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SS United States may be the fastest liner, but other passenger carrying ships has taken the ribbon by a significant margin. The current record is held by Cat-Link V ferry, now named HSC Fjord Cat, which did the crossing in just 68 hours and 9 minutes the average speed being 41.28 knots or almost 7 knots faster than the SS United States.
Fun fact. I was a crew member in 1968. We were delayed by a tugboat strike in Le Havre France for one day, and on the way back home we had a regularly scheduled stop in Cobh Ireland, which was also the Titanic's last port. So, a day late, we crossed the Atlantic in a little over three days, at something approaching 40 knots. It is not recognized in the Blue Riband competition since it didn't go from Bishops Rock to Ambrose light, but I believe it was the fastest transatlantic voyage by a liner. My bunk was right over the inboard port screw, and I bounced my way all across the Atlantic.
My father was a member of the crew when the SS United States won the Blue Ribbon & stayed aboard for the return leg of the journey. Years later and after the children were born (I’m the middle daughter) we would sail to NYC and return to Southampton several times a year. It was a wonderful way to travel and the SSUS was definitely the best liner ever. I feel very blessed to have experienced a time when travel was exciting and the dress code was very important. I still have my life jacket (purchased) and a lot of the ships mementos. It’s been a long time since I went through my photo collection and I’ll dig it out again. Thank you 🙏🏻
I love to hear these stories of random people who served on, lived in, and experienced these beautiful liners firsthand. Liners are thought (by most) to have been long gone, but Cunard still services the transatlantic with vessels such as the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Elizabeth. I spent my honeymoon on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California and my wife and I had a great time. We were 23 and 24 back then in 2007, and we stayed in one of the first class rooms, and while it was $350 a night, it was well worth it for me (although the beds were extremely uncomfortable and they still had tiny tube televisions in place). However I REALLY enjoyed it. There was also a Titanic exhibit going on below decks and it featured a HUGE cutaway of the great ship. They also had the Ghosts and Legends tour which we went on in one of the boiler rooms (which are all empty), and they even had an exhibit of when the Queen Mary ran down HMS Curacoa during her trooping duties of WWII (with a beautifully made vindiagram of the incident). I love these liners of all of the eras of transatlantic travel. I have been researching Titanic for the last 34 years of my life and I just go nuts over these ships that spanned the many decades of when ocean travel by ship was the "Only Way to Cross" according to author and historian John Maxtone Graham.
The British satire publication, Punch, said this at the time of the launch of the SS United States. “After the loud and fantastic claims made in advance for the liner United States, it comes as something of a disappointment to find them all true.” I think that summed it all up perfectly. Your video is a fantastic tribute to a spectacular ship!
In the 50s if we said we could do something we weren’t farting around, if we said we could build a ship that can travel at speeds in excess of 38 knots we made it happen
As a Marine engineer, I met a number of other engineers that had been on the USS United States for her sea trials back in 1952. When the government builds a ship, like the United States, under construction differential subsidy, the government reserves a large capacity of horsepower for the ship for their own use. The turbines that drove the ship were fitted with "commercial" nozzle blocks, which would drive the ship 38 kns. The government had the capacity of putting on "national defense" turbine nozzle blocks on the ship, which would dramatically increase the horsepower. The engineers that were there for the sea trials, in which they had the national defense blocks on the turbines, said the speed of the ship reached 55 kns in sea trials. Once the trials are over, the commercial blocks are replaced on the turbines, the national defense blocks would never again to be fitted to the ship.
As a child of 8 years old in 1956, I sailed on the SS United States with my mother and sister from New York to Southhampton - and back several months later. It was a brilliant experience. We were in "tourist class", but it was a world away from what was in another era "steerage". Tourist class was accommodated near the front portion of the ship. It was clean, and comfortable. The help and service from the stewards was first rate. A large dining room served sumptuous meals. A sheltered area between the two funnels provided space for recreation and leisure. An array of reclinable deck chairs offered an opportunity to relax and chill out with a blanket. I read books there and gazed at the ocean for hours. The attendants were very patient and kind to a boy full of curiosity who asked many questions. They even helped me with my reading. On the return crossing, the ship crossed paths with a hurricane. In order to get out of the way of the this disturbance, the ship powered up. A lot of the passengers got seasick. The gala steak dinner night was sparsely attended. My family was as sick as any other. I knew that getting on deck was at least a temporary cure. So I donned my macintosh and made my way up to the promenade deck where I found an alcove shelter. I watched the roiling sea and witnessed a trawler being tossed around like a cork. About 40 minutes later, an officer found me on deck, and I was returned to my panicked but angry mother. The experience was worth her wrath. Disembarkation was a revelatory experience. Back in our hometown of Vancouver, my father had managed to pull some strings. Accordingly, we were invited to disembark from the first class part of the ship. First Class enjoyed priority and rather effortless immigration clearance in the comfort of the first class ballroom. We were dazzled by the splendour of it all, which if not as ornate as in the old "Queens", it was at least as impressive in a more modern style. My mother recognized various people of eminence and celebrity, but they meant nothing to me at the time. At the end of the each voyage, passengers were presented with an elegantly printed, folded card with an abridged version of the ship's log. Usually it recorded the date and average speed and distance made by the ship. For this crossing, there were a couple of days left blank. The ship's upper limits of performance was still a state secret. I still have the card - a souvenir of a great adventure for a little boy.
In May of 1960, I was 8 years old and travelling aboard Cunard's HMS IVERNIA, travelling from Montreal to South Hampton. In the mid Atlantic, we spotted another ship behind us, that had just appeared on the horizon. Within 10 minutes the ship was alongside us and identified as the S.S. United States. The loud sound of steam horns were exchanged by the two ocean liners as greetings. Ten minutes more and the S.S. United States disappeared over the horizon ahead of us. She was fasssst!
