Cunard Line had enjoyed major success with their two ships, Mauretania and Lusitania, which could transport passengers from Great Britain to New York in impressive speed. Yet, they were facing increased rivalry from another shipping line, White Star Line. In 1910, White Star Line was in the process of constructing their new Olympic Class ships, Olympic and Titanic. These ships would be the largest and most luxurious ships to ever grace the Atlantic and would certainly provide competition for Cunard, as Mauretania and Lusitania would find themselves 15,000 tonnes lighter than White Star's new constructions. In order to provide a weekly service across the Atlantic, Cunard opted to construct a new, half-sister or cousin ship to the duo of liners. Rather than aiming for speed however, Cunard would take a new approach, in the spirit of their rivals, by creating a much larger and more luxurious, albeit slower liner. It was here, that RMS Aquitania was born.
Construction of RMS Aquitania
In 1910, the first plans for Cunard's latest ship were drawn up. John Brown and Co. shipyard would be used as the birthplace for this new ship, the same builders as numerous other famous ships, including Lusitania, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and QE2.
Like Lusitania and Mauretania, Aquitania would be designed by naval architect Leonard Peskett. Peskett designed this ship according to British Admiralty regulations so that she would be ready for conversion into a troopship or armed merchant cruiser in the event of war.
In late 1910, the keel was laid down, and she was finally launched on 21st April 1913 at the shipyard in Clydebank, by Alice Maud Olivia Stanley (the Countess of Derby).
Aquitania under construction at John Brown shipyard, Clydebank (1913)
Design Features
With a length of 901 feet (274.6m), Aquitania was the largest Cunard liner ever built, although she never took the title as largest ship in the world due to SS Imperator, which stood at over 906 feet. (The questionable-looking eagle added to Imperator ultimately increased this ships overall length to around 918 feet, but that is a topic in itself).
Aquitania was longer than both Olympic and Titanic, but with a Gross Registered Tonnage of 45,647 tonnes, she was slightly lighter than the Olympic Class duo. Unlike her Olympic Class rivals,
She would carry eighty lifeboats, more than enough for her passengers and crew, and was fitted with a double hull and the ability to float with up to five watertight compartments flooded. Aquitania was one of the earliest ships to have these features, measures which were introduced following the Titanic disaster.
With a service speed of 24 knots, she was slower than Lusitania and Mauretania, but her passenger capacity of 3,230 was significantly larger than her counterparts. The passenger capacity was however reduced to around 2,200 in 1926 as Third Class was replaced with tourist class.
Interiors
With a longer and wider structure than her counterparts, Lusitania and Mauretania, Aquitania was able to host larger, and more luxurious spaces.
The public areas of the ship were designed by Arthur Joseph Davis, a British Architect, part of decorating firm Mewes and Davis. Interestingly, at the same time, Davis' partner Charles Mewes was tasked with the interior design of Hamburg-America Line ships Imperator, Vaterland and Bismarck. The similarities with aspects of the interiors of Aquitania with her German rival ships can be seen in rooms such as the Louis XVI dining room on Aquitania.
Photo of the First Class Louis XVI dining room
The ship contained a range of different styles, such as the Grill which was decorated in Jacobean style, the smoking room in a Carolean style, and the Palladian Lounge, decorated in Baroque style.
Photo of the Palladian Lounge
Aquitania's Grand Staircase
Aquitania was also the first Cunard ship to feature a swimming pool.
First Class cabins included eight luxury suites, named after famous painters, and most rooms contained their own private bathrooms.
A First Class stateroom
Second Class cabins were larger than average, and this class also had access to a gymnasium, a relatively rare feature.
Second Class Cabin
Third Class contained several lounges and a dining room, with expanded and improved facilities.
A Third Class Cabin (six berths)
It is clear to see why Aquitania was deemed the "Ship Beautiful", for Cunard spared no expense for ensuring she was as grand and elegant as possible. Yet unlike her White Star rivals, there was an element of simplicity to the beauty of Aquitania, for example, if you compare the grand staircase on Aquitania to that on Olympic or Titanic.
