t he last queen of the u.s. m · 81,000-ton queen mary. in 1939 he collaborated with gibbs in the...

PowerShips8 • Summer, 2011

The SS UNITED STATES THE LAST QUEEN OF THE U.S. M

n The United States departed on most of her transatlantic voyages during the daylight hours, but in this evocative scene by longtime SSHSA member William G. Muller, the American flagship is making an evening cruise departure from New York in 1963. – Courtesy of William G. Muller, www.williamgmuller.com

www.powerships.com Summer, 2011 • 9

N JUNE 23, 1952, the new superliner United States sailed into her

home port.

New Yorkers lined parks and

streets along the Hudson river giving a boisterous welcome to the ship described

by Life magazine as “a proud present to the Nation on her anniversary of

independence.” From the skyscrapers and high apartment buildings, thousands more

cheered, waved, and tossed streamers.

An uproar of saluting toots, whistle blasts

and sirens from escorting boats and shore

factories filled the air. The slim, trim American beauty made her way up the

river, acknowledging the cheers with a

distinct bellowing baritone roar of her fog

horn. At sea it had a range of three miles.

In the confines of New York Harbor it rattled windows, scared small children

and sent dogs howling. Third Officer John Tucker manned the ship’s horn. “I was blowing enough so I had to listen to what

was being said on the bridge so as not to

interrupt an order.” SHE PROJECTED EVERYTHING that New

Yorkers love—beauty, attitude, style and charisma. Her well-proportioned 53,300 tons stretched along a sleek 990 feet hull, just short of the length of five city blocks. From her keel to the top of her tall red,

white and blue smokestacks, she stood

175 feet, the height of a 12-story building. The clipper bow and low-cut black hull

provided the appearance of a serious rac-

ing machine. Above the hull ran a snow

white, streamlined superstructure.

by Larry Driscoll

UNITED STATES U.S. MERCHANT MARINE

O

PA rT O N eThe Story of the Fastest

Liner from Design & Build

to Departure for Her

Historic maiden Voyage


n The United States begins to take shape at Shipway No. 10 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. – Newport News Shipbuilding photo.


A Champion of a ShipTHERE WAS MORE TO THE SHIP THAN good looks; she also generated pride. Commodore Harry manning, the ship’s captain, summed it up, saying, “I stood there and saw the city rising out of the island and the fireboats and escort vessels. The whistles were blowing. I

was seeing the fruition of a dream of forty

years. We American seafarers always looked

out at the great ships of other nations. We

yearned for America to have a ship like that

— not for ourselves to command, necessarily, but for the country. I never believed we

would get one.”1

MANNING’S GREAT SHIP came about from the dream and determination of two men

also on the bridge that morning. Standing

six feet two, broad shouldered in a well-

cut suit, united states Lines CeO John “The General” Franklin beamed with pride, enjoying every minute of the warm

reception. He had fulfilled a dream inherited from his father – building an American

superliner capable of challenging British

and Europeans for the prize for speed on the

Atlantic Ocean, the Blue Riband.

OVER IN THE PORT SIDE of the wheelhouse, sitting in the skipper’s chair the ship’s creator and architect William Francis Gibbs maintained an outwardly

calm and taciturn appearance. In contrast

to Franklin he wore a rumpled blue suit,

brown fedora and an old raincoat. If he

felt any satisfaction at having designed

a passenger ship that would outrun

anything afloat, naval or merchant, no one knew it. Gibbs kept his emotions

tightly locked behind a deadpan façade.

OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS the captain, general, architect, and their new superliner

United States would make maritime history. They would show the world that Americans

could build and sail world-class ships.

The GeneralJOHN M. FRANKLIN EARNED THE RANK OF major general in World War II for his

services as head of Marine Operations in

the Army Transportation Corps. In 1946 he returned to civilian life, resuming his

role as CEO of United States Lines. The

frank, short-spoken and often brutally

direct Franklin ran the company in a no-

nonsense command and control military

style leading rank and file employees to refer to him as “The General.”FRANKLIN GREW UP in the shipping busi-

ness where his father, Philip, rose from shipping clerk to president of J.P. mor-gan’s shipping conglomerate, the Inter-national Mercantile Marine. One of the

subsidiaries included the White Star Line

and the Titanic. When the Titanic hit an iceberg, Philip Franklin was the front man

for the combine. The younger Franklin

would never forget his father’s anguish over the loss of life.

