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RMS Majestic (1914)
Encyclopedia
RMS
Majestic, launched in 1914 as SS Bismarck, was, at 56,551 gross tonnage
, the largest ship in the world until the completion of the 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 became the White Star Line
flagship Majestic. This was the second White Star ship to use the name, the first being . After her White Star career, she served the Royal Navy
as the training ship HMS Caledonia.
, 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" . Interestingly, she was to have been the same size as Vaterland, in both tonnage and length, but a miscommunication that Cunard's Aquitania
would be larger made HAPAG demand an extra six feet in length, increasing her gross tonnage. Aquitania was actually 50 feet shorter than both Vaterland and Bismarck.
However, the First World War was to completely alter the ship's fate, and she never sailed under the German flag except on her sea trials in 1922. After being ceded to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
, the as-yet uncompleted ship was purchased jointly by the White Star and Cunard Lines, together with Imperator. The two ships remained jointly owned until 1932, when Cunard terminated the joint ownership agreement.
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 and stern. The workers even used the captain's cabin (White Star Line's Bertram Fox Hayes) as a storage closet.
Due to a structural defect in her 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 also noted on her sister Leviathan around the same time, but only minor repairs were carried out and she developed 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.
In 1934 in the North Atlantic an enormous wave smashed over the bridge of the RMS Majestic, injuring the first officer and White Star's final commodore, Edgar J. Trant, who was hospitalised for a month and never sailed again.
Following the merger of the White Star
and Cunard Line
s in 1934, Majestic served the new company until 1936. In 1935, it was announced that her sister Berengaria would be retired first after several fires aboard caused by the original wiring and Cunard arguing with the American Board Of Trade who stated that the ship was no longer fit for American travellers, but the decision was reversed and Majestic was retired instead.
, she was sold on 15 May 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 Majestic. In July 1936 the ship was converted into a Cadet training ship
and renamed HMS Caledonia.
The conversion of Majestic was undertaken at Southampton and comprised the shortening of her masts and funnels so that she could pass beneath the Forth Railway Bridge and a reduction in the number of lifeboats.
On 8 April 1937, Caledonia departed Southampton for her new base in Rosyth
and was commissioned on 23 April 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 was temporarily anchored in the Firth of Forth
pending a decision as to her disposal.
On 29 September 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 17 July 1943, that the remains of Caledonia were raised and towed to the scrapyard.
Royal Mail Ship
Royal Mail Ship , usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS, a designation which dates back to 1840, is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract by Royal Mail...
Majestic, launched in 1914 as SS Bismarck, was, at 56,551 gross tonnage
Tonnage
Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume...
, the largest ship in the world until the completion of the in 1935. Originally slated to be the third and largest member of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
HAPAG Line's trio of transatlantic liners, her completion was delayed by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Following the war, she became the White Star Line
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
flagship Majestic. This was the second White Star ship to use the name, the first being . After her White Star career, she served the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as the training ship HMS Caledonia.
Construction and handover
Bismarck was built by the Blohm & Voss shipbuilders in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and was launched on 20 June 1914 by Countess Hanna von Bismarck, the granddaughter of the 19th century German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
. The ship was to have been the flagship of the Hamburg America Line
Hamburg America Line
The Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft was a transatlantic shipping enterprise established in Hamburg, Germany during...
and the final of Albert Ballin
Albert Ballin
Albert Ballin was a German businessman. He was born into a modest Jewish family of Hamburg with origins in Denmark.- Business :...
's "Big Three" . Interestingly, she was to have been the same size as Vaterland, in both tonnage and length, but a miscommunication that Cunard's Aquitania
RMS Aquitania
RMS Aquitania was a Cunard Line ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. She was launched on 21 April 1913 and sailed on her maiden voyage to New York on 30 May 1914...
would be larger made HAPAG demand an extra six feet in length, increasing her gross tonnage. Aquitania was actually 50 feet shorter than both Vaterland and Bismarck.
However, the First World War was to completely alter the ship's fate, and she never sailed under the German flag except on her sea trials in 1922. After being ceded to Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, the as-yet uncompleted ship was purchased jointly by the White Star and Cunard Lines, together with Imperator. The two ships remained jointly owned until 1932, when Cunard terminated the joint ownership agreement.
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 and stern. The workers even used the captain's cabin (White Star Line's Bertram Fox Hayes) as a storage closet.
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 her 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 also noted on her sister Leviathan around the same time, but only minor repairs were carried out and she developed 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
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
set in by 1930.
In 1934 in the North Atlantic an enormous wave smashed over the bridge of the RMS Majestic, injuring the first officer and White Star's final commodore, Edgar J. Trant, who was hospitalised for a month and never sailed again.
Following the merger of the White Star
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
and Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
s in 1934, Majestic served the new company until 1936. In 1935, it was announced that her sister Berengaria would be retired first after several fires aboard caused by the original wiring and Cunard arguing with the American Board Of Trade who stated that the ship was no longer fit for American travellers, but the decision was reversed and Majestic was retired instead.
HMS Caledonia
After being laid up at SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, she was sold on 15 May 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 Majestic. In July 1936 the ship was converted into a Cadet training ship
School ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is especially used for ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classrooms....
and renamed HMS Caledonia.
The conversion of Majestic was undertaken at Southampton and comprised the shortening of her masts and funnels so that she could pass beneath the Forth Railway Bridge and a reduction in the number of lifeboats.
On 8 April 1937, Caledonia departed Southampton for her new base in Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
and was commissioned on 23 April 1937, with a capacity of 1,500 cadets.
After the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the cadets were removed to accommodation ashore and the ship's berth was emptied for Naval use. Caledonia was temporarily anchored in the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
pending a decision as to her disposal.
On 29 September 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 17 July 1943, that the remains of Caledonia were raised and towed to the scrapyard.
Further reading
- RMS Majestic - The 'Magic Stick', by Mark Chirnside
- Bismarck/Majestic in Atlantic Liners: A Trio of Trios, by J. Kent Layton
- Fox, Robert, Liners, the Golden Age, 1999, Könemann
- McAuley, Robert, The Liners, 1997, Boxtree
- Miller, William H. Jr., The First Great Ocean Liners in Photographs, 1984, Dover
External links
- Mark Chirnside's Majestic Page
- Majestic Home at Atlantic Liners
- Majestic at the White Star Line History Site
- Chris' Cunard Page
- The Great Ocean Liners: Majestic
- "Docking The World's Great Liners" Popular Mechanics, May 1930, article on docking large ships in the first half of the 20th century featuring RMS Majestic