SS Leviathan
Encyclopedia
SS Leviathan, originally built as SS Vaterland, was an ocean liner which regularly sailed the North Atlantic briefly in 1914 and from 1917 to 1934. The second of a trio of transatlantic liners built by Germany
's Hamburg America Line
for the transatlantic passenger service, she would sail as Vaterland for less than a year before her early career was halted by the start of World War I
. In 1917, she was seized by the U.S. government and renamed Leviathan. She would become known by this name for the majority of her career, both as a troopship during World War I and later as the flagship of the United States Lines
.
, was built by Blohm & Voss at Hamburg
, Germany
, as the second of a trio of very large ships of Imperator class for the Hamburg-America Line's
trans-Atlantic route. She was launched 13 April 1913 and was the largest passenger ship
in the world upon her completion, superseding , but later being superseded in turn by the last ship of this class, , the later .
Vaterland had made only a few trips when, in late July 1914, she arrived at New York, NY just as World War I
broke out. With a safe return to Germany rendered virtually impossible by British
dominance of the seas, she was laid up at her Hoboken, NJ, terminal and remained immobile for nearly three years.
when the United States
entered World War I, 6 April 1917; turned over to the custody of the U.S. Navy in June 1917; and commissioned July 1917 as the USS Vaterland, Captain Joseph Wallace Oman
in command. Redesignated SP-1326 and renamed Leviathan by President
Woodrow Wilson
on 6 September 1917.
The trial cruise to Cuba
on 17 November 1917, prompted Captain Oman to order 241 Marines, onboard to relieve a detachment of Marines, to station themselves conspicuously about the upper decks giving the appearance from shore that the great ship was headed overseas to increase American Expeditionary Forces. Upon her return later that month, she reported for duty with the Cruiser and Transport Force
. In December she took troops to Liverpool
, England
, but repairs delayed her return to the U.S. until mid-February 1918. A second trip to Liverpool in March was followed by more repairs. At that time she was repainted with the British-type "dazzle"
camouflage
scheme that she carried for the rest of the war. With the completion of that work, Leviathan began regular passages between the U.S. and Brest
, France
, delivering up to 14,000 persons on each trip, carrying over 119,000 fighting men, before the armistice
11 November 1918.
After that date Leviathan, repainted grey overall by December 1918, reversed the flow of men as she transported the veterans back to the United States with nine westward crossings ending 8 September 1919. On 29 October 1919, USS Leviathan was decommissioned and turned over to the U.S. Shipping Board and again laid up at Hoboken until plans for her future employment could be determined.
objected the purchase by claiming British influence over I.M.M, riding on nationalistic sentiment to stop the deal.
The Gibbs brothers were allowed to continue by the Shipping Board even as the deal fell through, their first big task being the creation of a new set of blueprints. None had been forced from Germany by the Versailles Treaty and the price was deemed outrageous, instead an army of workers measured every part of the ship until a new set of prints had been made.
Having languished in political limbo at her Hoboken pier until April 1922 a decision was finally made and the $8,000,000 in funds allocated to sail Leviathan to Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia
, for her 14 month reconditioning and refurbishment. War duty and age meant that all wiring, plumbing, and interior layouts were stripped and redesigned while her hull was strengthened and engines converted for oil while being refurbished; virtually a new ship emerged.
The decorations and fittings, designed by New York architects Walker & Gillette
, retained much of her prewar splendor of Edwardian, Georgian, Louis XVI styles now merged with modern 1920s touches. The biggest deviation was an art deco
night club transplanting the original Verandah Cafe. And in June 1923 she was given back to the Shipping Board. Leviathans measured tonnage had increased to 59,956.65 GRT
and her speed trials showed an average of 27.48 knots. Thanks in part to Gibbs cleaver accounting and the Gulf stream she had become the worlds largest and fastest ship.
By this time United States Lines, which had interested I.M.M, had been sold and contractually obligated to run the Leviathan for a minimum of 5 return voyages on the Atlantic run per year. The Gibbs Brothers Inc would run her for her first voyages and train the crew until ownership officially changed hands. She immediately proved popular with the American public in the 20's, starting her career fully booked for her maiden voyage July 4th 1923. Her passenger average reached a strong 1,300 by 1926 and making her the #1 traveled ship on the Atlantic, but compared to her capacity of 3,000 it was too little to be profitable.
Her economic problems lay primarily in high labor and fuel costs which were compounded by the prohibition
. From 1920 all US registered ships counted as an extension of US territory, making them “dry ships” according to the National Prohibition Act. With the Atlantic capacity oversaturated, especially after the Immigration Act of 1924
, alcohol-seeking passengers readily chose other liners. But Leviathan was an American symbol of power and prestige, which despite her economic failings, made her a popular ship with loyal travelers. She attracted attention as the largest and fastest ship in the American merchant marine and featured in countless adverts. The only serious incident occurred one day out of Cherbourg on a winter crossing in 1924 where she met a fierce storm with 90ft waves and winds up to 100mph, at times forcing her to a 20 degree heel. Eleven portholes were smashed and 32 passengers injured by the time the storm abated.