Good video, I was a passenger on the SSUS. She was so fast that on deck I could lean into the wind like a downhill skier, almost parallel to the deck, and the force of the wind hold me up. A crossing on her was unlike any other ship I have been on, a truly amazing experience. Inside she was like a fine old-world hotel, cruise ships today, even the QM2 doesn't come close. Like a train on a schedule they were fast, but accommodating, in addition to meeting celebrities. Today's cruise/floating apt buildings with thousands of passengers cheapens the whole experience.
Fun fact. At the conclusion of her maiden voyage and return to New York, she had to be dry-docked because the high speed and friction during the crossing had actually sandblasted the paint off the bow. It was at that moment that I think the USL realized that they had a true speed demon at their command.
I believe they also had to use red lead to patch holes in the bow, too, as the sustained speed through salt water actually ate away at the steel plating.
Queen Mary had the same problem if you look at the footage of her coming towards Nantucket Light on her maiden voyage you can see the paint rubbed off her bow
In 1964, I made 5 crossings on the ship, working in the second class galley. It was an absolute pleasure. Even in a hurricane off Greenland returning to the U. S. she rode the waves smoothly. I spent numbers of nights in the anchor room with my head out the starboard port hole watching her cut through the waves, sleekly. Sad to see her in Philadelphia.
I see this ship all the time just sitting in a South Philly pier and just rusting away still. It’s still so very impressive at the size of it. She dwarfs everything around her. I could only imagine how a present day passenger ship would compare. The paint scheme almost looks the same except for being extremely faded.
I remember when Carnival announced they were going to purchase the united states! And their plan was to tow it to Louisiana shipyard where it would be completely overhauled and redesigned! The idea was a five star Gatsby Era luxury ship. Not for the budget minded but instead for the millionaires and billionaires. I’m sure you remember this too because all of us who have been fans, overjoyed. But it did not happen! Why the city of Philadelphia claimed millions upon millions due in port fees storage fees etc! Carnival said they were going to invest upwards of $30-$50 million and Philadelphia should be happy to see this ship gone and saved from the scrapheap. The intelligent Negroes who make up the city Council stood firm! and what they got in the end was a plate full of warm shit! Slammed into their faces and that’s all. So this shit has been sitting there for 30 some years maybe more and I’m sure it will never see The glory that it could’ve had except for the monkeys in suits.
In the eighties, when I went to Old Dominion University, it was docked in Norfolk, VA, and I could see it from the bridge over the Lafayette River on Hampton Boulevard every day driving to my classes. I can only imagine how much more it has deteriorated since then.
@@Hibernicus1968 sadly she is in pretty rough condition as I recently saw her just a couple weeks ago because she is docked in South Philadelphia just across the street from IKEA that I often visit but at least for now she is still there but I don’t know what the future holds for her.
@@lotsatrains Efforts to restore her failed. Getting to Europe in three days is no longer a matter of taking a hot rod ship. Families want myriad dining options, rock walls, game rooms, water slides and all matter of fun stuff, speed be damned. At least, if she's going to sit here in Philly, kindly consider collecting for a new paint job that would at least honor her illustrious past.
I had the privilege of traveling on the SS United States back in 1961. We traveled from England to New York. We had so much fun swimming and going to the movies. We even sat with the Captain for dinner one evening. She was a beautiful vessel.
I took an 8mm movie film of the US passing Hailing island on the approaches to the Solent, and on to Southampton. I knew every ship that passed us because of the funnel designs, the US had very low profile and fat funnels with 'wings' if you would have waved I might have got you on film. Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and the France were regular visitors that I caught on camera, plus the hovercraft trials. ( The camera was a Bell and Howell triple turret, albeit silent ). now all converted to usb.
Thank you another excellent video. I started work at Newport News Shipbuilding in 1986. There were still quite a few employees who had worked on her. I was able to go onboard her while she was at a pier in Norfolk. This was shortly after the auction at which much of her interior furnishings were sold. For a few dollars and a signature on a liability waiver, you could go through the entire ship. I went all through the superstructure and the forward funnel. I will always regret that the lack of a flashlight prevented me from venturing down into the engine rooms.
Speaking as a life-long sailor, and a US Navy veteran, I find your content fascinating. I subscribed based on this video, and look forward to all the interesting videos you have created. High fives to your content AND your editing choices. ( I make my living now as a video producer, editor, and post-productionist, so I know good content when I see it.) Two thumbs up!
Absolutely amazing video, well-done!! I’ve had the privilege of seeing the SSUS in-person in Philadelphia a few years ago. Even in her current condition, she is stunning! Even if you didn’t know how fast she was, you can tell by looking at her that she was meant for speed! Hopefully she can get restored in the future.
@@Packless1 Hi, a TH-cam documentary that I saw mentioned she needs a new owner with really deep pockets before anything can happen. I would if I could but can't.
The SS United States could do 20 knots - astern! She could also carry enough fuel and provisions to steam 10000 miles at 35 knots. An absolute marvel of marine engineering and it's a damn shame the condition she sits in today. The prototype Boeing 707 flew 2 years after she launched and the first 707 flew 5 years after her launch. She was doomed to a short career. Only one true ocean liner survives today.
@@robdog1245 True, the QM2 is regularly docked where I live, among different "apartement block" style cruise liners, and is generally just a much more nicely proportioned ship.
The Big U would have made a remarkable wartime vessel. Converted into a troop ship with a dazzle paint scheme, overloaded with thousands of soldiers like the Queen Mary... Now that would've been quite a sight!
I am too young to have seen this ship in action but from time to time I do see her docked in Phily PA. Even though she looks like she's two steps from the scrap yard, its awe inspiring to look at the shape and design of this ship. I dont know if it will ever happen, but it would be amazing to see this ship refitted and out doing her thing.
