RMS Majestic (1914)

	RMS Majestic, 1922
History
; 1912-1920Germany
Name	list error: <br /> list (help); SS Bismarck; RMS Majestic
Builder	Blohm & Voss
Laid down	1913
Launched	20 June 1914
Fate	turned over 1920 as compensation for sinking of RMS Britannic
History
; 1920-1940UK
Name	RMS Majestic
Operator	White Star Line
Maiden voyage	12 May 1922
Renamed	23 April 1937 as HMS Caledonia
Fate	Caught fire and sank in Rosyth, Scotland on 29 September 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 renamed 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 became the White Star Line flagship Majestic. This was the second White Star ship to use the name, the first being SS Majestic (1890). After her White Star career, she served the Royal Navy as the training ship HMS Caledonia.

Construction and handover

The Bismarck 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). 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. Of course, Blohm & Voss were quite upset when they found out that the extra work that went into Bismarck was for nothing, as Aquitania was a full 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.^[1]

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 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.

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 between the White Star Line and Cunard in 1934,^[2] Majestic served the new company until 1936. In 1935, it was announced that her sister Berengaria would be retired first after several fires onboard 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 Southampton, 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 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 8 April 1937, the 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 being 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 hulk of the Caledonia was raised and towed to the scrapyard.

Popular Culture

Of interesting note, Majestic was referenced in a 1993 episode of Batman. The Ventriloquist's dummy, Scarface, plans to rob the Majestic, as it has a shipment of platinum aboard it. This is reference to a myth about another White Star liner, Titanic, that claims that it was hauling gold bullion on its maiden voyage. In real life, Majestic never hauled such cargo, but some other famed liners did. Canadian Pacific's Empress of Ireland hauled silver bullion on several occasions. It hauled 212 bars of silver bullion worth about $150,000 (adjusted for inflation; $1,099,000) on its ill fated final voyage.

References

^ The New York Times, 25 August 1932.)
^ http://www.chriscunard.com/archives3.htm White Star Line Archives - 1931 +

External links

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

[1] The New York Times, 25 August 1932.)

[2] ttp://www.chriscunard.com/archives3.htm White Star Line Archives - 1931 +

[1]

[2]

v t e Ships of the Cunard Line
Current fleet	2004 RMS Queen Mary 2 2007 MS Queen Victoria 2010 MS Queen Elizabeth 2024 MS Queen Anne
Former ships 1840–1994	1840 RMS Unicorn 1840 RMS Britannia 1848 SS Satellite 1853 SS Arabia 1856 RMS Persia 1862 RMS Scotia 1863 RMS Hecla 1865 SS Java 1867 SS Russia 1870 SS Abyssinia 1870 SS Parthia 1874 SS Bothnia 1878 SS Aleppo 1879 SS Gallia 1881 SS Servia 1881 SS Catalonia 1882 RMS Aurania 1884 SS Oregon 1884 RMS Umbria 1885 RMS Etruria 1892 RMS Campania 1893 RMS Lucania 1898 SS Ultonia 1899 SS Ivernia 1899 RMS Saxonia 1903 RMS Carpathia 1903 RMS Pannonia 1904 RMS Slavonia 1905 RMS Carmania 1905 RMS Caronia 1907 RMS Lusitania 1907 RMS Mauretania 1910 RMS Franconia 1911 RMS Albania 1912 RMS Laconia 1913 RMS Andania 1913 RMS Alaunia 1914 RMS Aquitania 1914 SS Orduña 1916 SS Royal George 1917 RMS Aurania 1920 SS Albania 1921 RMS Berengaria 1921 RMS Scythia 1922 RMS Samaria 1922 RMS Laconia 1922 RMS Andania 1922 RMS Antonia 1922 RMS Lancastria 1921 RMS Ausonia 1922 RMS Franconia 1924 RMS Aurania 1925 SS Letitia 1925 RMS Ascania 1925 RMS Alaunia 1925 RMS Carinthia 1934 RMS Majestic 1934 RMS Olympic 1934 MV Georgic 1934 MV Britannic 1934 SS Laurentic 1936 RMS Queen Mary 1939 RMS Mauretania 1940 RMS Queen Elizabeth 1945 SS Valacia (Empire Camp) 1947 RMS Media 1947 RMS Parthia 1949 RMS Caronia 1954 RMS Saxonia 1955 RMS Ivernia 1956 RMS Carinthia 1957 RMS Sylvania 1969 MS Queen Elizabeth 2 1970 SS Atlantic Causeway 1970 SS Atlantic Conveyor 1971 MV Cunard Adventurer 1972 MV Cunard Ambassador 1975 MS Cunard Countess 1976 MS Cunard Princess 1983 MS Sagafjord 1983 MS Caronia 1986 MS Sea Goddess I 1986 MS Sea Goddess II 1993 MS Cunard Crown Jewel 1993 MS Cunard Crown Dynasty 1994 MS Royal Viking Sun
For MoWT	1940 SS Pasteur 1941 SS Empire Barracuda 1940 MV Empire Audacity 1943 SS Empire Battleaxe 1943 SS Empire Broadsword 1945 MV Empire Ettrick
Years indicate year of entry into Cunard service.