Aquitania's Early Career and First World War Service, 1914-19
Aquitania began her maiden voyage on 30th May 1914, when she departed from Southampton and headed west for New York, carrying approximately 1,050 passengers. Although it seems a low number, this was common for maiden voyages as many felt it was 'bad luck'. Unfortunately, Titanic's sinking on her maiden voyage just two years prior probably did not help. Yet on her first return trip from New York, Aquitania carried 2,649 passengers, a record for a British liner. This certainly shows the level of enthusiasm and pride surrounding this great new ship.
Aquitania departing from Liverpool on her maiden voyage, 30th May 1914
However, just weeks later, in June 1914, the First World War broke out following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In August, Aquitania would be converted into an armed merchant cruiser.
Yet Aquitania's time as a cruiser would be short-lived as it was deemed that ships of her size were too expensive to run as cruisers. Just six weeks later, she would be disarmed and removed from service.
Yet in early 1915, she was returned to service under the British Admiralty as a troopship, mainly operating in the Dardanelles region alongside her counterpart, Mauretania, and White Star Line's Britannic. In just 3 months, between May and August 1915, these ships transported around 30,000 troops to the front lines.
Following the failure of the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, Aquitania was converted to a hospital ship. By the August, she was ready to re-enter service as HMHS Aquitania, carrying 4,182 beds for wounded soldiers. Once again operating voyages to Dardanelles, Aquitania had a relatively short but successful campaign as a hospital ship until 10th April 1916. After this, she was returned to Cunard line and laid up.
HMHS Aquitania, serving as a hospital ship
On 21st November, HMHS Britannic was torpedoed and sank in the Aegean Sea, which led to the requisitioning of Aquitania by the British Admiralty, where she would briefly return to service as a hospital ship to replace Britannic in the Mediterranean.
This would be fairly brief, for in January 1917, she would be laid up in the Solent. She remained her until November 1917, when she, alongside Mauretania and Olympic, would be requisitioned by the US government to carry troops from the US and Canada to Britain, under the command of Captain James Charles.
Yet it wasn't all plain sailing for Aquitania, as on 9th October 1918, she collided with USS Shaw, after a malfunction on Shaw's steering gear caused the ship to collide with the bow of Aquitania, killing 16 of Shaw's crew.
Aquitania made her last voyage as a troopship in November 1918, just before the signing of the armistice on 11th November 1918.
During her time as troopship, Aquitania carried an average of 6,000 troops, and a total of around 60,000 between all voyages.
Aquitania sporting dazzle camouflage colours at Brest, France (1918)
Return to Cunard and the beginning of a new era, 1919-29
Following the end of the First World War, Aquitania resumed service as a passenger ship until December 1919, when she was refitted and properly converted back into a passenger liner. For the few months beforehand, she had operated her usual transatlantic services on an "austerity service", and many features had been removed for her military services and had not yet been reinstalled, such as certain fittings and pieces of art. Another major modification made during her refit was the conversion from coal burning engines to oil fired, which reduced the number of stokers needed from around 350 to around 50, reducing the operating. This was a change which many ocean liners underwent during the 1920s.
She was also given a new wheelhouse, constructed directly above the original wheelhouse, after officers had complained about poor visibility over the bow of the ship.
On 17th July 1920, the refit was complete and Aquitania resumed service once again.
Her voyages during this period were highly successful; her first voyage to New York in July 1920 carried 2,433 passengers, an impressive number. In 1921, despite a stewards strike in May, Aquitania transported a total of approximately 60,000 passengers.
Yet new restrictions on immigration to the US in 1924 meant Cunard and Aquitania had to adapt. Less immigration meant a sharp decline in the number of Third Class passengers, the market which had brought most profits for passenger liners. Like many other ocean liners at the time, Aquitania's Third Class gradually became a tourist class, catering to tourists who wanted to travel at a reasonable price.
In 1926, Aquitania underwent a major refit, reducing passenger capacity from around 3,300 to 2,200, with upgraded accommodations.
