RMS Titanic due to design changes requested by Ismay and a temporary pause in work occasioned by the need to repair "Olympic", which had been in a collision in September 1911. Had "Titanic" been finished earlier, she might well have missed her collision with an iceberg. "Titanic"s sea trials began at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, 2 April 1912, just two days after her fitting out was finished and eight days before she was due to leave Southampton on her maiden voyage. The trials were delayed for a day due to bad weather, but by Monday morning it was clear and fair. Aboard
RMS Titanic alternative theories keeping a watch out for the rescue ships. One of Gardiner's most controversial statements is that the "Titanic" did not strike an iceberg, but an IMM rescue ship that was drifting on station with its lights out. Gardiner based this hypothesis on the idea that the supposed iceberg was seen at such a short distance by the lookouts on the "Titanic" because it was actually a darkened ship, and he also does not believe an iceberg could inflict such sustained and serious damage to a steel double-hulled vessel such as the "Titanic". Gardiner further hypothesises that the ship that was