The ship's orchestra, the S.S. Leviathan Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Maples, was also well regarded. Gramophone record
s were produced in 1923 and 1924 for Victor Records by the band, which would later become inspiration for the New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra
decades later.
But by 1927 the “good years” were over, during which time U.S. Lines had been sold and re-nationalized. In 1929 Leviathan was finally allowed to serve “medicinal alcohol” outside of US territorial waters to make her more competitive with foreign lines and was quickly sent on Booze Cruises to make money. The Great Depression was the final nail in the coffin and U.S. Lines actively lobbied for the Shipping Board to either take the Leviathan back or give them a subsidy for her operation. She was laid up at her pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, in June 1933, having lost $75,000 per round trip since 1929.
U.S. Lines had been acquired at auction by I.M.M. in 1931 who were just as eager to be rid of their white elephant. The government steadfastly stipulated that Leviathan should sail, and so she did after a refurbishment of $150,000, for another five round trips. The very first round trip sailed on June 9th 1934, high season on the Atlantic, and tallied a loss of $143,000. By Leviathans' fifth voyage she sailed at barely half capacity. The I.M.M. paid the U.S. government $500,000 for permission to retire her while keeping her in running order until 1936.
In 1937 she was finally sold to the British Metal Industries Ltd. On January 26th 1938 Leviathan set out on her 301st and last voyage, arriving at Rosyth
, Scotland
, February 14th. In the 21 years she served U.S. Lines she carried more then a quarter-million passengers, never making a cent.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Hamburg America Line
Hamburg America Line
The Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft was a transatlantic shipping enterprise established in Hamburg, Germany during...
for the transatlantic passenger service, she would sail as Vaterland for less than a year before her early career was halted by the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1917, she was seized by the U.S. government and renamed Leviathan. She would become known by this name for the majority of her career, both as a troopship during World War I and later as the flagship of the United States Lines
United States Lines
United States Lines was a transatlantic shipping company that operated cargo services from 1921 to 1989, and ocean liners until 1969—most famously the SS United States.-1920s:...
.
German service
SS Vaterland, a 54,282 gross ton passenger linerOcean liner
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. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
, was built by Blohm & Voss at Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, as the second of a trio of very large ships of Imperator class for the Hamburg-America Line's
Hapag-Lloyd
Hapag-Lloyd is a German transportation company comprising a cargo container shipping line, Hapag-Lloyd AG, which in turn owns other subsidiaries such as Hapag-Lloyd Ships and a cruise line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises which is now integrated into TUI AG, Hanover...
trans-Atlantic route. She was launched 13 April 1913 and was the largest passenger ship
Passenger ship
A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is...
in the world upon her completion, superseding , but later being superseded in turn by the last ship of this class, , the later .
Vaterland had made only a few trips when, in late July 1914, she arrived at New York, NY just as World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out. With a safe return to Germany rendered virtually impossible by British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
dominance of the seas, she was laid up at her Hoboken, NJ, terminal and remained immobile for nearly three years.
World War I
She was seized by the United States Shipping BoardUnited States Shipping Board
The United States Shipping Board was established as an emergency agency by the Shipping Act , 7 September 1916. It was formally organized 30 January 1917. It was sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board.http://www.gwpda.org/wwi-www/Hurley/bridgeTC.htm | The Bridge To France by Edward N....
when the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered World War I, 6 April 1917; turned over to the custody of the U.S. Navy in June 1917; and commissioned July 1917 as the USS Vaterland, Captain Joseph Wallace Oman
Joseph Wallace Oman
Joseph Wallace Oman was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and veteran of the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, and World War I. He is a recipient of the Navy Cross. He was also the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1919 to 1921.-Biography:Oman was born in...
in command. Redesignated SP-1326 and renamed Leviathan by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
on 6 September 1917.
The trial cruise to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
on 17 November 1917, prompted Captain Oman to order 241 Marines, onboard to relieve a detachment of Marines, to station themselves conspicuously about the upper decks giving the appearance from shore that the great ship was headed overseas to increase American Expeditionary Forces. Upon her return later that month, she reported for duty with the Cruiser and Transport Force
Cruiser and Transport Force
The Cruiser and Transport Service was a unit of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet during World War I that was responsible for transporting American men and materiel to France.- Composition :...
. In December she took troops to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but repairs delayed her return to the U.S. until mid-February 1918. A second trip to Liverpool in March was followed by more repairs. At that time she was repainted with the British-type "dazzle"
Dazzle camouflage
Dazzle camouflage, also known as Razzle Dazzle or Dazzle painting, was a camouflage paint scheme used on ships, extensively during World War I and to a lesser extent in World War II...
camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
scheme that she carried for the rest of the war. With the completion of that work, Leviathan began regular passages between the U.S. and Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, delivering up to 14,000 persons on each trip, carrying over 119,000 fighting men, before the armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
11 November 1918.
After that date Leviathan, repainted grey overall by December 1918, reversed the flow of men as she transported the veterans back to the United States with nine westward crossings ending 8 September 1919. On 29 October 1919, USS Leviathan was decommissioned and turned over to the U.S. Shipping Board and again laid up at Hoboken until plans for her future employment could be determined.
