Scythia-Class Liners

To replace the merchant vessels lost during the Great War, Cunard began an ambitious building program in 1919.  Rather than construct another superliner, Cunard built a series of “intermediate” vessels to assist the premier vessels on the New York run but primarily to secondary ports such as Halifax or Boston.  These vessels were designed to carry much more cargo than the express liners and were suited to cruising, The new ships were given a simple, balanced profile of two tall masts and a single slender stack.

R.M.S. Scythia the first of the new intermediate ships built in the 1920s.  1:1250 Scale model by Albatross.

The first of the series was Scythia, laid down in 1919 in Barrow-in Furness, England but completed in Rotterdam, Holland due to strikes.  She offered three classes of accommodation (later changed to two) on the run from Liverpool to Boston.

Stylized postcard view of Scythia in Liverpool.

Her cabin-class interiors were splendid, especially for a smaller ship.  The garden lounge was filled with potted plants and private baths in most cabin-class staterooms (a true novelty at the time).  She also had a walk-up “American Bar” to serve thirsty passengers, rather than the English method of stewards serving drinks made by a bartender behind a pass through window.

Scythia in port.

Scythia had a long and eventful career.  She weathered the Depression on the secondary service and cruises.  She served as a troopship during World War II and survived an air attack whilst full of troops.  After the war, Scythia brought immigrants and refugees away from ravaged Europe to new homes in the Americas.

For most of the 1950s, Scythia sailed between Liverpool and Quebec until withdrawn from service in 1957. She was scrapped in Inverkeithing, Scotland in 1958.

R.M.S. Scythia (1920-1957). Built for Cunard Line by Vickers-Armstrong Shipbuilders, Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness, England.  19,730GRT, 624 feet long, 74 feet wide.  Steam turbines geared to twin screw.  Service speed 16 knots.  As built, 2,206 total passengers (337 cabin class, 331 tourist class, 1,538 third class).  Later reconfigured to 248 first class and 630 tourist class.