NEITHER THE DISASTER nor its impact on Phillip Franklin dissuaded his son from following him into the shipping

business. In 1936 he succeeded his father as president of United States

Lines, the American flag carrier on the North Atlantic. The relatively new and

popular Manhattan and Washington and an aging Leviathan provided service to and from Europe.

n Crowds of invited guests and shipyard workers gather for the naming ceremony on June 23, 1951.– Newport News Shipbuilding photo.

n An early artist’s rendering of the United States depicting her with an after mast, enclosed bridge wings, and a more rounded forward superstructure. – Jack Shaum Collection


A Quest to CompeteNEITHER OF THESE NEW SHIPS COULD compete in size, speed or glamour with

the superliners of the day. Displacing

slightly more than 24,000 tons, they were dwarfed by the 82,000-ton Normandie or 81,000-ton Queen Mary.IN 1939 he collaborated with Gibbs

in the construction of the 35,400-ton America. The new ship would be a prototype for the future superliner.

AFTER SERVING AS A TROOPSHIP in World War II, a refurbished America returned to passenger service in 1946. She proved to be a popular ship with

bookings far exceeding space. Franklin

concluded that passenger demand would

remain strong over the next twenty years

despite encroaching airline competition.

The company needed to order a new

ship. Or should he order two ships? Two

ships provided a safe practical profitable option. They would be “moderately” sized passenger ships, slightly larger than

the America. With the engineering and shipbuilding advances made in World

War II, the new ships could be as fast as

the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, yet more economical, requiring less fuel and manpower. With the speed of the Queens, the new ships would team up to provide

weekly service to and from Europe, a

distinct business advantage.

THE MORE DARING PROPOSAL involved building one large superliner, a ship with

the passenger capacity of the Queens

and a speed far exceeding that of the

Cunard liners.

Nothing but the BestNO LONGER CONTENT with building runner-up ocean liners, Franklin

discarded the practical approach; he wanted a ship that would be nothing less

than the “greatest ship in the world.” In the late 1940s big, luxurious and fast passenger ships were still national status

symbols and Franklin wanted one for

his company and his country. For U.S.

Lines, the new ship would be a move up

from the minor to the major leagues of

international shipping. For the country it

would restore to the American Merchant

Marine a level of prestige not seen since

n The United States at dusk lying alongside a berth at the Newport News shipyard. – Newport News Shipbuilding photo.


the days of the sailing clipper ships. He viewed the new ship as nothing less than

a representation of the American way of

life, an arm of national defense and even

an instrument of foreign policy. He knew that profits would take the back seat. “We don’t believe that a great deal of money can be made out of building and

operating such a ship. We are anxious to

do it from a patriotic point of view.” 2

BIG DREAMS don’t come cheaply and with a staggering price tag of nearly $78

million, $625 million in 2010 dollars, Franklin quickly turned to the federal government for help and was welcomed

with open arms. This occurred despite

the efforts of the Cunard Line to

torpedo the project through back door

naval engineering in World War II landed

him on the cover of Time magazine. ON MARCH 5, 1946, Franklin outlined

his requirements to Gibbs and his brother Frederic, telling them, “We will have to rejuvenate our passenger

service. We must have an outstanding

ship that the public can get behind—a sort of mythical flagship of our fleet.” Franklin demanded that it be fast, at least 33 knots; of the same quality as the America; have accommodations for 2,000 passengers; and be able to make a round trip across the Atlantic

every two weeks. In addition,

the ship needed to meet U.S.

Navy specifications.

lobbying. Congress, the U.S. Maritime

Commission, and the u.s. Navy quickly signed on, agreeing to pick up 75 percent

of the cost. The money would come with

a significant stipulation; the ship’s design had to be suitable for quick conversion to a troopship.

The Architect

TO DESIGN THE FINEST SHIP AFLOAT, Franklin called on the best naval and

marine architects, the firm of Gibbs & Cox. Strangely enough, principal William

Francis Gibbs was not a naval architect.

However, a love of ships, skill and sheer determination made the self-taught Gibbs

the world’s foremost designer of naval and merchant ships. His contributions to


IT WAS A TALL ORDER for any naval architect. Gibbs told the General “he would go away and cogitate”—hardly necessary, considering that he had

dreamed of building such a ship for

at least 30 years and had worked on preliminary plans since 1943. GIBBS’ MOTIVATION for building what

he called “The big ship” was also patriotic. A firm believer in American free enterprise and know-how, he took

offense with the country’s inability to build and sail passenger ships that could

compete with superliners from England

and Europe.

