Britannic was the ocean liner converted into the wartime hospital ship HMHS Britannic.
Britannic was originally planned as the third Olympic-class liner for the White Star Line. She was built at Harland and Wolff in Belfast, but the First World War interrupted her intended commercial career. The British government requisitioned her before she could enter normal passenger service.
After conversion, she operated as His Majesty’s Hospital Ship Britannic, transporting wounded military personnel. Her white hull, large red crosses, and green stripe identified her as a hospital ship under the rules of naval warfare.
Britannic sank in the Aegean Sea on 21 November 1916 after striking a mine. She had never carried ordinary paying passengers on a transatlantic voyage. This distinguishes her from Olympic, which had a long commercial career, and Titanic, which sank on her maiden passenger voyage.