Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
On October 15, 1887, Frederick Fleet was born. At 11:39 p.m. on April 14, 1912, he sighted an iceberg.
New for 2025
Frederick Fleet
Fleet in 1912
Born: 15 October 1887; Liverpool, UK
Died: 10 January 1965 (aged 77); Southampton, UK
Resting place: Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton, UK
Occupations: Sailor, lookout
Frederick Fleet (15 October 1887 – 10 January 1965) was a British sailor, crewman and a survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Fleet, along with fellow lookout Reginald Lee, was on duty when the ship struck the iceberg; Fleet first sighted the iceberg, ringing the bridge to proclaim: "Iceberg, right ahead!" Both Fleet and Lee survived the sinking, Fleet was the last surviving lookout, out of six in total, on the Titanic.
Fleet testified at the subsequent inquiries into the disaster that, if he and Lee had been issued binoculars: "We could have seen it (the iceberg) a bit sooner." When asked how much sooner, he responded, "Well, enough to get out of the way." In later life, Fleet suffered from depression, possibly in part due to the disaster. He died by suicide at age 77 on 10 January 1965.
{snip}
RMS Titanic
The crow's nest from which Fleet and Lee
spotted the iceberg can be seen in the picture.
Fleet boarded the Titanic in Southampton on 10 April 1912. The ship made two stops, first in Cherbourg, France, and then in Queenstown, Ireland. The lookouts, six in total, worked two-hour shifts due to extreme cold in the crow's nest. The trip was uneventful until the night of 14 April 1912. At 22:00 (10.00pm) that night, Fleet and his fellow lookout Reginald Lee replaced George Symons and Archie Jewell at the nest. They were passed the order given earlier by second officer Charles Lightoller to watch out for small ice. The night was calm and moonless, which made it difficult to spot the icebergs due to the lack of waves breaking against the base of the iceberg and reflection. Despite Fleet and his fellow lookouts repeatedly requesting binoculars, they were never provided. This is sometimes attributed to the last-minute change in the hierarchy of the ship when officer David Blair was removed from the maiden voyage crew (due to the knock-on effect of Henry Tingle Wilde being appointed chief officer) without mentioning where the binoculars were located. It is also speculated that Blair accidentally took the keys of the cabinet containing the binoculars with him. Despite both inquiries into the disaster, nothing clarified why the lookouts were not provided with binoculars, although evidence suggests that White Star Line steamers' lookouts did not routinely use them. Some experts have said that even using binoculars, neither Fleet nor Lee could have spotted the iceberg any sooner given the conditions of the night.
At 23:39 (11:39 pm), Fleet first spotted the iceberg and rang the nest's bell three times to warn the bridge of something ahead. Then, using the nest's telephone, he contacted the bridge. It was answered by Sixth Officer James Paul Moody, who asked Fleet immediately, "What did you see?" He pronounced the infamous "Iceberg! Right Ahead!" warning. Moody passed Fleet's warning to First Officer William McMaster Murdoch, who was in charge of the bridge. After the collision, Fleet and Lee remained on duty for twenty more minutes.
{snip}
Death
On 28 December 1964, Fleet's wife died, and her brother evicted him from the house. Consequently, Fleet fell into a downward spiral of depression. He returned to his brother-in-law's home and died by hanging in the house's garden on 10 January 1965. He was 77. Fleet was buried in a pauper's grave at Hollybrook Cemetery, in Southampton. This grave remained unmarked until 1993, when a headstone bearing an engraving of the Titanic was erected through donations raised by the Titanic Historical Society.
{snip
Fleet in 1912
Born: 15 October 1887; Liverpool, UK
Died: 10 January 1965 (aged 77); Southampton, UK
Resting place: Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton, UK
Occupations: Sailor, lookout
Frederick Fleet (15 October 1887 – 10 January 1965) was a British sailor, crewman and a survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Fleet, along with fellow lookout Reginald Lee, was on duty when the ship struck the iceberg; Fleet first sighted the iceberg, ringing the bridge to proclaim: "Iceberg, right ahead!" Both Fleet and Lee survived the sinking, Fleet was the last surviving lookout, out of six in total, on the Titanic.
Fleet testified at the subsequent inquiries into the disaster that, if he and Lee had been issued binoculars: "We could have seen it (the iceberg) a bit sooner." When asked how much sooner, he responded, "Well, enough to get out of the way." In later life, Fleet suffered from depression, possibly in part due to the disaster. He died by suicide at age 77 on 10 January 1965.
{snip}
RMS Titanic
The crow's nest from which Fleet and Lee
spotted the iceberg can be seen in the picture.