S.S. Unites States is so underrated as a ship i'm serious this ship broke all the records in the world and now is a rusty piece of iron i can't accept this fate for her
It's just not economically feasible over the years there have been multiple surveys committee's fundraising events investors who have tried to raise the money to restore the ship to operational condition all of been unsuccessful the money would just be too great I think the estimate was close to a billion dollars one of the problems is that in order to make the ship fireproof the ship is filled with asbestos and just the removal of the asbestos out of the ship would be hundreds of millions of dollars just to get the asbestos out she will never be operational again possibly the best you can hope for is that she turned into some kind of a museum or hotel like the Queen Mary but even the Queen Mary has become an economic burden on the City of Long Beach and even the future of the Queen Mary is very much in doubt at the moment last I heard that if there weren't 50 million dollars in emergency repairs done to the Queen Mary that she would capsize and sink because she's slowly taking on water in her Hual these leviathans were Machines of a different time period they were designed to do their job they did their job and there's just really no future use for these kinds of machines anymore
@@whatsittooya3013 I think she can still be saved. But a lot of work would need to be done to her superstructure. The last assessment said she was still fairly solid which was surprising. The ship isn’t great but it’s still in a save able condition for now. I think in another 15 -20 years she’ll be too far gone but not yet.
I crossed from NYC to Bremerhaven aboard the SS US in 1960 as a 17-year-old boy going to Germany with my Army family. It was in the middle of January, and the storms were violent beyond belief. The ship felt safe and powerful no matter what was going on. She was almost empty, so we got super-dooper service and attention from the friendly staff. It was a taste of the millionaire's life. I wish I could tell you all my explorations and the fun I had. It was the last years of the great liners, and I'm glad I didn't miss it. At at our destination: Europe! I'm sorry for anybody who wasn't an American kid in those days.
@@nickpaine I know how lucky I was, and I'm grateful to my parents for the life and education they gave me. You keep looking around -- you never know when adventure will strike, even at our age!
Her actual top speed was classified for years, but some sources hinted at 45 knots for a top end. She was also designed that her cabin accommodations could be converted to troop transport configuration in about a week. Amazing ship.
38.3 was her max if I remember correctly. For every knot over 24, the horsepower of a hull has to double. SSUS used 280k horsepower to go 38 knots. It's physically impossible to put a million horsepower in SSUS's hull. It's a fun story, though.
@@moosecat hi there moosecat. Re "going astern" or " hard astern", examples of basic Sea English which are part of the naturally used vocabulary in the Anglosphere for all of us who have or have had any connection to the sea in anything from a small wooden rowing boat to sea-going vessels of all kinds, but a mystery language seen by some among the landbound community as pretentious and offensive to their lazy reading and comprehension ability. Hence, I realise what lay behind the necessity for your explanatory note. I once used the expression "shipping it green" to the sneering puzzlement of some who read it in a comment in another forum. The overt anger apparent in having to make a small additional effort of understanding, over and above their usual base level, caused me to wonder at the hostility to the unfamiliar, the lack of curiosity and the rude aggression in the grammar police-like tone. It's a shame tho, because Sea English reaches into everyday speech all across the Anglosphere in its descriptively unambiguous precision. Seafarers, whether from Britain, both shores of North America, Aus/NZ, anywhere English is spoken, have at their disposal this wonderful lexicon of commonly understood meaning and communication, from ship to ship or from one seaman to another. May it endure as long as men put to sea in whatever craft they sail. Finally thankyou for your interesting remarks on the astern performance of USS UNITED STATES. I immediately wondered how much Sea room she needed to come to a stop from full astern at 23knots, and how her handling was affected. I'm guessing that rudder movement at that speed might have been a very restricted option due to the great weight of the opposing flow of water against the face of the rudder, and the stresses that would impose on the rudder shaft and its supporting structure. Each cubic metre of seawater weighs I believe, about 1 ton , so weight times velocity squared over 2g (kinetic energy, schoolboy level arithmetic which is my learning limit,) would be a pretty impressive force. Any thoughts on this, anyone?
@@xmtryanx they may be getting that speed from a maximum achieved with a following current at a specific time. Like, "in ideal conditions she was even able to maintain 46 knots" is likely the real story
The Big U was crewed by 3 Unions of American sailors who followed orders and only ran her just fast enough to keep the Blue Ribband, keeping her true troopship speed unpublished. Legend around the Union Halls has it that the engineers only “opened her up” to full wartime speed a few times, one of which occurred due to a tug boat strike work stoppage in NY harbor which delayed the departure of the Big U who had a set Arrival time at the Panama Canal. In order to make it on schedule, the weather decks were closed off, passengers stayed inboard and the engineers opened her up to classified speed and just made the Canal arrival. The Deck Officers were truly impressed at her “war speed.”
What was her WAR speed? I've read a similar story from a book a Stewart mentioned in 1965/66 they closed off the open air decks, secured the furniture and the speed was 48kts or 52Mph.
We see her everytime we go over the Walt Whitman bridge heading to Wildwood New Jersey for vacations. So glad she survives, though unfortunately her condition is not good. I know Mr. Gibbs daughter is involved, and may even own the ship. I certainly hope a treasure like this will one day get the attention and recognition she deserves, and shine again. Awesome video!
I think it is wishful thinking they can raise enough money to do anything useful with the remaining hulk. I hate to see her go but a respectful breaking should be next.
I was hoping she'd become a hospital ship (decades ago, the military apparently examined this), but a museum of some kind is probably the best we can hope for. The money is sky high for maintaining a ship like her, and she doesn't have much internally.