American service
The U.S. Shipping Board was by the end of the war enamored with surplus tonnage and government sponsored shipping companies. On December 17 1919 the International Mercantile Marine signed an agreement to maintain their intended acquisition until a final decision could be made. The Gibbs Brothers Inc. was hired to survey the vessel and her economic potential from every aspect when newspaper mogul William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
objected the purchase by claiming British influence over I.M.M, riding on nationalistic sentiment to stop the deal.
The Gibbs brothers were allowed to continue by the Shipping Board even as the deal fell through, their first big task being the creation of a new set of blueprints. None had been forced from Germany by the Versailles Treaty and the price was deemed outrageous, instead an army of workers measured every part of the ship until a new set of prints had been made.
Having languished in political limbo at her Hoboken pier until April 1922 a decision was finally made and the $8,000,000 in funds allocated to sail Leviathan to Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, for her 14 month reconditioning and refurbishment. War duty and age meant that all wiring, plumbing, and interior layouts were stripped and redesigned while her hull was strengthened and engines converted for oil while being refurbished; virtually a new ship emerged.
The decorations and fittings, designed by New York architects Walker & Gillette
Walker & Gillette
Walker & Gillette was an architectural firm based in New York City, the partnership of A. Stewart Walker and Leon N. Gillette , active from 1906 through 1945.- Biography :...
, retained much of her prewar splendor of Edwardian, Georgian, Louis XVI styles now merged with modern 1920s touches. The biggest deviation was an art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
night club transplanting the original Verandah Cafe. And in June 1923 she was given back to the Shipping Board. Leviathans measured tonnage had increased to 59,956.65 GRT
GRT
GRT may refer to:* Grease Removal Technology, or GRT- Lipase enzyme* General Recorded Tape, aka GRT Corporation, a defunct corporation that owned Chess Records and Janus Records as well as being a label in its own right* General relativity theory...
and her speed trials showed an average of 27.48 knots. Thanks in part to Gibbs cleaver accounting and the Gulf stream she had become the worlds largest and fastest ship.
By this time United States Lines, which had interested I.M.M, had been sold and contractually obligated to run the Leviathan for a minimum of 5 return voyages on the Atlantic run per year. The Gibbs Brothers Inc would run her for her first voyages and train the crew until ownership officially changed hands. She immediately proved popular with the American public in the 20's, starting her career fully booked for her maiden voyage July 4th 1923. Her passenger average reached a strong 1,300 by 1926 and making her the #1 traveled ship on the Atlantic, but compared to her capacity of 3,000 it was too little to be profitable.
Her economic problems lay primarily in high labor and fuel costs which were compounded by the prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. From 1920 all US registered ships counted as an extension of US territory, making them “dry ships” according to the National Prohibition Act. With the Atlantic capacity oversaturated, especially after the Immigration Act of 1924
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson–Reed Act, including the National Origins Act, and Asian Exclusion Act , was a United States federal law that limited the annual number of immigrants who could be admitted from any country to 2% of the number of people from that country who were already...
, alcohol-seeking passengers readily chose other liners. But Leviathan was an American symbol of power and prestige, which despite her economic failings, made her a popular ship with loyal travelers. She attracted attention as the largest and fastest ship in the American merchant marine and featured in countless adverts. The only serious incident occurred one day out of Cherbourg on a winter crossing in 1924 where she met a fierce storm with 90ft waves and winds up to 100mph, at times forcing her to a 20 degree heel. Eleven portholes were smashed and 32 passengers injured by the time the storm abated.
The ship's orchestra, the S.S. Leviathan Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Maples, was also well regarded. Gramophone record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s were produced in 1923 and 1924 for Victor Records by the band, which would later become inspiration for the New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra
The New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra
The New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra is an American revival orchestra, that performs authentic orchestrations of vintage American popular music from the 1890s through the early 1930s. The orchestra plays particular attention to the music of New Orleans, Louisiana, where it is based...
decades later.
But by 1927 the “good years” were over, during which time U.S. Lines had been sold and re-nationalized. In 1929 Leviathan was finally allowed to serve “medicinal alcohol” outside of US territorial waters to make her more competitive with foreign lines and was quickly sent on Booze Cruises to make money. The Great Depression was the final nail in the coffin and U.S. Lines actively lobbied for the Shipping Board to either take the Leviathan back or give them a subsidy for her operation. She was laid up at her pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, in June 1933, having lost $75,000 per round trip since 1929.
U.S. Lines had been acquired at auction by I.M.M. in 1931 who were just as eager to be rid of their white elephant. The government steadfastly stipulated that Leviathan should sail, and so she did after a refurbishment of $150,000, for another five round trips. The very first round trip sailed on June 9th 1934, high season on the Atlantic, and tallied a loss of $143,000. By Leviathans' fifth voyage she sailed at barely half capacity. The I.M.M. paid the U.S. government $500,000 for permission to retire her while keeping her in running order until 1936.
In 1937 she was finally sold to the British Metal Industries Ltd. On January 26th 1938 Leviathan set out on her 301st and last voyage, arriving at Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, February 14th. In the 21 years she served U.S. Lines she carried more then a quarter-million passengers, never making a cent.