The United States, nicknamed ‘The Big U’, is an American transatlantic liner belonging to United States Lines.
She was built between 1950 and 1952 under the direction of naval architect William Francis Gibbs with the support of the US government, with the aim of providing the country with a fast, reliable ship that could carry passengers in peacetime, as well as troops in the event of a conflict between the United States and the USSR. She was assigned to the North Atlantic line, New York - Le Havre - Southampton.
Newport News Shipbuilding Keel laid 8 February 1950 Launched 23 June 1951 Commissioned 3 July 1952 Status Abandoned in the port of Philadelphia since 1996
Crew 900 (maximum 1093)
Technical specifications Length 301.8 m Main beam 31 m Draught 9.4 m Air draught 53 m Displacement 47,300 tonnes Tonnage 53,329 grt Propulsion 4 Westinghouse steam turbines Power 248,000 bhp (182 MW) Speed 57 km/h - 31 knots (cruising speed) 71 km/h - 38.32 knots (maximum speed)
Deck 12 Passengers 1,928
Owner United States Lines (1953 - 1978) Various private owners (1978 - 2003) Norwegian Cruise Line (since 2003) United States flag IMO 5373476 Cost 79.4 million dollars
(source wikipedia)
The ship was the largest built by the United States, and was also the fastest liner ever put into service. She won the prestigious Blue Ribbon on her maiden voyage in July 1952. Her record of 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes for a North Atlantic crossing has never been beaten by another liner. The ship was also characterised by a rather austere and functional decoration, as intended by her designer. Her career was short-lived, however, as she soon had to face competition from air traffic. She was withdrawn from service in 1969.
The ship was subsequently bought by several private owners between 1978 and 2003. Conversion to a cruise liner was considered, but never came to fruition. In 2003, Norwegian Cruise Line bought the ship for the same purpose. However, the United States has not left the Philadelphia dock, where it has been moored since 1996. In 2010, NCL was considering selling her to demolition companies, but the action of an association for the protection of the ship gave her a reprieve.
As early as 1908, naval architect William Francis Gibbs had in mind the idea of a giant liner over 300 metres long and capable of exceeding 30 knots. In 1914, he drew up the first plans, and in 1916, experiments were carried out using a scale model. However, the idea did not yet appeal, and the young architect's project never saw the light of day. Gibbs gained notoriety, however, when, at the end of the First World War, he redesigned the Leviathan, a former German liner that had been sold to the Americans. However, building a new liner in the United States was not yet on the agenda, as the country's ships were shunned by customers because of Prohibition. It was not until 1940 that the country acquired a new ocean liner of some scale: the America.
However, the Second World War gave the authorities a new perspective on liners. The Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth, both flagships of the British navy in terms of size and speed, impressed the American government in their role as troop transports. As early as 1943, the United States began to consider building a liner of this type and entrusted the management of operations to Gibbs, who submitted a first project in July 1945. However, the end of the war two months later suggested that the project would not see the light of day.
However, the impending Cold War quickly brought the project back to the fore, and the government finally decided to create the ship. A special commission was set up and a special tax levied to subsidise the construction of the liner. In addition to its speed, the ship had to be able to carry more than 10,000 soldiers to any field of operations, and be easily converted from civilian to military use.
The keel of United States was laid in February 1950 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. Unlike most ships of the time, the liner was built directly in a basin that was filled later. The engines installed were capable of developing a level of power never before achieved on a passenger liner: they had originally been designed for an American aircraft carrier. Because of its potential military functions, the ship must not be copied by enemy powers. As a result, most of the features remain secret not only during construction, but also with regard to the machinery and the design of the hull, which only become public knowledge once the ship has been dismantled.
The construction of the ship required a large number of workers, and the hull proved to be too large for the hold on which it was built. On 23 June 1951, the liner was launched in public. However, the keel had been submerged beforehand so that its design could remain a secret. The ship was completed the following year. It cost $78,000,000 to build, much of which was provided by the US government in exchange for possible military services.
The United States proved highly satisfactory when it was commissioned. Its sea trials were conclusive, enabling the ship to reach a record speed of almost 40 knots. The ship then made her maiden crossing between New York and Southampton, beating the record set by the Queen Mary in 1938. She took the Blue Ribbon on the return crossing, an award given for the shortest crossing in the Europe-America direction. This was the definitive record set by an ocean liner, with a crossing time of 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes. She became the first American ship to win this award since Collins Line's Baltic, more than a century earlier. While the Blue Ribbon remained definitively in the possession of the liner, the Hales trophy, which also symbolised the speed record, was awarded to the catamaran Hoverspeed Great Britain for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic from west to east.
For a time, the liner was used in rotation on the transatlantic line with the America, which was commissioned during the Second World War. The ship acquired a loyal clientele, in particular that of the Duke of Windsor and his wife. However, competition from airliners became increasingly pressing in the late 1950s. Gradually, the ships were also sent out on winter cruises. In 1964, as both ships continued to lose customers, the America was withdrawn from service and sold. The United States was then the last American liner on the transatlantic route. The ship also carried the Mona Lisa on board, an honour shared only with the France, also one of the last transatlantic liners. The ship was finally withdrawn from service in 1969 after going into dry dock for an overhaul. After almost 800 crossings for United States Lines, the ship left the line for good.