My father was sent to England during WWII on board the Queen Mary. The QM was so fast that she didn't want or need military escorts, and traveling in a convoy would negate her speed. She was so fast she simply outran any u-boats. No zig zag course, pointed towards England and pedal to the metal all the way. They did make one mid course correction when a spotter plane saw a u-boat along her pathway.
I saw an interview with a former u boat captain who claimed to have spotted queen Elizabeth. By the time they went through the silhouette book and plotted a firing solution, she was gone.
With 800,000 carried to war in Europe, many have similar stories. It’s why the British government subsidized the thing in the first place. My father-in-law talked of a bunk every other night, and finding a spot to lean against a bulkhead the other nights. No complaint of cold or wet. Sounds more comfortable than a hammock or whatever on a corvette.
When my dad rotated back to the states from England after his 3 year tour of duty at RAF Wethersfield (Air Force maintenance officer), he was offered a choice of flying our family back on MATS or a 5-day cruise from Southampton to NYC on the SS United States. Mom and Dad, along with us 5 kids were treated to an unforgettable, luxurious, and exciting trans-Atlantic crossing on this remarkable ship in March, 1963. I was 9 years old, so my memories were and still are quite vivid. My older sister and I had such fun exploring the ship from bow to stern and the meal service, complete with our own assigned waiter “Jack”, was second to none. In spite of the wonderful meal service, I skipped breakfast on the last day of the cruise to stand on the bow deck to watch our arrival past the Statue of Liberty to our docking spot in NY Harbor. What a thrill for a wide-eyed 9 year old! The cruise was the highlight of my youth, to say the least and my sister and I still love recounting our adventures on board. Watching this video really brought rushing back all those memories. Thank you!
We did the same thing. After 4 years in England, we to the ship back the states. Also in 1963 but I don’t remember the exact dates. My dad gave the Conservancy all our pictures and memorabilia. Hope they’re able to find a permanent home and get the funds to restore the ship.
I’m a US citizen because my father served on the Bremen. He told me about her bulbous nose. We were invited to a Captain’s diner on board the Coast Guard’s Eagle in Detroit before I was old enough to become a citizen because long before the war he was a cadet on her. And he helped her escape from NY to Murmansk early September 1939. After the war my mother taught me how to swim within sight of the SS United States during flood tide in Bremerhaven. I was thrilled to see one of her propellers at the entrance to the aircraft carrier Intrepid in NY City a half dozen years ago. Thank you for your research and fantastic commentary !
Wonderful video. I sailed from Bremerhaven to NYC summer of 1958, first class. It was a great trip as my brother and I and another boy our age explored the ship at length. At one point we were in heavy seas so they closed the swimming pool as the water was surging up to the ceiling. I noticed a freighter about a mile away was plowing through waves over their bow as we passed them with a comfortable ride.
In 1953 my mother and dad and my brother Tom and I drove from Sheboygan, WI. To New York. We boarded the S.S UNITED States, along with our car, which my father had just purchased, on our voyage to La Havre, France. If I remember correctly it took 4 days and 8 hours. My dad and I enjoyed every moment and my mother and brother were deathly sick with motion sickness. My son sent me the video and I must say that I enjoyed it tremendously. Brought back wonderful memories.
What a fantastic video! I've been interested in ocean liners since I was a small boy many (way too many) years ago. I knew the generalities of the United States, but I've never seen such a simple and elegant analysis and explanation of the overall design of the ship. Thanks for creating this great piece of historical video and promoting awareness of this remarkable ship!
Well done, thank you. Not many maritime history videos here on UT are all that strong for the facts. I will just add a note-William Francis Gibbs is buried in an obscure grave in the Princeton Cemetery, Princeton NJ (same location as President Cleveland). You would not even know Gibbs was there-I just happened to stumble onto it, after going to the Cleveland 100th Anniversary centennial of his passing.
A friend of mine came to the United States on SS United States. I hadn't heard of a faster ocean liner but, before watching this video. I didn't know she held the record for speed of an ocean liner. Thanks for telling the story of her engineering. I was born in the U.S. but I only speak "American" and have difficulty understanding English from most places outside the American Midwest. Thanks for including the written version onscreen.
Please note, Gibbs' Malolo had a bulbous bow before Bremen and Europa... he didn't "borrow" the design from them, he initiated the practice in large passenger liners. Fantastic video!
I came from Germany to America in 1952 on this magnificent ship I was only 5 years old but we're I'll never forget and strangely it haunts me all the time I remember so vividly that every night the orchestra played the Tennessee waltz which was I believe Patti Page a song that was popular then And it just every night they played it several times what an incredible experience I wish I could remember more.
Thanks for that video. I had the experience to cross the Atlantic on the SS United States from Le Havre, France to New York City in October of 1963. The North Atlantic in October is no place for the weak at heart. The crossing was quote bumpy, the huge ship was heaving up and down considerably. But the captain kept the speed up and we arrived in NYC 4 1/2 days. A little more than a day more than the Blue Riband run, but give the sea state it was still pretty remarkable. It was an experience I'll never forget.
Another great video Michael. I used to live near Philadelphia and have seen the United States up close several times. It is a shame she is in such a poor condition at present. I keep holding out hope she will be saved, but time is running out.
My mother crossed the Atlantic on her in the 1950s, having done so on other liners, and remarked that while it was an impressively quick crossing, there was rather a lot of vibration. My dad crossed twice on QM1 in the war and am lucky enough to have enjoyed the Empress of Canada in 1970 and QE2 in 1973. Thanks for making such excellent videos!
This video was honestly both very entertaining and instructive. As always, great production work, love the videos ! Please keep going that way, cheers !
When I graduated college I rung the bell from this ship, which today sits in the bell tower of Christopher Newport University in Virginia. The library houses many other artifacts from the ship, and one of the propellers is across the street at the Mariner’s Museum.
