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The SS United States (also known as "The Big U") is an ocean liner built in 1952 for the United States Lines. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. William Francis Gibbs ( August 24, 1886 &ndash September 6, 1967) was a renowned naval architect who directed the Mass production The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one Seaport to another along regular long-distance Maritime routes according to a schedule United States Lines was a transatlantic Shipping company that operated cargo services from 1921 to 1989 and Ocean liners until 1969&mdashmost famously the SS At 53,329 gross tons, she is the largest ocean liner to date built entirely in the United States and is still the fastest liner ever built. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation. In 1952, on her maiden voyage as the new flagship of the United States Lines, the United States captured the Blue Riband with the fastest transatlantic crossing on record. For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation. The entry of the United States marked the first time a U. S. -flagged ship held the Blue Riband, surpassing European speed records which had stood for decades. The United States lost the eastbound record in 1990, but still holds the westbound record. The United States plied the transatlantic with passenger service until 1969, and she outlasted the demise of her original owners. The ship is currently docked in Philadelphia until a decision is made about her fate.
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Construction
Inspired by the exemplary service of the British liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth which transported hundreds of thousands of U. Naming and construction With Germany launching their and into service the British did not want to be left out in this ship building race Maiden voyage At the start of World War II the Queen Elizabeth had been launched and was still in the process of fitting out S. troops to Europe during World War II, the United States government decided to sponsor construction of a large and very fast merchant vessel capable of transporting large numbers of soldiers. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Designed by renowned American naval architect and marine engineer William Francis Gibbs, the liner's construction was a joint effort between the United States Navy and United States Lines. William Francis Gibbs ( August 24, 1886 &ndash September 6, 1967) was a renowned naval architect who directed the Mass production United States Lines was a transatlantic Shipping company that operated cargo services from 1921 to 1989 and Ocean liners until 1969&mdashmost famously the SS The U. S. government underwrote $50 million of the $78 million construction cost, with the ship's operators, United States Lines, contributing the remaining $28 million. In exchange, she was designed to be easily converted into a troopship with a capacity of 15,000 troops, or a hospital ship in the case of war. A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a Ship used to carry Soldiers either in peacetime or wartime
She was built from 1950-1952 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia. Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding ( NGS) formerly called Northrop Grumman Newport News ( NGNN) or Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company Newport News is an Independent city in Virginia. It is at the south-western end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River Her keel was laid and her hull was constructed in a graving dock. A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform The United States was built to exacting Navy specifications, which required that she be heavily compartmentalized and have separate engine rooms to enable her to survive should she be damaged in war.
To minimize the risk of fire, the designers of the United States did not use a single piece of wood in her framing, accessories or decorations. There were no wood interior surfaces. Fittings, including all furniture and fabrics, were custom made in glass, metal and spun glass fiber to ensure they were in full compliance with strict fireproof guidelines set by the U. S. Navy. Even the clothes hangers in the luxury cabins were made of aluminum. The only wooden equipment used in the construction of the vessel was in the bilge keels and butcher blocks in the galleys. In boats and ships keel can refer to either of two parts a structural element or a hydrodynamic element The galley is the compartment of a Ship, Submarine, Train or Aircraft where food is cooked and prepared The grand piano in the ballroom was even made of a rare, fire-resistant species of wood. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers
The construction of the ship's superstructure involved the largest use of aluminum in any construction project to that time, and presented a special challenge to the builders in joining the aluminum structure to the steel decks below. WikipediaNaming The significant use of aluminum provided extreme weight savings. At 105 feet (32 m) beam, the United States was built to Panamax capacity, ensuring that she could clear the Panama Canal locks with just 2 feet (0. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International " Panamax " ships are of the maximum dimensions that will fit through the locks of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is a man-made Canal in Panama which joins the 6 m) to spare on either side. The United States featured the classified derated powerplant of the Iowa-class battleships and was the most powerful engine installation in a merchant marine vessel, she was capable of steaming astern at over 20 knots (37 km/h) and could carry enough fuel and stores to steam non-stop for over 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km). History The Iowa -class battleships were shaped by the Battle of Jutland, by naval treaties signed by various countries during the 1920s and 1930s and by the (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand
