While the Cunard Line had the Blue Ribbon secured with Lusitania and Mauritania, a new problem presented it's self in the form of the Olympic. Her luxuries were drawing people away from the Cunard line and to the White Star Line's new beast, even with the aftermath of the Titanic disaster. Cunard decided to build an even bigger ship than Olympic to work with the Lusitania and Mauritania. She would be fast, but not a record holder. What she would be though is luxurious.
She was built by John Brown and Co, the same firm that built the Lusitania several years earlier. She however would be several decks higher that her running mates, be squared off, and be 110 feet longer than Mauritania (901 feet all up), and have a beam of 97 feet. She had four propellers and could travel at a top speed of 23 knots. If lined up beside her sisters, she would look very different, though still maintain that charm people liked so much about her running mates. If anything, she was Cunard's version of an Olympic Class.
Aquitania was launched on April 21st, 1913, just over a year after the Titanic disaster. Christened by the Countess of Derby before a crowd of well over 100,000, the new ship was to be one of the most successful in the history of ocean liners with a career to last far longer than her running mates. It was announced that Captain William Turner would be her commander on hr maiden voyage. That voyage was set for May 30th, 1914. Whilst the day was awaited with anticipation, another disaster shadowed the date. The liner Empress of Ireland had sank in the St. Lawrence river the day before with a massive loss of life, at the time the second worst next to Titanic (only a scant few months later, Lusitania would take that position). Cunard had the roster set so as one of the three liners would leave from Liverpool every Saturday and return on a Tuesday 17 days later. Unfortunatly, Cunard's three ship service was cut short by the outbreak of war in Europe. All up, Aquitania made only three voyages between England and America before the Admiralty requisitioned her for service as an auxillery cruiser. |