I'm so glad to see a new video from you! I love this ship. If I were a multi-billionaire, I would gladly part with a couple of those billions, or more, whatever it took, to comprehensively restore Big U to her original, fully operational condition. She deserves no less. Totally unique in the world, she is one of the most amazing ships ever built. Her staggering power and speed are a big part of what defines her. She really should be made operational. Not, however, to be put into regular service, which would require modifications so extensive that it would alter her drastically. I'm thinking of a different kind of role- an operating museum ship, perhaps? I would pay to take a 40-knot thrill ride on Big U for a few hours, or go on an overnight trip. After her restoration, I would set up a generous trust to ensure that she'd be maintained in top condition. I know. I'm crazy. So?
Thankyou so much! I agree with you completely! It would be really something to see her sailing once more, a true golden-age ocean liner at sea, something which probably hasn't been since seen the scrapping of Norway.
Totally unrealistic pipe dream. There is a reason that ships aren't powered by steam plants anymore. It would be difficult to even find a crew qualified to run a high pressure/temperature steam plant nowadays. And the fuel costs would be insane! Complete waste of time and money. But yeah, if I was a eccentric billionaire, I'd get her put back in shape and go speeding around the worlds oceans in my ocean liner. 🙂
It truly is a pipe dream. The old girl’s been put down and sold (and mostly if not totally demolished) and put in dry dock. The ship graveyard. Nice thoughts though.
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I can see why you kept going back to add more details to this video. She's a remarkable vessel, those propellers! Love that picture of the funnel with the cars parked around it.
Wow she must be fast: she's got some really big stacks. 😉🤣🤣🤣🤣 (I didn't make that up: someone else did) Holy crap though they were huge: 10 Hudson Hornets it looked like lined up from one end to another.
Easy, power. The ship was partly funded by the USN and would be used as a fast troop carrier in the event of a war in Europe. It was fitted with the power plant that had already been used in the Iowa class battleships and were being used in the Forrestal class carriers. In the Iowa the plant produced 212,000 hp and drove the 58,000 ton ship at least 33 knots. In the Forrestal the plant produced 260,000 hp and pushed the 80,000 ton ship at least 33 knots. In the United States they produced 242,000 hp and pushed the much lighter 47,000 ship at least 38 knots. The engineering department was off limits as the machinery was classified. In a war setting with no thought to wear and tear, the plant could probably produce more power and drive the ship over 40 knots easily. The ship also had a long narrow hull, more destroyer or cruiser like. It also had 2 inch hull plating, in case of future war duty.
SS United States' power plant shared a lot of the same design principles, but was not derived from the steam plants of either the Iowas or Forrestals. The Iowas used 600psi steam plants with superheating to 850 degrees Fahrenheit, while United States used 1000psi boilers (de-rated to 925psi in service to improve reliability) and 975 degrees Fahrenheit superheating (which was de-rated to the 850 degrees number that Mike mentioned). The Forrestals used 1200psi steam plants with superheating up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit.
It was all those amazing performance stats that would have made her superb as a troop ship, outrunning any wartime threat, but not so great when you’re trying to operate at a profit.
My cousin David Odell was an engineer officer on the SS United States. When he was asked about the immense speed it could do , he replied that it could, but was subject to a LOT of vibration when it did.
When I was in the Navy in the late 60's and early 70's she was parked at south annex in Norfolk, VA .My ship (Navy) was parked near her for a few months and we talked the watchman into letting us crawl around one Sunday afternoon. She was impressive just to walk through even then and her speed record was still legendary. Years later we owned a vacation home on the Outer Banks of NC and a retired doctor had purchased quite a bit of SS United States interior at auction, particularly the furniture from lounges and dinning rooms, and created a restaurant in Nags Head called Windmill Point. The lounge was call SS United States and it became one of our favorite restaurants. The ship has been sold several times since then and now sits in Philadelphia's marine terminal looking very dim and dodgy, just a shadow of it's former self. Seems like someone tries to put her back into service every few years but then runs out of cash. Oh well, all things eventually come to an end; even great ships!
My grandmother grew up in Bremerhaven and told me about how she always went to look at the great liners and troup ships that went into the harbour from america and how she actually was invited with her father onto the United States and how grand everything (especially the food) was to her and you can clearly see how great the impact of those liners were on the people Theese ships werent just means of transport they were beacons of progress, hope and friendship between nations You didnt need to be rich and traveling first class to enjoy theese liners it was more than enough to just see them arriving in your harbour with the music and celebrations to be part of this awesome experience
Great video!! I have some family connections to this ship and she will always be super special to me. My mother worked at the U.S. Lines office in downtown Philadelphia in the 1970s; but back in 1963, I got my picture taken standing beside her in NY harbor while we were on a family vacation. My only regret is that I did not get to sail on her myself. She will always be the world's fastest ship!
Why does time make a ship less remarkable, do you honestly think modern cruise ships get within a margin of the magnificence of these Ocean~liners. Its like someone took the contemporary in the Magic Kingdom, dolled it up in lifeless white glossy paint, and put it on the water. Back then, a ship was a ship, it looked like a ship, showed wonderfully with elegant curvature and a satisfying lower stern than the front which became a guaranteed silhouette in the 1930's, along with wonderfully decorated liners such as the mauretania, docked in Manhattan in 1936 glimmering with metallic mint funnels.
I have ALWAYS loved the SS US and I have and will continue to contribute to the SS US Conservancy in an attempt to save this beautiful legend. It's still so sad that she is doomed to lay dormant in Philadelphia Harbor for the rest of her life when she should be on the world's oceans living her natural existence.