The ship was then laid up and handed over to the Federal Administration in 1973. The administration decided that, since the ship's design had to remain secret, it could not be sold to a foreign power. The liner therefore remained docked in Norfolk, Virginia. At the end of the 1970s, Norwegian Cruise Line tried unsuccessfully to buy her, and finally set its sights on the France. However, in 1978, the ship was bought by United States Cruises Inc, which planned to convert it into a cruise ship. This did not happen, however, and the company went bankrupt in 1992 without the ship having yet left its ‘dock of oblivion’.
That year, the ship was bought by a Turkish shipowner who wanted to use her for cruises in the Caribbean. The United States therefore left for the Mediterranean to undergo asbestos removal. Faced with exorbitant costs, however, the shipowner got cold feet and sold the ship. The ship was finally seized by the American authorities on 27 January 1997 for lack of payment, and never left the Philadelphia dock where it had been towed the previous year.
Norwegian Cruise Line bought the liner in 2003 to turn it into a cruise ship, and said it wanted to refit it, but this never happened. In 2009, it was announced that the company was looking to resell the liner. The vast majority of potential buyers were demolition companies. The SS United States Conservancy sought to save the liner by buying it back, and received support. A Philadelphia businessman donated $300,000 to the association for this purpose. The group also has the support of former President Bill Clinton. On 1 July 2010, an agreement was reached, with NCL giving the association until February 2011 to buy back the ship for $3 million. The vessel must also meet the requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency by being cleared of some of its toxins. Once the vessel has been purchased, the SS United States Conservancy will receive financial support for 20 months to make the vessel profitable.
19 nov 2023
NEW YORK, NY - The SS United States , America's flagship, could be coming home to New York City as part of a transformative economic development project unveiled today by the SS United States Conservancy, owner of the iconic ship.
The plan, developed in collaboration with two leading New York companies, RXR and MCR Hotels , would transform the legendary ocean liner into a unique mixed-use destination, including a 1,000m landmark hotel, numerous food and beverage destinations, multiple event venues, acres of public green space and a world-class museum. The project could be the cornerstone of a decades-long effort to protect and revitalise the Hudson River waterfront, create thousands of new jobs and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue each year.
During her rich military career, the SS United States broke the transatlantic speed record in 1952 using only two-thirds of her power, a record that has never been beaten. From her berth on the Hudson River, she carried over a million passengers, from celebrities and royalty to immigrants and tourists. It was also a top-secret convertible troop transport that could carry 14,000 troops 10,000 miles without refuelling.
The publication of a redevelopment plan comes at a time when the SS United States is in peril. The ship is facing eviction from its current dock in Philadelphia. The ship's owner doubled the Conservancy's rent without notice during the coronavirus pandemic, putting significant financial pressure on the organisation. The Conservancy is currently in litigation over the matter, with a trial date scheduled for early December.
The concept plan for a privately funded commercial redevelopment identified the Hudson River in Manhattan as the optimal ‘home port’ for the ship, due to its proximity to transportation and pedestrian access to the Javits Convention Center. The project would involve the redesign and reconstruction of the adjacent docks, creating acres of new public green space on board the ship and in adjacent areas. The potential for transforming the ship is not limited to New York. Other locations and port cities could benefit from the commercial revitalisation and iconic status of the ship.
RXR and MCR developed comprehensive schematic design drawings, extensive engineering and construction feasibility due diligence in consultation with U.S. shipyards, financial analysis to demonstrate the commercial viability of the project, and an assessment of permitting and regulatory requirements to advance the redevelopment program. The project due diligence team included Gibbs & Cox, the ship's original design company, Perkins Eastman and HLW Architects, as well as local land use and regulatory advisors.
The overall programme drew on MCR and RXR's extensive experience in redeveloping iconic historic properties in New York, including Eero Saarinen's 1962 TWA Flight Center and Hotel at JFK Airport and Manhattan's historic Pier 57.
The Conservancy is now seeking interest from the New York state and region or other potential cities to advance its project on a host pier site. The nonprofit organization and its development team are prepared to donate the ship and the design and engineering work completed to date to accelerate progress in securing a preferred location for the ship's revitalization.
‘The SS United States symbolises the ambition and innovation of the nation. Our development partners have recognised the patriotic and economic importance of this monumental project. Through their due diligence, they have created a bold and exciting plan that preserves the ship's history and activates the ship's commercial potential,’ said Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy, the national non-profit organization that has worked tirelessly to save it. for more than a decade.
The ship was once a global ambassador for the nation of the same name, and her red, white and blue smokestacks were a source of pride and inspiration after the devastation of World War II. Although the Jet Age silenced its engines in 1969, the SS United States continues to represent an inspiring synthesis of post-war technological innovation, mid-century modern design and the nation's enduring ambition, resilience and optimism.
‘The Conservancy's passionate partners and supporters from across the country and around the world have created a viable path to save the SS United States,’ added Gibbs, the granddaughter of the ship's original designer. ‘But we are quickly running out of time. We know this can be a viable and transformative project. Let's come together to ensure a home for America's flagship product.
ABOUT THE SS UNITED STATES CONSERVANCY A national nonprofit organization, the SS United States Conservancy leads the global effort to save and reuse America's flagship, the SS United States . The Conservancy raises public awareness and financial resources for the maintenance, restoration and ultimate reuse of this iconic ship, and ensures that the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic remains a source of inspiration for generations to come. For more information about the SS United States Conservancy and America's Flagship, visit ssusc.org or the Conservancy's Facebook page.
Today's scheduled departure of the SS United States has been delayed ‘to ensure logistical details and procedures maintain ideal conditions for the move,’ said Okaloosa County spokesman Nick Tomecek.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest
You can post new topics in this forum You can reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum
Login
Register
FAQ
