The Empire Strikes Back

British shipping was in a fix.  The German superliners were the fastest and among the most splendidly appointed ships on the Atlantic.  The Cunard Line in particular worried about the future.  By the time the Kaiser-class ships were winning speed records, J.P. Morgan was on the warpath.  He sought efficiency—and monopoly in transportation.  By 1900 he controlled directly or held a major share in most American rail lines.  Now he sought to pair the rails with the waves.  He bought shipping line after shipping line. He made Albert Ballin managing director of HAPAG and J. Bruce Ismay nominal chief of White Star.  By 1903 Morgan controlled nearly every line- large or small- except the French Line (CGT) and Cunard.  Cunard worried desperately about business and succeeded in worrying the Admiralty about war.  What if war came?  Could ships owned by an American, even if they flew the British flag, be compelled to His Majesty’s service?  Could these vessels ultimately be used against the Empire?  Cunard and the Admiralty lobbied for protective legislation for Cunard and for a generous subsidy to build two new superliners—larger, faster, and more impressive than the German rivals.  They also would be designed for swift conversion into armed cruisers in the event of war.  These were to be the first turbine-driven superliners and a mechanical wonder of the Edwardian age.

Mauretania's near sister ship, Lusitania.  The ships entered service in 1907 and briefly competed to be the fastest ship.  Mauretania proved to be faster, but if her sister survived the war, she may have regained the Blue Ribband.  1:1250 Model by Albatros.

            The new ships, Lusitania and Mauretania emerged in 1907.  They were sister ships, similar in overall design, but they were distinct.  James Miller’s interiors for Lusitania were very airy and white plasterwork was commonplace.  By contrast, Harold Peto’s Mauretania was filled with hardwoods and darker colors (perhaps fitting since she was built in England).  Both vessels were equally magnificent and initially both vibrated terribly at high speeds.  The ships were quietly returned to the yards after their trials to remedy the problem before the travelling public was on board.  The vibration was so severe that the Mauretania’s captain was nearly shaken off the bridge as the four steam turbines drover her to 25 knots. 

My growing collection of models, books, and ephemera related to this great liner.

            Lusitania entered service first sailing for New York in September of 1907.  On her second voyage she captured the Blue Riband from the Germans.  Mauretania entered service in December and took the speed prize herself.  The two ships would share a friendly rivalry over the next few years.  While there has been much debate, the records of the vessels point to Mauretania as the faster of the two.  Unfortunately, Lusitania’s service was cut short in 1915 (a story for another day) and we will never know if she may have outpaced her sister in the long run.

Real Photo Postcard view of Mauretania.  Note the smoke and waves have been added to the photograph.

Mauretania, 1:600 kit by Airfix. I built this model in the summer of 2000.   The model rests on a 1924 brochure and behind is Humphrey Jordan's 1935 biography of the ship.

            Mauretania survived WWI performing stellar service as a hospital and troop ship.  In the 1920s, she remained a popular and fast ship.  Her accommodations were changed over the years to accommodate more budget tourists in “tourist class,” private suites were added, as were more bathrooms to first class cabins.  

Original snapshot of Mauretania in New York, ca 1930.

Dance floors, extended bars, and cinemas were installed to lure travelers away from some of the newer ships that emerged later in the decade. She also, like many of the other major liners was converted to oil fuel.   In 1929, North German Lloyd sought to bring Germany back to supremacy on the sea with two superliners, Bremen and Europa.  The Bremen outpaced the Mauretania on her maiden voyage.  Over the next few years she tried to regain her title but proved unable to beat the sleek new German liners.

This view shows her sleek and balanced profile.  She held the Atlantic speed record from 1909-1929. 1:1250 model by Albatros.

            The Great Depression hurt all of the shipping lines and all of the liners.  Cunard and White Star (released from the Morgan combine, IMM, after the war) were forced to merge and become Cunard-White Star, Ltd.  The new company was planning two new superliners for express service (and to beat the Germans) and one was under construction. Despite running older liners, Mauretania included, on cruises to exotic (tough for vessels without air conditioning) and on $1/day bank holiday excursions, the liners ran into the red.  The combined fleet sadly made Mauretania redundant.  She was withdrawn from service and sold for scrap in 1935.  A sad fate indeed for a liner with many years of reliable service behind her- and more ahead- especially in the war that was coming. 

R.M.S. Mauretania (1907-1935) Built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle on Tyne, England.  31,938 GRT; 790 feet long, 88 feet wide.  Steam turbines, quadruple screw.  Service speed 25 knots.  Passenger arrangement in 1907: 560 first class, 475 second class, 1,300 tourist; 2,335 passengers total.