Fast, Luxurious and BigGIBBS AND HIS TEAM QUICKLY WENT TO work on the challenge of creating a

luxury ocean liner that would be over

50,000 tons, with the swiftness of a speed-boat, and able to be quickly converted from luxury ship to a 14,000-person troopship. This would be a revolutionary

ship, breaking the mold of traditional

naval design, a Gibbs specialty. The big

challenges would be designing a new hull

to control roll and pitch, and harnessing

the tremendous power and torque while minimizing vibrations.

MASTERING the twin challenges of stability and high speed without vibrations had been

an elusive task. On westbound passages

into a heavy head sea, the Queen Mary would pitch, driving her bow down into the waves,

which would run up the forecastle and

crash into the promenade deck windows

— already boarded up for safety in heavy weather. On the return voyage, in a mild

following sea, she rolled with an awkward

gait. In heavy swells there were times when

passengers would wonder whether she’d right herself or carry on with the roll and capsize.

THE FRENCH LINER Normandie initially suffered from excessive vibration to the point

where water glasses were never more than

half-filled in the Café Grill, to prevent the saturation of tablecloths. The North Carolina and the Washington, the Navy’s new 35,000-ton high-speed battleships, had such severe

longitudinal vibrations that they couldn’t operate at full speed during sea trials.3

Blending Old and New Design ConceptsGIBBS SELECTED THE BASIC DESIGN FORMULA used for clipper sailing ships, combining

maximum driving power with the lightest

displacement and a long slim hull. For

driving power, he selected a compact steam

propulsion system that minimized weight

while providing shaft horsepower exceeding

any large vessel of the day. Into the hull

went every technological advance the Navy

could afford. To reduce friction, the hull

was welded rather than riveted, then sanded

by hand. To reduce weight, Gibbs used

aluminum for the superstructure.

THE NAVY HAD FINAL SAY on what went into the ship. In any luxury-versus-defense

dispute over design, defense won. Interiors

were fireproof and lightweight, with wood limited to the piano and butcher

block. even the orchestra leader’s batons were aluminum, prompting one cynical

reporter to ask how many ship fires were set off with orchestra batons. Despite

these limitations, the interior design team

of Anne urquart and Dorothy markwald managed to disguise the defense features

and create a ship that was more luxury

liner than troopship.

n The knife-like bow and sleek forward hull of the United States that helped make her the speed queen she was. – Newport News Shipbuilding photo.


Shipbuilding CurmudgeonON APRIL 7, 1949 THE CONTRACT FOR THE construction of the United States went to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry

Dock Company in Virginia. Gibbs would

oversee all phases of construction, com-

muting to Newport News from his New

York office. Describing himself as not ex-actly the chummy type, “underneath this dour exterior beats a heart of stone,” he said. Gibbs cultivated his role as the cur-

mudgeon with shipbuilders. Wearing dark

clothing, steel rimmed glasses and a spare

severe look, the somber Gibbs stalked

about the shipyard haunting the place

and earning the nickname of “undertak-er.” With his relentless attention to detail, demand for perfection and reputation for

being able to talk for five minutes using only four-letter words, Gibbs became the

scourge of the shipyard.

HE ENJOYED every minute of it. At one point, lying on the United States’ half-fin-ished deck, he remarked to a friend “boy, don’t we have fun.” BUT STILL, HE WORRIED. The extent to

which his designs were “pushing the enve-lope” weighed heavily on him. even as the

master, the one who’d made the toughest decision of them all—the ship’s dimen-sions—Gibbs could be found brooding around the half-built United States, his mind filled with the question, “Am I right?”4

Going to Sea for the First TimeTHE FIRST TEST OF HIS DESIGN CAME OVER five days that ended on June 10, 1952. In the official speed trials, the United States’ measured speed was 38.32 knots, or 44 land miles per hour at a trial displacement

of 39,900 tons. she also made 20 knots astern at full astern power during the

official trials. she did it without trouble-some vibrations. The razor-sharp bow

cut through heavy seas without splashing

water over the decks. Later, Gibbs would

get a kick out of showing visitors a film of the ship’s bow cutting through waves that ran as high as 50 feet. beaming, he would tell a visitor “Look at that! The only thing coming over the bow is spray—not a bit of green water!”5

EXCEPT for some overheated bearings that were corrected, the ship met and in

many instances exceeded specifications.THE SHIP’S SECOND TEST came at 6:02

A.M. on sunday, June 22, when she departed Newport News for her delivery

trip to New York. On board were 1,200 VIP passengers including the travel press. Passenger reviews were positive on seaworthiness and comfort. The interiors,

however, received mixed reviews.

