Myth

The Titanic didn't receive assistance from the RMS Carpathia because the radio operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride sent out S.O.S. which was the new distress signal and it was not understood by Carpathia.

Reality

At the First Congress of Wireless Telegraphy in 1903 it was intensely debated what the international distress call should be. British wireless operators had been using the C.Q.D. (-.-. --.- -..) signal. C.Q.D. being Seek You (CQ Get it?) Danger. The Italians suggested SSSDDD (... ... ... -.. -.. -..) and the Germans suggested S.O.E. But the final E being (.) was too easily lost.

By 1906 it was finally decided that the S.O.S. (... --- ...) was most easily recognisable and would be used. Great Britain and several other nations had voted to adopt the Berlin conference's proposals by 1908.

That's purely academic; because both the C.Q.D. signal and the S.O.S. signal were sent by Titanic on that fateful night in 1912. What caused Carpathia to miss the signal was the tragic reality that nobody was manning the radio.

In the four years between the adoption of the S.O.S. signal to the sinking of the Titanic at the very LEAST half a dozen ships had issued S.O.S. signal over and above any other form of distress call.

Therefore, Titanic was neither the first to use the S.O.S. signal and its use had no effect on the rescue.

Tags: titanic, sos