RMS Majestic (1914)

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RMS Majestic, 1922
Career (Germany) Kaiserliche Marine Jack
1912-1920
Name: SS Bismarck
Builder: Blohm & Voss
Laid down: 1913
Launched: 20 June 1914
Fate: turned over 1920 as compensation for sinking of RMS Britannic
Career (UK) British Blue Ensign
1920-1940
Name: RMS Majestic
Operator: White Star
Maiden voyage: May 12, 1922
Renamed: April 23, 1937 as HMS Caledonia
Fate: Caught fire and sank in Rosyth, Scotland on September 29, 1940 and scrapped in 1943
Status: Scrapped
General characteristics
Tonnage: 56,551 gross tons
Length: 955.8 ft (291.3 m)
Beam: 100.1 ft (30.5 m)
Speed: 23.5 knots
Capacity: 2,145 passengers: 750 First Class, 545 Second Class, 850 Third Class

SS Bismarck, later christened RMS Majestic, was launched in 1914 and was, at 56,551 gross tonnage, the largest ship in the world until the completion of the SS Normandie in 1935. Originally slated to be the third and largest member of German HAPAG Line's trio of transatlantic liners, her completion was delayed by World War I. Following the war, she was awarded to Britain's White Star Line as part of war reparations, and sailed as the Majestic for her entire passenger service career. After her White Star career, she served the Royal Navy as the training ship HMS Caledonia. This was the second White Star ship to use the name, the first being SS Majestic (1890).

Contents

[edit] Construction and handover

The Majestic was built by the Blohm & Voss shipbuilders in Hamburg, Germany and was launched on 20 June 1914 by Countess Hanna von Bismarck, the granddaughter of the 19th century German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The ship was to have been the flagship of the Hamburg America Line and the final of Albert Ballin's "Big Three" (the other two being the Imperator, which later became the RMS Berengaria, and the Vaterland, which later became the SS Leviathan). However, the First World War was to completely alter the ship's fate, and she never sailed under the German flag. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the as-yet uncompleted ship was awarded to White Star Line as compensation for the loss of RMS Britannic, which had been sunk by a German mine while serving as a hospital ship in the Aegean in 1916.

However, the ship's handover went far from smoothly. Furious at being forced to complete the ship for British owners, the shipbuilders completed the ship in the colours of the Hamburg-America Line and with the name Bismarck painted on her bow. The workers even used the Captains cabin (White Star lines Bertram Fox Hayes) as a storage closet.

[edit] Career history

The ship served as the flagship of the White Star Line from 1922 until 1934. After her May 1922 maiden voyage Majestic became one of the most popular liners afloat and in 1923 she carried more passengers than any other Atlantic liner. In 1924, 1926, 1928 and 1930 she carried more passengers than her sister ships. She earned the affectionate nickname 'Magic Stick'.

Due to a structural defect in the topsides, Majestic suffered a 100-foot crack in December 1924 and underwent permanent repairs and strengthening along B-deck before returning to service in April 1925. (Small cracks were noted on her sister Leviathan around the same time but only minor repairs were carried out and she suffered a similar 100-foot crack five years later.)

In 1925, she completed an eastbound crossing at 25 knots, which was the fastest she ever managed, and faster than either of her sisters' best efforts. However, her older sister Leviathan often had a slightly higher average speed each year than Majestic.

In 1928, Majestic was extensively refitted and modernised and enjoyed a boom year for passenger lists, but numbers fell slightly in 1929 and then the Great Depression set in by 1930.

Following the merger between the White Star Line and Cunard in 1934, Majestic served the new company until 1936. In 1935, it was announced that her sister Berengaria would be retired first, but the decision was reversed and Majestic was retired instead.

[edit] HMS Caledonia

After being laid up at Southampton, she was sold on May 15, 1936 for scrap to TW Ward. However, due to a stipulation in her original agreement of being a prize of war handed over to the White Star Line as compensation for lost tonnage, she could not be sold to the Admiralty, so an exchange was set up where the shipbreakers were given 24 outmoded destroyers as compensation for the equivalent scrap value of the Majestic. In July 1936 the ship was converted into a Cadet training ship and renamed HMS Caledonia.

The conversion of the Majestic was undertaken at Southampton and comprised the shortening of her masts and funnels so that she could fit beneath the Forth bridge and a reduction in the number of life boats.

On April 8, 1937, the Caledonia departed Southampton for her new base in Rosyth and was commissioned on April 23, 1937, with a capacity of 1,500 cadets.

After the outbreak of World War II, the cadets were removed to accommodation ashore and the ship's berth was emptied for Naval use, Caledonia being temporarily anchored in the Firth of Forth pending a decision as to her disposal.

On September 29, 1939, Caledonia caught fire and burnt out, sinking at her moorings. The wreck was sold in March 1940 to Thomas W. Ward for scrap, but it was not until July 17, 1943, that the hulk of the Caledonia was raised and towed to the scrapyard.

[edit] References

http://www.greatoceanliners.net/majestic2.html

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links


Records
Preceded by
Leviathan		 World's largest passenger ship
1922 – 1935		 Succeeded by
Normandie
Languages