch, Smith, Wilde, or anyone) could keep up with maybe.

Yeah, it's hard to say. Like MGY said, new technology with veterans like the Sr officers would have trouble with her.

I voted no. He did his best that night.

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I agree with you Mac G. Plus, being on its maiden voyage, the last thing that the officers (and White Star) would want is for the NEW Titanic to pull into New York with a wrecked bow. Murdoch was trying to miss the iceberg without "scratching the paint". Unfortunatly, Titanic was too close to miss the iceberg and she hit it anyway.

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This has nothing really to do with the topic, but I thought I would ask it anyway since Robert's statement about "scratching the paint" triggered my memory.

Do any of you know that on many of ships maiden voyages, their bow paint close to the water line is chipped off horribly?

If not, take a look at Olympic's bow on her arrival in New York, or say Normandie on her first voyage.

(Aparently, it takes a few re-paints after the first voyage to get the paint where it can stand the force of the water breaking around it).

So aparently, if Titanic survived, she would probably still have some paint missing.

MGY--Didn't know that. But it makes sense with all that speed and force on the ships side. I would have rather had her damage the bow than sink....