Fleet boarded the Titanic in Southampton on 10 April 1912. The ship made two stops, first in Cherbourg, France, and then in Queenstown, Ireland. The lookouts, six in total, worked two-hour shifts due to extreme cold in the crow's nest. The trip was uneventful until the night of 14 April 1912. At 22:00 (10.00pm) that night, Fleet and his fellow lookout Reginald Lee replaced George Symons and Archie Jewell at the nest. They were passed the order given earlier by second officer Charles Lightoller to watch out for small ice. The night was calm and moonless, which made it difficult to spot the icebergs due to the lack of waves breaking against the base of the iceberg and reflection. Despite Fleet and his fellow lookouts repeatedly requesting binoculars, they were never provided. This is sometimes attributed to the last-minute change in the hierarchy of the ship when officer David Blair was removed from the maiden voyage crew (due to the knock-on effect of Henry Tingle Wilde being appointed chief officer) without mentioning where the binoculars were located. It is also speculated that Blair accidentally took the keys of the cabinet containing the binoculars with him. Despite both inquiries into the disaster, nothing clarified why the lookouts were not provided with binoculars, although evidence suggests that White Star Line steamers' lookouts did not routinely use them. Some experts have said that even using binoculars, neither Fleet nor Lee could have spotted the iceberg any sooner given the conditions of the night.
At 23:39 (11:39 pm), Fleet first spotted the iceberg and rang the nest's bell three times to warn the bridge of something ahead. Then, using the nest's telephone, he contacted the bridge. It was answered by Sixth Officer James Paul Moody, who asked Fleet immediately, "What did you see?" He pronounced the infamous "Iceberg! Right Ahead!" warning. Moody passed Fleet's warning to First Officer William McMaster Murdoch, who was in charge of the bridge. After the collision, Fleet and Lee remained on duty for twenty more minutes.
{snip}
Death
On 28 December 1964, Fleet's wife died, and her brother evicted him from the house. Consequently, Fleet fell into a downward spiral of depression. He returned to his brother-in-law's home and died by hanging in the house's garden on 10 January 1965. He was 77. Fleet was buried in a pauper's grave at Hollybrook Cemetery, in Southampton. This grave remained unmarked until 1993, when a headstone bearing an engraving of the Titanic was erected through donations raised by the Titanic Historical Society.
{snip
Additional searching dug up this remarkable site.
https://www.reddit.com/r/titanic/
Accurate Depiction of What the Iceberg Looked Like to the Lookouts Before Collision?
QUESTION
I am having a hard time visually understanding what the iceberg looked like to the lookouts, and why they did not see the iceberg until 30-40 seconds before impact.
I understand why the lookouts couldn't see the iceberg before then - pitch black and moonless night and a very calm sea, so no waves lapping against the bergs to act as a warning sign. But my confusion is moreo trying to understand what the iceberg visually looked like to the lookouts.
Even in James Cameron's film, the iceberg seems way too conspicuous, and bright, and the movie iceberg seems like it should have been spotted with enough warning time to avoid collision.
Are there any media portrayals or images online showing what the iceberg accurately looked like 30-40 seconds before impact?
TLDR: I understand the weather conditions that made the iceberg very hard to see. But I am trying to visualize what the iceberg actually looked like to the lookouts, to understand why it was undetected until 30-40 seconds out.
QUESTION
I am having a hard time visually understanding what the iceberg looked like to the lookouts, and why they did not see the iceberg until 30-40 seconds before impact.
I understand why the lookouts couldn't see the iceberg before then - pitch black and moonless night and a very calm sea, so no waves lapping against the bergs to act as a warning sign. But my confusion is moreo trying to understand what the iceberg visually looked like to the lookouts.
Even in James Cameron's film, the iceberg seems way too conspicuous, and bright, and the movie iceberg seems like it should have been spotted with enough warning time to avoid collision.
Are there any media portrayals or images online showing what the iceberg accurately looked like 30-40 seconds before impact?
TLDR: I understand the weather conditions that made the iceberg very hard to see. But I am trying to visualize what the iceberg actually looked like to the lookouts, to understand why it was undetected until 30-40 seconds out.
Theta_Pinch • 1y ago
Here you go.
Here you go.
Encounter In The Night
During the night of April 14th 1912, Captain E. J. Smith made the conscious decision to transit a region of known ice at full speed, trusting the ability of his of those who stood watch to see and avoid any danger that may lay ahead. It was biting cold and extremely clear, dark, moonless, star studded night with unobstructed views all the way out to the horizon. At the time of the iceberg encounter, only first officer William Murdoch and Lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee were on the lookout for anything that may come in their path. Obviously, Captain Smith’s decision to proceed at full speed ahead knowing that ice lay ahead was based on the assumption that any danger would be spotted in enough time to be avoided. He was fatally wrong.
{snip}
{snip}
During the night of April 14th 1912, Captain E. J. Smith made the conscious decision to transit a region of known ice at full speed, trusting the ability of his of those who stood watch to see and avoid any danger that may lay ahead. It was biting cold and extremely clear, dark, moonless, star studded night with unobstructed views all the way out to the horizon. At the time of the iceberg encounter, only first officer William Murdoch and Lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee were on the lookout for anything that may come in their path. Obviously, Captain Smith’s decision to proceed at full speed ahead knowing that ice lay ahead was based on the assumption that any danger would be spotted in enough time to be avoided. He was fatally wrong.
{snip}
{snip}