I have spent about two hours trawling through the comments on this post a lot of which are very good quality and very pertinent and some of which are not really of the same standard, and I have made two or three remarks of my own (which others must judge). Regardless of that it is good to see the genuine interest shown in what is a unique and very interesting ship. Well done, from the UK, on a very good presentation!
A couple of things: Those "air bubbles" at the propellers were not air, they were pure vacuum. The propeller overstrained the water to the point that the water split right open. These bubbles very quickly collapsed and made a heck of a snap, that's what ate away at the propellers. Speed was fine and very useful in wartime as it let the ship potentially run away from enemy subs. However the power needed goes up very sharply compared to the speed, so at 38 knots you are very close to a brick wall on speed. It's high cost, high speed and limited passenger capacity made it rather uneconomical to run. It was retired from service in 1969. Unfortunately it was also heavily slathered in asbestos, so it was impractical to remodel it for other uses. Beautiful ship, though.
I was on that ship in 1968, I was only two years old at the time. My father was in the Air Force and met my mother in England around 1956. My dad got orders to move to Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson AZ. So myself, 3 older sisters and my older brother packed up and moved to Tucson. About 4 years ago I was on Face Time with my sister in England. I asked her if she remembered an all metal ship that had red stacks and was white and blue. I told her for some reason I always remember playing with it when i was around 10 years old. She said “ Are you kidding me” I wondered what happened to that ship. Dad bought that for me when we moved to the states, it was for decoration. Long story short, she told me how much fun my sisters had running around on the USS United States as kids around 12 and 13….It was a beautiful ship…Thank you for the upload!!!
Most enjoyable video. The SS United States was built across the river from me and I have a few linens, towels, tray covers and napkins 'appropriated' on the last voyage. One thing omitted from the video, and an answer as to why the ship is so fast - estimated at 52 mph, tho' it's speed is still classified, were the engines. Being built in Newport News Shipyard, to double as a Presidential Command Ship, or troop ship as might become necessary, it was decided the only engines capable of delivering the desired speed were aircraft carrier engines. The ship was quite spartan, utilizing aluminum tubes for the stateroom chairs, with flame proof fabrics. The only items aboard that could burn were the chopping blocks in the gallies and the grand pianos. One item of exquisite luxury was the Lalique etched glass wall between the First Class bar and dance floor. I remember how sad I was, standing on the first island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel when out of the cold, drizzling mist appeared this magnificent ship, the Pride of the United States, behind an ocean-going tug on her way to Turkey
Always been impressed by ships speed. My fishing boat does 30 mph. And that big bastard is fifty years older but could leave me standing still. Just awesome!
Bravo! A great story of the design of this magnificent ship! My uncle, William Reuel Holland was the Chief Radio Officer on this record winning vessel! He later became W1GCL and I am W6JOB. I only learned much later in life that he and I shared the exciting hobby of amateur radio.
In 1964 I paid a visit to Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands. I went down to the docks and noticed two ships anchored off shore. One was the aircraft carrier Forrestal and the other was the United Sates. There were some US sailors standing around at the dock, so I asked them a question. "If those two ships were to have a race from here to the Statue of Liberty in NYC, who would win?" One sailor said "I really don't know but I am certain it would be a very close race." I think at that time the max speed for the United States was still a closely guarded secret,. I would bet that the Big U would win. PS I and my family came to America on the SS America and we arrived in NYC on 4/28/50. Our family found the America to be a more elegant ship but certainly much slower.
And she still exists! We can just go see her right now! A beautiful, revolutionary ship. I love her a lot. I didn't know most of that about Gibbs. Or her propellers, either. That's very unique and interesting. He seems like a character. I wish he had designed more of the big ones, I'd love to know more about his process and ideas.
He was quite a quiet guy, but as Mike pointed out, also quite the eccentric thinker and a very firm patriot. There's a story where the Brits came to his offices (as he was America's preeminent naval architect) during the Second World War, asking him to help design ships for them that could be rapidly built and transport large numbers of materials. He replied and I quote: "You don't need them." If they were winning the war, they didn't need his help. 🤣🤣 Nonetheless he did provide them with the ships they needed, and in addition also some for the States. That's where the Liberty-class ships were born. :D
No scrapper has the heart to take a torch to her. Even though no longer a functional ship. the SS United States still has value as a piece of art far exceeding that of the steel and aluminum of which she's made.
Mike you have made us happy with your videos for so long and we all owe you a great debt of gratitude for all of your work. I am 40 years old and you teach me new things in every one of your videos. I can't thank you enough.
When I was a child my family and I crossed the Atlantic in the SS United States. I only wish I remembered more details, but I was only 8 at the time. I do remember quite a bit, though -- it was a beautiful way to travel!
My family sailed on her from NYC to France in the Summer of 1966. There was a dock strike that day so we didn't leave until evening, a special treat going between Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty at dusk. To make up time we went faster than normal but they slowed down at the end so they purposely wouldn't break the record.
wonderful renderings! Somewhere around 1960, I got to tour the SS United States while berthed in NY. I was six-years-old in 1960 so I am guessing the year. I clearly remember that my biggest thrill was meeting Sonny Fox, the host of Wonderama, a local kids' TV show that I believe sponsored the tour. The ship impressed me too though as being sleek and modern. Though my career ultimately focussed on land based buildings - I did participate in a few boat houses and other shoreline projects - I have always loved studying boat and ship plans.
A very interesting video, thanks! My mother and I crossed the Atlantic from New York to Bremerhaven on the SS United States in 1958. I was too young to remember and only have photographs of me in my baby stroller next to a life ring with the ship's name as reminders. My last crossing was on the USNS Buckner in 1965 which I vividly remember since I was seasick from Southhampton to New York. Memorable times!
