Majestic (II)
RMS Majestic (II) the largest liner the White Star line would ever own was originally Germanys Hamburg American lines Bismarck. Bismark along with two sisters' Imperator and Vaterland were intended to rival white stars Olympic, Titanic and Britannic and Cunard lines Lusitania, Mauritania and Aquitania.
Bismarck was launched on 20th June 1914 at Blohm and Voss shipyards Hamburg with the Kaiser in attendance. Bismarck then spent the whole of the first world war uncompleted and sitting around doing nothing.
After the war the 56,000 ton Bismarck was handed over to Britain as war reparation on 28th June 1919. Bismarck along with her sister imperator were sold jointly to Cunard and white star in 1921.
Bismarck become white star's Majestic and Imperator become Cunards Berengaria.
Majestic was completed under Harland and wolf supervision at Blohm and Voss ship yards.
Majestic although wrongly painted in Hamburg Americans lines colours and baring the name Bismarck begun her sea trials on March 28th 1922. This would be the first and last time she sailed under the command of a German captain.
On 9th April 1922 the then largest ship in the world and now in white star line colours and the white star lines flag ship sailed from Germany to her new home under the command of commodore sir Bertram Hayes.
Majestic left Southampton on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on 10th may 1922. On the way back from New York a steerage passenger committed suicide by jumping off the stern. His body was not found.
Majestic would spend most of her career sailing with Olympic on the new York – Southampton rout along with Homeric taking the places intended for Titanic and Britannic.
On 22nd December 1922 Majestic collided with her Cunard owned sister ship Berengaria in Southampton after majestic was blown of course while docking there was no series damage done.
Majestic was involved in “booze cruises” as her crew called them during the American Alcohol prohibition. She had at least one 3 day voyage mainly for that purpose although it probably would not have been advertised as a “booze cruise”. Winston Churchill was aboard at the time while recovering from an accident in New York.
In December 1924 while on her way to New York in bad weather a 100 foot crack appeared on majestic.
After returning home to Southampton on Captain Hayes last voyage before retiring she was out of service until April 1925.
In 1928 Majestic was refitted in Boston. The work had to be carried out in Boston as there was no dry dock big enough to accommodate majestic in Britain until 1934.
When the White Star Line merged with Cunard in May 1934 Majestic become part of the new Cunard white star fleet and flew both the Cunard and White Star flag.
In October 1934 while on her way back from new York majestic's captain EL Trant sustained head injuries which later become infected and injuries to his shoulder and face after a large wave struck the bridge smashing four windows and knocking the captain over. As soon as majestic landed he was sent to hospital where he remained until after majestic had gone home.
In May 1935 the French 79,280 ton liner Normandie entered service which meant that Majestic was no longer the largest ship in the world but she did remain the largest British ship until Queen Mary. Majestic was the last white star ship to be the largest in the world.
On 13th February 1936 Majestic started her 207th and last voyage to New York before being taken out of service after 14 years of being the White Star flag ship. When Majestic returned to Southampton on 29 February she was laid up.
In May 1936 Cunard White Star sold Majestic for £115,000 to Thos W Ward to be broken up but Majestic was sold again in July to the British Admiralty for use as a stationery cadet training ship in Rosyth.
In April 1937 after being converted into a cadet ship, renamed HMS Caledonia and with her masts and funnels shortened so that she could pass under the Forth Bridge in Scotland she made her last voyage from Southampton.
On 29th September 1939, with no one onboard a fire broke out and destroyed and sank the ship. In March 1940 Caledonia/Majestic was sold again to Thos W Ward who demolished her as far as the waterline before the remainder of the ship was raised and towed to Inverkeithing for scrapping in July 1943.
