Berengaria was the
first Cunard vessel to be named for a queen (the wife of Richard the
Lion-Heart). She was originally built for
HAPAG as the
Imperator. Named in honor of the Kaiser, this was a ship that aimed
to impress every way.
In designing the
first vessel to exceed 50,000 gross tons, the architects thought big in every
dimension.
The mast had two crow’s
nests, a powerful searchlight poised to scan in every direction over the bow, a
90-ton rudder, a two-deck high swimming pool, capacity for 4,594 passengers,
and more than eighty-three lifeboats including two motor launches.
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| Imperator at anchor, circa
1913. Note her huge figurehead, which was removed early in the ship's career
after being damaged in a storm. This ship served as USS Imperator (ID # 4080)
in 1919. U.S.
Naval Historical Center Photograph. |
The
Imperator was the
first of three successively larger near-sisters.
The
Vaterland
followed with 54,000 gross tons, and the
Bismarck
was expected to weigh in at an astonishing 56,000.
HAPAGs’ plans came to nothing. At the end
of WWI, the ships were seized by the allies as reparations for their losses
during the war.
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Berengaria in the Hudson.
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The
Vaterland, renamed
Leviathan
by the US Navy, became the flagship of the United States Lines.
Bismarck
was completed for the White Star Line as the
Majestic.
Imperator served briefly as a troopship
before Cunard took ownership of the vessel.
In April 1921, she was officially renamed
Berengaria and began sailing out of the new express service
terminal at Southampton.
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| Berengaria passes Bishop Rock, the westernmost outpost of the British Isles. Model lighthouse by Coastlines. |
Nicknamed “the Berry,” she settled into largely successful career
and proved to be a popular ship, although she never achieved the cache of her
fleet mates
Mauretania and
Aquitania.
She had power, size, and commodious spaces that attracted a wealthy
clientele including the Prince of Wales, Will Rogers, Mary Pickford, Doglas
Fairbanks, and Henry Ford.
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| Tugs assist Berengaria. 1:1250 model by Carlo Marquardt. Tugs and quayside accessories by Tri-ang Minic. |
When Cunard refurbished the liner, they had to contend with a
serious stability problem.
Imperator was known as a “tender ship”
with a tendency to roll and a permanent list.
Famed designer Charles Mewes lavished the first class staterooms and
public areas with quite literally tons marble and gold.
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| Postcard depicting Second Class Dining Saloon. |
Early in her service the stability problems became a serious issue. The weight of this material high above the
waterline combined with the 69-foot high funnels rendered the vessel top
heavy.
Initially HAPAG engineers replaced much of
this heavy material, cut the funnels down to 60 feet, and filled in much of the
double bottom with cement.
This helped
tremendously, but the ship remained slightly unbalanced. Skippers knew to handle her gingerly and the stability problems remained an issue throughout her career.
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| Berengaria entering the floating dry dock in Southampton in January 1937. Recreation of an archival photo in Frank O. Braynard and Willaim Miller, Jr. Picture History of the Cunard Line (Dover, 1991) page 33. Floating dock model, tugs, and quayside models by Tri-ang Minic. |
In the tough years of the Depression, Berengaria ferried passengers on cruises to Bermuda and on weekend
excursions. To attract passengers, the
fares were incredibly low, sometimes as little as $1 per day. As budget vacationers took to the sea, they
called her “Bargain Area.”
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| Booklet advertising accommodation updates to Tourist Class, circa 1936. |
In March 1938,
Berengaria
caught fire at her berth in New York.
American authorities decided the vessel was a safety risk and the vessel
made her last crossing later in the month.
With passenger revenues declining and smaller vessels laid up to make
way for a single large ship (
QueenElizabeth), Cunard decided to sell
Berengaria.
She was sold to John Jarvis and like the
Olympic three years earlier, departed
for Jarrow, Scotland to be scrapped.
Demolition was slowed during the war and the final pieces were
dismantled in 1946.
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Built by Vulcan Werkes, Hamburg, Germany for HAPAG as Imperator (1913-1914). Cunard Line as Berengaria (1921-1938).
52,226 GRT, 919 feet long, 98 feet wide.
Steam turbines geared to quadruple screw. Service speed 23 knots. 2,723 total passengers (972 first class, 630
second class, 606 third class, 515 tourist class).
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