RMS Britannic (1929)

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Britannic at sea.

MV Britannic was the third White Star Line ship to bear the name. The ship was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast. She was launched on 6 August 1929. Like her nearly-identical sister RMS Georgic, Britannic was a motorship powered by diesel engines, not a steamer. She measured 26,943 gross tons and was 712 feet long. At the time of her launch she was the largest British-built motor liner in the world. These two would be the only White Star motorships. Britannic was a popular passenger liner, as she represented what was then the latest in interior Art Deco decor and furnishings, as well as the "Motor Cabin Ship" style, which featured squat smokestacks and a sleek profile.

[edit] Maiden voyage and route

Britannic made her maiden voyage (Liverpool-Belfast-Glasgow-New York) on 28 June 1930, and generally spent her summers on the North Atlantic and her winters cruising touring the Caribbean out of New York. She remained on that route until she became part of Cunard White Star in 1934. In 1935, she moved to the London-New York service and remained there until World War II began.

[edit] World War II

The third Britannic served as a troopship during the war, carrying some 180,000 troops and traveling a total of 376,000 miles. She then resumed service on the Liverpool-New York route in 1948.

[edit] Postwar service

In 1950, Cunard White Star became simply Cunard Line, meaning Britannic was the only ship to be owned by all three: White Star, Cunard White Star and Cunard Line. She continued to sport White Star's colours and fly the White Star burgee for the rest of her career, although from 1950 on, the Cunard house flag flew above the burgee.

In June 1950, she collided with the United States liner Pioneer Land in the Ambrose Channel, but was still seaworthy afterward.

[edit] Final voyage

Britannic made her final Liverpool-New York sailing, and the final transatlantic crossing by any White Star ship, in November 1960. Her final departure from New York on 25 November 1960, was marked by the same fireboat escort which normally accompanied maiden voyages. She arrived at Liverpool for the last time on 2 December 1960, and made White Star's final departure from Liverpool on 16 December 1960 when she left under her own power for the shipbreakers. Lengthy engine repairs and a broken crankshaft hastened her removal from service in her last year.

[edit] References