11th November 1907; Cunard's RMS Mauretania began her maiden voyage to the United States, marking the beginning of one of the greatest careers of any ocean liner in history. She held the prestigious Blue Riband from 1907 until 1929, longer than any other ship in history (unless you count the SS United States, which won in 1952 and has never been beaten, despite being taken out of service in 1969, but that is for another post). Perhaps best known, rather infamously, for the large amount of cowl vents on her decks, alongside her record-breaking speed of course, the RMS Mauretania was one of the greatest ships to ever sail the Atlantic, with a career lasting almost 28 years.
1902: The Beginning
Building the biggest, fastest and most luxurious ships became a focal point for transatlantic lines since the 1890s, which by that point had become dominated by German Liners, most notably, the SS Kaiser Wilhlem De Grosse. Facing competition from the Germans and risking being overshadowed by the new "International Mercantile Marine Corporation", financed by J.P. Morgan, Cunard wanted to build 2 new superliners to rival these four-funnelled ships.
The first of these two ships was the RMS Mauretania, laid down in 1904 in the Tyne shipyard and designed by naval architect Leonard Peskett. Turbine powered with four funnels, a service speed of up to 26 knots, a length of 790 feet and a tonnage of 31,000 tonnes, the Mauretania undoubtedly lived up to Cunard's hopes. In fact, her speed was rivalled only by her sister ship, RMS Lusitania.
These facts demonstrate her remarkable size, speed and luxury:
At her launch in 1906, she was the largest moving structure ever built.
Her stunning Edwardian interiors were designed by Harold Peto, with luxury features such as marble and elevators, something which was relatively new for ships at the time.
At full speed, the Mauretania had approximately 76,000 horsepower and burned through an average of around 1,000 tonnes per day.
She had a capacity of 2,165 passengers and 812 crew. 536 First Class, 464 Second Class and 1,138 Third Class passengers.
1907-1914:
On her return crossing on her maiden voyage, the Mauretania was quick to set a new record for the fastest eastbound Atlantic crossing, and in September 1909 captured the Blue Riband for the fastest westbound Atlantic crossing from her running mate, the Lusitania. Her popularity quickly grew, and in 1913 King George V and his wife, Queen Mary boarded the ship, the first reigning monarch to travel on a Cunard ship.
Her speed and luxury gave her dominance in the Atlantic, and alongside the RMS Lusitania, Cunard was outshining her rivals.
Mauretania would not be rivalled for speed by any other shipping line until the SS Bremen in 1929, but her status as the largest ship in the world would be taken over in 1911 by White Star Line's RMS Olympic, which surpassed her by over 90 feet, coming in at 882 feet.
1914-1918 - The First World War:
The RMS Mauretania would find herself being laid up until 1915 as her size made her unsuitable as an armed merchant cruiser, as was originally planned.
Following the sinking of RMS Lusitania in 1915, the Mauretania became a troop ship to carry British soldiers during the Gallipoli campaign, dressed up in camouflage which made her appear as though she was part of a humanitarian campaign, and made her speed and direction much more difficult for enemy ships to determine and target. Her speed gave her a successful campaign as she was able to avoid German U-boats, but in 1916, she would become the HMHS Mauretania, a hospital ship, due to the heavy losses suffered by British and French forces.
However, in 1917, she would once again resume service as a troop ship, requisitioned by the Canadian government, carrying American troops after the United States entered the war in 1917.
1919-1935: RMS Mauretania resumes civilian service:
In September 1919, she resumed service as a civilian passenger liner.
During the 1920s, the ship underwent a refit and a series of alterations, including a now enclosed promenade deck and energy efficient measures, now burning an average of around 750 tonnes of coal per day, instead of her previous 1,000 tonnes.
However, despite later measures during the 1920s to improve her speed, her record was broken by the SS Bremen with an average speed of 28 knots in 1929.
An aging ship in the midst of the Great Depression, the Mauretania would become a cruise ship in 1930, operating services between New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
In 1934, she would finally be retired from service, making way for a generation of bigger, more luxurious and faster ships.
In 1935, the process of scrapping her would begin, and in 1937, the remaining structure of this once great ship was all but gone.
The RMS Mauretania had a career that many ships could only dream of, serving her passengers with great luxury and quick Atlantic crossings during peacetime, and as an invaluable resource during the First World War. Of course, like any ship, she would eventually become overshadowed by a new generation of bigger and better ships, but her reputation as 'The Grand Old Lady of the Atlantic' is certainly well deserved. Although no longer with us, her legacy in maritime history will be cemented forever.
