Mauretania (1) | Norway Heritage

Ship Data

Type	Built	Burden	Dimensions	Line / Owner
S.S.	1906 at Wallsend-on-Tyne by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson	31,938 gross	762.2ft x 88ft x 61ft	Cunard Line

Cunard Line steamship, leaving the Tyne after lauch

Cunard Line steamship Mauretania, leaving Wallsend-on-Tyne after lauch
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Photo of the S/S Mauretania from an old postcard
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Mauretania (1) - Cunard Line steamship, interiors from the 3rd class (steerage) accommodations aboard the Mauretania - 3rd class Entrance Hall, 3rd class Dining Room, 3rd class Smoking Room and a 3rd class 4 Berth Room.

Mauretania (1) - Cunard Line steamship, interiors from the 3rd class accommodations; 3rd class Entrance Hall, 3rd class Dining Room, 3rd class Smoking Room and a 3rd class 4 Berth Room.
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Cunard Line steamship Mauretania - at the landing stage, Liverpool
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Cunard Line steamship Mauretania at Liverpool landing stage
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This fantastic ship was built to regain the blue ribbon from the German liners. She was equipped with 4 direct-action Parson steam turbines; two high pressure and two low pressure, producing 70,000 HP. Quadruple propellers of improved design gave her a service speed of 25 knots. On her trials she attained a speed of 27.04 knots. Assuming that she could maintain her best record speed of 27.04 knots, along the line of the equator, she would encircle the globe in 38 days, 12 hours, 33 minutes and 22 seconds. To increase the speed with 1.5 knots they had to go from 40,000 HP. to 70,000 HP. She had 11 watertight bulkheads and 6 decks. The doors between the bulkheads could be closed from the bridge, where the captain stood 100 feet above the sea level. For her hull they used 4 million steel rivets, at a total weight of 500 tons. Her four funnels were each 155 feet high and the two masts 216 feet high, which was actually 2 feet longer than the length of the S/S Britannia, the first steamship of the line. There were 3 anchors weighing 10 tons each, and anchor chains of 1,800 feet. There was accommodation for 563 first class passengers, 464 second class passengers and 1400 third class (steerage) passengers. The majority of the emigrants travelled as steerage passengers. The number of officers and crew was 812. There were two electric elevators for the passengers, and 6 elevators for cargo and mail. She had 1200 windows and 5000 electric lamps. Below is a selection of images of the famous oceanliner which brought thousands of passengers across the Atlantic to their new homeland in America

S/S Mauretania, on the bridge

S/S Mauretania, the engine room

Quadruple propellers on the Mauretania of improved design

Passengers on the aft of the S/S Mauretania (Photo 1911)

S/S Mauretania compared to a football stadium
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S/S Mauretania's enormous Pulling Power

This image is from a Cunard Line comparisions booklet, it shows the S/S Mauretania's enormous Pulling Power. 780 100-h.p. racing cars would be required to hold this record speed ship with its 78,000h.p.

A voyage from Norway to America in 1911 - An account of a voyage from Bergen to Newcastle on the S/S Hera, then from Liverpool to New York on the S/S Mauretania.

Chronological History

Year	Event
1906	Sept. 20, launched
1907	Nov. 16, maiden voyage Liverpool-Queenstown-New York, on the return voyage she took the record from the Lusitania (4 days, 22 hours and 29 min.)
1907	Liverpool-Queenstown-New York service
1909	Took the record, crossing in 4 days, 17 hrs. and 20 min., and held the record until 1929 - beaten by the Bremen
1914	Hospital ship
1915	Hospital ship
1916	Laid up at Greenock
1917	US troop transport
1918	US troop transport
1919	Southampton - New York
1920	Southampton - New York
1921	Southampton - New York
1921	Damaged by fire at Southampton, repaired and rebuilt to 30,696 tons, converted from coal to oil fuel, refitted to carry 589 1st-class , 400 2nd-class and 767 3rd-class passengers
1922	Mar. 25, resumed Southampton - Cherbourg - New York
1931	Refitted to carry 1st-class, tourist-class and 3rd-class
1935	July 1, left Southampton for Rosyth, where she was scrapped.