Service history
Embarking on her maiden voyage on 4 July 1952, the United States smashed the transatlantic speed record held by the Queen Mary for the previous 14 years by over 10 hours, making her maiden crossing from the Ambrose lightship at New York Harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, UK in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes at an average speed of 35. Maiden Voyage is the fifth Album led by Jazz musician Herbie Hancock, and was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1965 for Blue Note Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lightship Ambrose was the name of the lightship serving as the sentinel beacon marking Ambrose Channel, the main shipping channel for New York Harbor New York Harbor, a geographic term refers collectively to the rivers bays and tidal estuaries near the mouth of the Hudson River in the vicinity of New York City See Cortes Bank for the 'Bishop Rock' in the Pacific Ocean Bishop Rock (Men an Eskob is a small rock at the westernmost tip of the Isles Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 59 knots (40. 96 mph). The liner also broke the westbound crossing record by returning to America in 3 days 12 hours and 12 minutes at an average speed of 34. 51 knots (39. 71 mph), thereby obtaining both the eastbound and westbound Blue Ribands. For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation. The United States maintained a 30-knot (35 mph) crossing speed on the North Atlantic in a service career that lasted 17 years. During her career her Captains were Harry Manning, John Anderson and Leroy J. Alexanderson. Commodore John W Anderson was the longest serving captain of the, the fastest Ocean liner in history Leroy J Alexanderson ( June 27 1910 - February 28 2004) was the last captain of the She was very popular and proved to be a worthy competitor to the Cunard Line's Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Cunard Line is a British shipping company operator of the Ocean liners RMS ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' ( QE2) RMS ''Queen Mary 2'' (
The maximum speed of the United States was deliberately exaggerated, and kept obscure for many years. An impossible value of 43 knots (49 mph) was leaked to reporters by engineers after the first speed trial. The actual top speed — 38. 3 knots (44. 1 mph) — was not revealed until 1977.
Recent history
While the United States was at Newport News for her annual overhaul in 1969, her owners decided to take her out of service and she was laid up at Newport News. A few years later, she was moved to Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States Since then, ownership has been passed between several companies. In 1978 the vessel was sold to private interests who hoped to revitalize the liner in a time share cruise ship format. A timeshare is a form of ownership or right to the use of a property or the term used to describe such properties A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience Financing fell through and the ship was placed up for auction by MARAD. The United States Maritime Administration or MARAD, is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation that maintains the National Defense During the 1980's the United States was considered by the United States Navy as a troop ship or a hospital ship to be called the USS United States, but this plan never materialized. In 1984, the ship's remaining fittings and furniture were sold at auction in Norfolk. Some of the furniture now represents a substantial portion of the interior of Windmill Point, a restaurant in Nags Head, NC (These items include dining room tables and chairs in the main restaurant and the bar and lounge tables and chairs in the upstairs lounge as well as other items. Nags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. ) In 1992, a new consortium of owners bought the vessel and had her towed to Turkey and then Ukraine, where she underwent asbestos removal. No viable agreements were reached in the U. S. for a reworking of the vessel and eventually the United States was towed to her current dock in South Philadelphia, where she has been moored since 1996. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə She can be easily viewed from shore and Interstate 95, as the United States is located directly across Columbus Boulevard from Philadelphia's IKEA store. Interstate 95 in the state of Pennsylvania, officially known as the Delaware Expressway and locally known as "95" runs for 51 miles IKEA is a privately-held international home products retailer that sells flat pack Furniture, accessories bathrooms and kitchens at retail stores around the world
While the United States was the last superliner to hold the Blue Riband, she eventually lost the eastbound transatlantic record in 1990 to Hoverspeed Great Britain, an Incat-built Norwegian-owned wave-piercing catamaran ferry. A superliner is an Ocean liner of over 10000 gross tons The term was coined in the late 19th century when ocean liners were rapidly increasing in size and speed For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation. English Channel HSC Hoverspeed Great Britain was replaced on the cross-channel route by MDV 1200 class ferries HSC ''SuperSeaCat One'' and HSC Incat is a manufacturer of large HSC Catamarans based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A catamaran (From Tamil 'kattumaram' is a type of Multihulled Boat or Ship consisting of two hulls or vakas joined by some The United States still retains the westbound speed record.