Mike...WoW!!! I am blown away by the production value of this video! So well done my friend! So entertaining with great visuals and perfect narration! I was late to this video and I'm ashamed...it was that good! What an awesome liner she was. A damn pity the state she is in now.😞
A few years ago I bought and read a book about the SS United States. This video is a great summation of what that book described. You hit all the high points. It's sad to see this great lady rust away at a pier. I fear she will not be restored.
What a breathtaking sight that must've been. SS United States and SS France are two of my favourites as well. France was actually very fast, too, only United States could out-drag her.
As a child, I crossed the Atlantic twice in the late 1950s aboard this ship. I wish we could still have an option to travel by ocean liner, and by train, besides plane travel.
You DO HAVE THE OPTION TO TRAVEL BY OCEAN LINER. It just takes making the additional time in your travel plans. I would prefer to cross the ocean on an ocean liner over that of a jet airliner any day. Traveling by air may be rated as the safest way to travel, but there’s still far too many airliners that end up crashing, usually because they’ve become so ridiculously complicated that something is eventually going to fail or the pilot’s going to make a grave error. At least when a modern, compartmented ocean liner breaks down, it’s still floating on the surface. Planes have no such option. And there’s no place I need to be so fast that requires me to take such a risk, as small as that risk might be. Obviously I’ve watched more than a few of those programs about plane crashes. And in most cases, it’s the pilot or co-pilot’s fault. That failure point is the one that’s never going to be fool proofed.
Thank you for another wonderful video. Beautiful visuals. I wish we in the US had a better sense of history., but maybe it's not too late. The video was well worth the wait!😉
I had heard about the ship growing up in the 1950s & '60s and was fascinated by what I heard. In the US Navy, stationed in the Norfolk area, one night I managed to stumble on her tied up. Even with faded paint and in the dark she was so very impressive looking. I would love to see her restored to service or even cosmetically as a museum.
Thanks for a great video! My family took the United States on a return trip from Europe. Even at kid, I knew the United States was a special ship. The United States was more than a great ocean liner… it was the fastest ship in the world! Back then, that meant something. To be on the fastest ship that sailed across the Atlantic was something very special. One night during the five day voyage I slipped from our cabin and tip-toed out and into the long hallway lined with closed stateroom doors. Everyone was asleep. Everyone - except for me and the ship. I found my way up the stairs and passages to the sports deck. And there in the darkness, standing in my blue pajamas, I looked up and watched the fiery spray of stars pass over the giant funnels. What a feeling of freedom and exhilaration! These days there are lots of lumbering, top-heavy cruise ships to choose from. But in the 1950's to travel internationally on a great ocean liner was a unique experience. It was what movie stars and famous people and world leaders did. And to enjoy the trip on the fastest ship in the world; now that was something special.
Great video... nicely done. Of note - Not mentioned in the engine portion of this video, was that these very fast engines were the result of the engineering genius of Marine Engineer Briton O. Smith - an employee of Gibbs & Cox, New York for 35 years. Smith made 60 transatlantic crossings aboard the SS United States. He was born in Montreal Canada, and lived in Plainfield, NJ for over 50 years where he died in 1986 at the age of 97. His career included work on a number of World War II ships including anti-aircraft vessels and destroyers and he was given a commendation by the Department of the Navy for his wartime contributions. Smith was a graduate of McGill University in 1915 and became a US citizen in 1940. His input on the engine design and construction was instrumental in the vessel having achieved the speed records she still holds to this day.
How utterly magnificent! A total joy to watch in these dark times with Ukraine. I doff my cap to all those involved in that suave, elegant and sophisticated machine which picked up its petticoats and sprinted across the Atlantic at 5800rpm!! Love it!🧤❤
Thank you for doing this video I love oceanliners and this is my ship As a child I was on the ship SS United States twice ( 1966 in 1968) my brother helped me touch the funnel by pushing me up to touch the funnel Fond memories That’s when I fell in love with ocean liners
What a sight to see on the west side of NY the US, then the Michaelangelo, next to the Leornardo da Vinci--i even saw the Queen Mary going down the Hudson with tugboats blaring and saluting--wonderful memories
Built at Newportnews Shipbuilding. When I first started working there, there was a statue which read, "Always good ships, at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always good ships"
While reading the comments, I came across yours. Thanks for telling us viewers where the ship was built. My late father worked on her. He often told us that she was 'his' ship. At the entrance to the nearby "Mariners' Museum," a huge propeller -- 34 tons -- stands at the entrance to the museum in Newport News, Virginia. It's called "The Virginia Propeller." It came from the SS United States.
Keep seeing "bits and pieces" of WW-II "IOWA" Battleship design. Although the war was over military secrets were then paramount. Beautiful smart designs, every change in design has positive and negative issues. Ship goes fast, more people "may" become sea sick..
In the 60’s I served on QE as Jr Asst Purser……these two ships frequently passed in mid-Atlantic at a combined speed of 74 knots (over 80 mph)……it was a truly awesome maritime event to witness.
Nicely rendered images and data. It’s hard to imagine the US government having a stake in the liner’s build for strategic reasons. Once air travel between the continents was viable, the notion of a fast boat to Europe was obsolete overnight.
No plane would ever have a hope of sending 15,000 soldiers across the sea in one go, but the Cunard Liners could and often did that during WWII. That bulk shipment may have been worth the slower speed of shipping.
Wonderful presentation !! We took her east bound, twice, NY to LeHarve, first class, courtesy of the U.S. State Dept. (foreign service family, diplomatic corps) We did go thru an atlantic storm,2nd trip...she sliced thru it like a knife.....a great ship, I remember a 'slight' vibration when under way , as she was driving very hard. Its so sad to see her now ,laid up since 1969(?) (We donated all of our memorabilia from her to the Steamship Historical Society, in Rhode Island ). Thanks Again for a great program !
