The Château of the Atlantic

The France was the first French floating palace and was known as the “Château of the Atlantic” with some of the most elegant rooms ever to put to sea.  She was also the only four-funneled liner not built by British or German shippers.  She was considerably larger than any other French vessel and was designed to compete in terms of speed and luxury.

France steams past Bishop's Rock.

When her keel was laid in 1909 her intended name was La Picardie, but as the ship was twice the tonnage of any previous French liner, the change of name seemed apropos.  The France entered service in April 1912 shortly after the Titanic disaster.  While the ship was booked, the disaster diverted media attention away from the debut of the new liner.  Nevertheless, she was the pride of her namesake.  She was a fast liner capable of 24 knots and was close in speed to the Cunard trio of the same era. 

Her décor was opulent throughout the first class spaces but the most distinctive feature was a grand staircase that descended directly into the Louis XIV dining saloon.  The room was three decks high because, as company literature advised, "Low ceilings don't aid the appetite."  The food served was considered the finest afloat.  The Sun King and his court was honored in style and portraiture in many public rooms, from the embarkation hall to the lounge.  This was indeed France afloat.

1:1250 model by Mercator.

At the start of the Great War France was requisitioned by the French Navy for use as an armed merchant cruiser, but like the Aquitania naval officials realized the cost of coal made such a role impractical. In 1916 she was painted white and used as a hospital ship in the Dardanelles.  When the United States entered the war in 1917 she was deployed to carry American troops to the continent with space for some. In 1918, her military service was cut short by an engine room explosion that killed nine crew members and thus required extensive repairs.  In 1920, she returned to passenger service.

Sailing in sunny weather.

In 1921 she lost her flagship status to the Paris.  She maintained a popular following among wealthy travelers and was converted to an all first class ship in 1924.  When the Ile de France entered service in 1927, she was diverted to cruising. 

The Depression hit the French Line hard and the France was laid up in 1932.  With passenger numbers falling and work progressing on the Normandie, the decision was made to scrap the liner in 1935.  In retrospect this was unwise, considering the loss of both the Paris and Lafayette to fire in the same period.  She was dismantled in Dunkirk, France.

S.S. France (1912-1935) built for Compagnie General Transatlantique (CGT) by Chantiers de Penhoet Shipyard, St. Nazaire, France.  23,666 GRT, 713 feet long, 75 feet wide.  Steam turbines, quadruple screw.  Service speed 24 knots.  2,026 passengers (534 first class, 442 second class, 250 third class, 800 steerage).

Ocean Liner Style

The Ile de France was an important vessel not for its size, speed, or technological innovation.  Her modern interiors—art deco—set a new trend in ocean liner style and made other ships look rather dated.   When she entered service in 1927, the era of “ocean liner style” began.  Ships began to look like ships—not imitation of landside resorts and manor houses.

1:1250 model by Mercator.

The ship made much use of indirect lighting in the large public rooms.  The recessed light panels in the first class dining saloon (the largest afloat in 1927) cast a pink glow and was said to make ladies look younger and vivacious.   The room featured fluted pilasters and themes from Greek temple architecture.  Passengers entered the room via a sweeping staircase and were seated at unique curved chairs.  The food, with 250 some dishes to savor, served the best food on the Atlantic.

Other features were unique.  Traditionally the Verandah Café, or Winter Garden on liners was high on the superstructure and faced aft, often overlooking first class promenade spaces.  The Ile’s Veranda Café was lower and faced forward.  It was a small space but gave fantastic views of the sea ahead.  She was a ship full of amenities:  a bowling alley, a chapel with pillars and seats for 100, a merry-go-round for children, and the longest bar afloat. 

A lovely ship viewed at any angle.

French Line publicists loved touting the luxuries of the Ile de France and consequently she was consistently booked even in the depths of the Depression.  The Ile was charmed with Parisian chic and was a favorite of actors, artists, and luminaries.  It was a ship for the youthful, adventurous, and famous.

The Ile de France was in New York at the start of the Second World War.   In 1940, she was chartered by the British Admiralty and began trooping duties in the south Pacific and ferrying Canadian troops to Greenock from Halifax.  After a thorough re-fit, including the removal of her third funnel (a dummy), she resumed her Le Harve-New York service in 1949 and sailed that route with the Liberte (ex-Europa).

Ile de France in harbor.

In July, 1956, the Ile de France played a role in the rescue of passengers from the SS Andrea Doria after colliding with the MS Stockholm off Nantucket.

In 1958, after 31 years of service, she was retired and sold to Japanese shipbreakers in Osaka.  Before demolition, filmmakers staged her destruction on-screen for a film, The Last Voyage.  Travelers recognized the Ile and were horrified by the scenes of destructions through mostly intact interior spaces. 

S.S. Ile de France (1927-1958) built for Compagnie General Transatlantique (CGT) by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France.  As built: 43,153 GRT, 791 feet long, 91 feet wide.  Steam turbines, quadruple screw.  Service speed 23.5 knots.  1,786 total passengers (537 first class, 603 second class, 646 third class).