In 1999, the SS United States Foundation[2] and the SS United States Conservancy[3] (then known as the SS United States Preservation Society, Inc. ) succeeded in having the ship placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A lady in waiting
In 2003, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) purchased the ship with the stated intent of fully restoring her to a service role in their newly-announced American-flagged Hawaiian passenger service called NCL America. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL is a company operating Cruise ships headquartered in Miami, Florida. The SS United States is one of only a handful of ships eligible to enter such service because of the Jones Act, which requires that any vessel engaged in domestic commerce be built and flagged in the USA and operated by a predominantly American crew. In August 2004 NCL commenced feasibility studies regarding a new build-out of the vessel, and in May 2006 Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Malaysia-based Star Cruises (which owns NCL), stated that the company's next project is "the restoration of the. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Star Cruises is the third-largest Cruise line in the world behind Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean, and dominates the Asia-Pacific . . United States. "[4] By May 2007, an extensive technical review had been completed, with NCL stating that the ship was in sound condition. The cruise line has over 100 boxes of the ship's blueprints cataloged. While this documentation is not complete, NCL believes it will provide useful information for the planned refit. [5]
Nonetheless, the ship is an ongoing source of fascination and object of affection for a devoted group of fans which keeps in touch via the Internet and meets annually in Philadelphia. The ship receives occasional press coverage such as a 2007 feature article in USA Today and there have been various projects through the years to celebrate the ship such as lighting it on special occasions. A television documentary about the ship was completed in early February, 2008 and will be distributed through Chicago's WTTW TV and American Public Television with the first airings slated for May, 2008 on PBS stations throughout the USA.
See also
- SS America (1940), United states’s post-war running mate. Construction (1936–1939 America was laid down under the first Maritime Commission contract on 22 August 1938, at Newport News
Gallery
 Postcard of the SS United States |
 Sun deck of SS United States during 1964 eastbound voyage |
 SS United States disembarking at Le Havre in 1964 |
 Photo of SS United States from Columbus Blvd |
 Photo of the SS United States taken from The Spirit of Philadelphia cruise ship |
References
- Braynard, Frank O. (1968). Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine Frank O Braynard, Fellow of the Royal Society Born Francis Osborn Braynard (1916 - 2007 in Glen Cove New York author artist maritime historian By Their Works Ye Shall Know Them, The Life and Ships of William Francis Gibbs 1886-1967. Gibbs & Cox, Inc.
Notes
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor
- ^ SS United States Foundation
- ^ SS United States Conservancy
- ^ Maritimematters.com
- ^ John McDevitt (2007-05-09). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Cruising Future Seen For a Rusting South Phila. Hulk. KYW Newsradio, Philadelphia.
External links
- "World’s Fastest Superliner Awaits Rebirth—or the Scrap Yard" by Dan Koeppel, Popular Mechanics, June 2008.
- Big Ship Films, LLC's Homepage about the Lady In Waiting Documentary
- The SS United States Conservancy Official Website
- "The United States" by C.K. Williams
- The SS United States Group - All Things SS United States
- Archival film footage of a cruise aboard the SS United States
- SS United States Conservancy, a non-profit 501(c)3 preservation group
- SS United States Foundation a Federal 501c3 nonprofit historic preservation site
- SS United States Google Group
- SS United States site
- SS United States 2007 photographs
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Queen Mary |
Holder of the Blue Riband (Westbound) 1952 – present |
Incumbent |
| Holder of the Blue Riband (Eastbound) 1952 – 1990 |
Succeeded by Hoverspeed Great Britain |
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