Passing MusterSHIPPING NEWS REPORTERS LOVED ALL aspects of the United States, describing the interiors as modern, functional luxury,

befitting a superb sailing machine. Travel journalists looking for opulence

were more critical, finding the ship lacked warmth and graciousness. To

those expecting the baronial splendor of

European ships, the interior design team

of Dorothy markwald and Anne urquart were quick to point out that they were on an American ship where simplicity,

harmony and good taste prevailed. Gibbs

put it more bluntly “The United States is a ship, not an ancient inn with beams and

plaster walls.”ONE IMPORTANT PART drew passenger

attention, as described by maritime

historian Gordon r. Ghareeb. “One of the most original spaces designed was the

n The United States runs her sea trials off the Virginia coast prior to acceptance by United States Lines. – Newport News Shipbuilding photo.


INTERIORS:Renderings to Reality

This early large format brochure featured design

renderings that provide an interesting comparison

to photos of the same spaces

The Tourist Class

Smoking Room was a fine example of contemporary American interior design. – Everett E. Viez Collection, SSHSA Archives.

The First Class Dining Room The sculpture “Expressions of Freedom” on the arched wall was a well-known fixture that is only suggested in the sketch.

Images from Jack Shaum Collection except where noted.


Tourist Class State Room Tourist Class staterooms included two lower beds and some, like this one, also had a Pullman-style upper berth that could fold into the bulkhead.

First Class State Room The photo from a later brochure gives a significantly different impression of the typical first class accommodation than does the sketch.

Cabin Class State Rooms advertised “all the comforts of home” and included private showers and facilities.


uniquely American Design n The interior decoration of the United States was uniquely American. (Above) A portion of the Navajo Lounge with its Native American motif. (Below) The clean mid-century modern decor of the Observation Lounge. – Everett E. Viez Collection, SSHSA Archives.


cabin class dining room. Midnight blue

walls were relieved by backlit aluminum

sculptures portraying the seasons, stars

and constellations. The representation

of Taurus the Bull proved a twinge too

graphic for the sedate postwar code of

modesty that still dominated society.

It seemed that the prominent male

genitalia of the well-endowed aluminum

bovine caught the eye of several guests

… most notably George Horne, The New York Times’ shipping news editor, who took the matter of common decency all

the way up to William Francis Gibbs.

Overriding objections (from the artist

and decorators), the oblivious steer was unceremoniously emasculated, and

the severed appendage delivered to the

Times’ shipping news room affixed to a mahogany plaque.”6

IN NEW YORK CITY U.S. Lines hosted a series of VIP dinners and receptions. more than 70,000 New Yorkers stood in line to tour the ship—the largest crowd ever recorded for new ship visits. All

would go well, except for the rat that

scattered VIP dancers as it ran across the ballroom floor, and a burst high-pressure pipe that soaked some of the 20,000 visitors lucky enough to make it on board.

Racing for the Blue Riband GIBBS KNEW HE HAD DESIGNED A FAST SHIP, however the Queens’ top speed remained a secret. They were both capable of more

speed than the record Queen Mary set in 1938, an average crossing at 31.69 knots. Shipping circles in London believed the

Queen Mary could do 34 knots without a strain. The Queen Elizabeth had never challenged the Mary’s record run. Men who sailed aboard the Queen Elizabeth in her wartime days believed she bettered

35 knots. The Cunard Line advertised both ships as the “fastest ocean service in the world,” and the british, who were cheering for the home team, were

looking forward to the line mounting a

challenge to the American upstart. They

were encouraged by reports that the

Queen Elizabeth had reached 34 knots on a recent crossing and by a statement from

her Captain, Commander Cove, “That it would be a good idea to have his ship

make a ‘memorable voyage.’”7

IN A MEETING with Captain Manning and U.S. Lines executives a year before

the maiden voyage, Gibbs outlined his

racing strategy. “under no circumstances should you beat the record by very much.

Beat it by a reasonable amount, such as

32 knots,” he said, telling them to hold back until they (Cunard) come out with a faster ship, then beat her.8

A Record First Crossing?GIBBS’ OTHER CONCERN INVOLVED PUSHING the ship and crew too hard on the first crossing. “No attempt to operate at high speed should be made until the crew has

been thoroughly broken in,” he said.THE SCUTTLEBUTT circulating around

u.s. Lines headquarters at One Broadway concerned the similarities

between the maiden voyages of the Titanic and the United States. Each called for

n (Above) The Cabin Class Lounge included a dance floor for dancing to live music. (Below) Snow-white linen and specially created china and silver contributed to the air of elegance in the First Class Dining Room. – Everett E. Viez Collection, SSHSA Archives.