A famous postcard of Aquitania
The Crash of '29 and the 1930s
The stock market crash of 1929 caused massive economic downturn, reducing traffic on all passenger ships, including Aquitania. As a result, Aquitania began operating cruise in the Mediterranean, something which proved popular for Americans who embarked on "booze cruises", frustrated with the prohibition laws in the US.
The 1930s also signalled the end of the height of Aquitania's popularity. Newer, faster ships, such as the SS Bremen and SS Europa, both of which won the Blue Riband, started taking customers away from Aquitania. By 1934, Aquitania carried a total of just 13,000 passengers, less than half of the 30,000 total she carried in 1929. However, Aquitania still remained a popular choice and carried notable passengers, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who sailed on the ship in May 1931.
Aquitania also continued cruises around the Mediterranean and also in Bermuda, during the winter months.
However, Cunard Line was struggling financially during the 1930s, and the construction of its new ship, Queen Mary, which had been laid down in 1931, had been put on hold. As a result, in 1934, Cunard merged with former rival White Star Line, forming Cunard-White Star.
At the same time, Aquitania underwent multiple refits to update her accommodations and provide new features, such as a cinema.
As the age of ocean liner technology progressed and the Cunard-White Star merger was completed, older ships such as Mauretania and Olympic were retired from service. There was newspaper speculation that the company planned to also retire the aging liner in 1940 once the new Queen Elizabeth was completed, but her capable speed of 24 knots and her continued popularity among wealthy passengers by 1939 showed that Aquitania still had life in her yet. This was further proven by her necessity during the Second World War.
A photo of Aquitania, taken sometime in the 1930s
RMS Olympic (left), RMS Aquitania (centre), SS Leviathan (right), taken in 1934
The Second World War, 1939-45
On 1st September 1939, the Second World War was officially declared after Hitler's invasion of Poland. Alongside the two new Queen ships, Ile de France and Nieuw Amsterdam, Aquitania would once again serve as a troopship.
Her first transport operations were to transport Canadian and American troops to Scotland in December 1939.
Yet soon after in 1940, alongside other large liners, Aquitania would be tasked with the transport of troops from Australia and New Zealand to the Suez in North Africa, with potential diversion to the United Kingdom if necessary. Aquitania was now designated "US.3".
In November 1941, HMAS Sydney was lost in a battle with German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran. It is suspected that the German ship had expected Aquitania, due to supposed plans that Aquitania was planning to attack the German ship. On 24th November 1941, whilst on her way from Singapore to Sydney, Aquitania picked up 26 survivors from the German ship, but sadly there were no survivors from HMAS Sydney.
Over the next few years, Aquitania would transport troops across the world, serving wherever necessary, and overall she completed her war duties with relatively few hitches.
By 1948, Aquitania had completed her duties and returned to Cunard Line. In her eight years of service, she had sailed 500,000 miles and transported 400,000 troops. A busy and incredibly impressive feat.
Aquitania painted in dull grey colours during the Second World War
1948-50: Post-war and Retirement
In 1948, Aquitania was refitted for passenger service and chartered by the Canadian government to bring war brides and their children to Canada. Yet these missions would mark her final months as a passenger liner, as in December 1949, after her mission was completed, she was removed from service after the Board of Trade deemed the ship unfit and her certificate was removed.
Her funnels and bulkheads were severely corroded and rain would leak into her interiors through the open decks. New safety standards, especially fire code regulations, meant that it was simply too costly to bring her up to safety standards.
Months later, in 1950, Aquitania was sold off to be broken up, after a long career of thirty-six years and three million miles of sailing.
Aquitania as she was being broken up in Faslane, Scotland (1950). This is potentially one of the last photos ever taken of her
To Conclude:
Aquitania in many ways, represented the last of the old era of ships. She was the last four funnelled ship still in operation by the time of her retirement, and was the only passenger liner to have served in both world wars. Her longevity was remarkable; for she was able to retain her luxury and her popularity for decades.
To me, Aquitania is one of the most underrated historical ships. She was never the biggest nor the fastest in the world, she completed her duties wherever needed, both in peacetime and in wartime. A truly beautiful, and reliable ship which deserves a high spot when we think of the great ocean liners.
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