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Cunard's RMS Aquitania - "The Ship Beautiful"

The longest serving liner of all time (except for the much later QE2, but she was heavily rebuilt mid-life), serving in both peacetime and two world wars.  A true classic British luxury transatlantic liner, and at one point the benchmark for all others.
  • Launched from John Browns shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, April 1913
  • Only major ship to serve during both first and second World Wars
  • The last '4 stacker' to be retired
  • 45,647 tons
  • 901 feet long by 97 feet wide
  • Her giant steam turbines powered four screws at 23 knots allowing her to cross the Atlantic in 6 days, faster than modern liners.
  • Cunard ran a three ship, weekly service with Aquitania together with the faster but less luxurious Lusitania and Mauretania.
  • She could carry 3,230 passengers (618 First Class, 614 Second Class and 1,998 Third Class)
  • Originally coal-fired, converted to oil in 1919 post-war refit
  • Steamed more than 3,000,000 miles and carried 1,200,000
  • Scrapped 1950 in Scotland after long, successful career.

Wonderful, rare colour film of Aquitania.

Picture
John Maxtone-Graham in "Liners to the Sun," recounts a funny story about Aquitania's first WWII crossing back to England. 

By the time WWII rolled around, Aquitania remained the sole four-funnel ship in the world.

An old destroyer from the reserves came out to meet her and signalled with an Aldis lamp..."FOUR FUNNEL SHIP PLEASE INDICATE. 

(Captain) George Gibbon's remark when told the signal was classic: "We are the only ***** four-funnel ship in the world and that so-and-so wants our name. Tell him to read 'The News of the World.'

The next signal was DO YOU REQUIRE AN ESCORT?,
(our) reply CAN YOU KEEP UP?. 

The final signal as we drew away, still at full speed: YOUR FINE SPEED REQUIRES LITTLE PROTECTION." 

Emails

Click here to read a selection of wonderful Emails from people who travelled on Aquitania mostly during the wars.

The best Aquitania Internet Resources to find out more :

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