S.S. United States: Partial Deck Plan


About the Author

LARRY DRISCOLL is a retired school administrator turned maritime author. Living in France in the 1950s he crossed the Atlantic as a passenger on the America and United States. Fond

memories of the great ships of the United States Lines led to the development of a web site http://united-states-lines.org/ and a book, S.S. America, U.S.S. West Point, S.S. Australis-The Many Lives of a

Great Ship. He is currently writing a book on the United States and invites anyone with information or stories on the ship to contact him at [email protected].

speed; each had her naval architects and owners’ families on board. Vincent Astor, U.S. Lines director, major stockholder

and maiden voyage passenger, had lost

his father on the Titanic. STILL HAUNTED by his father’s anguish

over the sinking of the Titanic and annoyed by staff comparisons of his

new ship to the ill-fated voyage, Franklin

called a meeting of key players two

days before the maiden voyage. In the

board room surrounded by company

officers, a secretary and a notary public, he asked Captain Manning and Chief

Engineer William Kaiser if the ship could

convincingly break the record eastbound

and westbound. The two could barely

contain their excitement and answered

with an exuberant “Yes, sir!” Then Franklin lowered the boom.

“I WANT to make one thing perfectly clear. The complete safety of the

passengers and the ship is our number

one priority. You will shut her down if you encounter heavy weather or

fog.”9 The secretary transcribed the conversation and signatures were

affixed. Documents were notarized and placed in the company vault. In the

event the ship encountered disaster,

Franklin’s instructions were to remove the transcript from the vault and make it

public. He would not allow u.s. Lines to be placed in an irresponsible position.10

July 3, 1952

IN THE EARLY MORNING OF JULY 3, WHITE-jacketed porters were busy waxing and

buffing, removing scuffmarks left by the 20,000 sightseers. AFTER THE MEETING with Franklin,

Chief Engineer Kaiser had his doubts

that the maiden voyage would be a record

breaker. Aside from the North Atlantic’s unpredictable weather, his 138-man crew’s preparation had been less than thorough.

“IT WAS NOT UNTIL JUNE 20 that United States Lines took over the ship [and] my

boys got a chance to try their own hand.

With thousands of valves, dials, gauges and

gadgets to learn in less than two weeks, the

gang was going to have no picnic.” His

boss, the superintending engineer, told him

to go easy, saying, “she’s designed for a scheduled 30 knots, bill.”11 CAPTAIN MANNING gave no indication

of beating the Queen Mary. “I have been instructed to keep the schedule. It is a

generally accepted principle to break a

ship in like a motorcar. The main thing is

safety.”12 PASSENGERS STARTED boarding at 8 A.M.

and by 10 A.M. the bon voyage parties were in full swing from bow to stern. The

good times were rolling in the Upper

Deck home of the Franklins, Gibbs, and

President Truman’s daughter margaret. society columnist Nan Hatton described the celebration as going down in the

social annals as one of the few occasions

when café society, the old guard and the international set all assembled to sip,

rub elbows and crane necks. The noises

generated by the popping of champagne

corks and photographers’ flashbulbs made it sound more like the fourth than the

third of July.”

SOURCES

1 The New York Times, July 13, 1952.2 The Herald Tribune, June 22 1952.3 Marine Technology, Vol 15, No. 2, April

1978.4 The Love Affair of William Francis Gibbs

by Austin Smith, Fortune, August 1957.5 Profile: The New Yorker, June 1964.6 A Woman’s Touch: The Seagoing Interiors of

Dorothy Marckwald, Gordon Ghareeb.7 The New York Times, July 4, 1952.8 The Big Ship, Frank O. Braynard, The

mariner’s museum, p. 82.9 Recollections of My Life by John

merryman Franklin, p. 76.10 Recollections of My Life by John

Merryman Franklin, p. 77.

11 Power for a Winner, by William Kaiser, p. 99.12 The Journal of Commerce, July 4, 1952.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Steamship Historical Society of America, Inc. wishes to thank H.E. Buttelmann, P.E., former President and CEO of Gibbs and Cox, who knows the ship intimately, for his review and valuable input on various technical matters.

PArT TWOFALL 2011 PowerShips Winning the Blue Riband

& The Glory Years of the 1950s

PArT THreeWINTER 2011 PowerShips Troubled Times: 1960s to Present Day efforts at Preservation & Hope for the Future

The Story of

the United States Continues...