In February 1852, HMS Birkenhead struck an uncharted rock off the coast of South Africa and began sinking rapidly. With too few lifeboats available, officers placed women and children into a single ...
On February 26, 1852, the HMS Birkenhead struck a cluster of rocks off the coast of South Africa. With only a few lifeboats for the 638 people aboard, Captain Robert Salmond ordered the women and ...