@@jasomkovac9115 just the 'weather' i guess, We crossed a few more times, in different liners, and it was always calm. the north atlantic tends to be cool and windy,even in the heat of summer
I just love how Gibbs was like "Hey US Navy, can I borrow the propulsion system out of an Aircraft Carrier for an Ocean Liner? Oh and I promise to make it easily convertible to a troop ship to fight the communists." "Well hell Gibbs here you go!!" The engineering plant of SS US as a mechanical engineering student is so fascinating to me and is just so impressive, thank you for this video. I can see her where I live in Philadelphia
Actually, The Iowa class battlewagons and Midway class carriers had 212,000 shp plants, so she was the most powerful ship afloat for three years until the Forrestal class with 280,00 shp came into service
@@colbeausabre8842 I forget how the story goes, but as far as I know the Navy gave Gibbs the boilers and turbines from one of their big capital ship plants, most likely the Turbines from the Iowas and the boilers were probably upgraded cruiser spec boilers, as the SSUS originally ran 1000 psi steam pressure, but later was reduced to 925 psi
That was pretty much it in a nutshell. 😂😂You see this is why it's my belief that the United States is the most fun ocean liner to talk about. We get to have discussions such as these, 'cause she is just such an awesome ship. :D
PLEASE DO. Students need to learn the history of our country and why she is something to be proud of, and the SS United States is a perfect thing that they ought to learn about. :D
In 1960,my parents took me to the Isle of Wight on holiday. In those days ,a cruise to Southampton Docks was a tourist must ,to see the great liners. I saw the Queen Mary berthed. As we left to cruised back to Ryde Pier,the United States was spotted on our port bow .It cruised past us at some speed heading to Southampton Happy memories.
I had the pleasure to travel on her first class from Bremerhaven to New York in 1964 courtesy of Uncle Sam. My father was a US Army officer. I remember It was difficult to walk on deck due to the high wind speed caused by her forward motion of 38 knots. By the way it's Blue "Riband" not ribbon. This ship was the embodiment of America when she was at her apex of power and prestige. Thanks for a wonderful video.
After she was retired in 1969 she was laid up on the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, just south of the destroyer and escort piers of the Naval Operating Base. My father and I used to run our 19-foot runabout up behind her so close it felt like you could reach out and touch her. I knew nothing of her history then but just being near her was amazing. We also ran up behind the ships at dock at the NOB including carriers. That was well before a safety boom was put in after 9-11 !! No one seemed to care we were there.
Well done! Am and have been an ocean liner buff for years and this was a great video on the US response to years of ocean liners, I love the old British and French ones but the Unite States was incredible!!
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SS United States may be the fastest liner, but other passenger carrying ships has taken the ribbon by a significant margin.
The current record is held by Cat-Link V ferry, now named HSC Fjord Cat, which did the crossing in just 68 hours and 9 minutes the average speed being 41.28 knots or almost 7 knots faster than the SS United States.
@@bzdtemp That's for one direction across the Atlantic, I forget which. The ribbon for the other direction is still held by the Big U.
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Wow mr how old are you
Things that never happened for $1,000
Fun fact. I was a crew member in 1968. We were delayed by a tugboat strike in Le Havre France for one day, and on the way back home we had a regularly scheduled stop in Cobh Ireland, which was also the Titanic's last port. So, a day late, we crossed the Atlantic in a little over three days, at something approaching 40 knots. It is not recognized in the Blue Riband competition since it didn't go from Bishops Rock to Ambrose light, but I believe it was the fastest transatlantic voyage by a liner. My bunk was right over the inboard port screw, and I bounced my way all across the Atlantic.
Your last line made me chuckle out lot. With a big smile too. What a fantastic memory.
What a great memory to share! Do you have any more recollections of your time aboard that you could tell, please?
Awesome!
My father was a member of the crew when the SS United States won the Blue Ribbon & stayed aboard for the return leg of the journey.
Years later and after the children were born (I’m the middle daughter) we would sail to NYC and return to Southampton several times a year. It was a wonderful way to travel and the SSUS was definitely the best liner ever. I feel very blessed to have experienced a time when travel was exciting and the dress code was very important. I still have my life jacket (purchased) and a lot of the ships mementos. It’s been a long time since I went through my photo collection and I’ll dig it out again. Thank you 🙏🏻
I love to hear these stories of random people who served on, lived in, and experienced these beautiful liners firsthand. Liners are thought (by most) to have been long gone, but Cunard still services the transatlantic with vessels such as the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria, and the Queen Elizabeth. I spent my honeymoon on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California and my wife and I had a great time. We were 23 and 24 back then in 2007, and we stayed in one of the first class rooms, and while it was $350 a night, it was well worth it for me (although the beds were extremely uncomfortable and they still had tiny tube televisions in place). However I REALLY enjoyed it. There was also a Titanic exhibit going on below decks and it featured a HUGE cutaway of the great ship. They also had the Ghosts and Legends tour which we went on in one of the boiler rooms (which are all empty), and they even had an exhibit of when the Queen Mary ran down HMS Curacoa during her trooping duties of WWII (with a beautifully made vindiagram of the incident). I love these liners of all of the eras of transatlantic travel. I have been researching Titanic for the last 34 years of my life and I just go nuts over these ships that spanned the many decades of when ocean travel by ship was the "Only Way to Cross" according to author and historian John Maxtone Graham.
The British satire publication, Punch, said this at the time of the launch of the SS United States. “After the loud and fantastic claims made in advance for the liner United States, it comes as something of a disappointment to find them all true.” I think that summed it all up perfectly. Your video is a fantastic tribute to a spectacular ship!
In the 50s if we said we could do something we weren’t farting around, if we said we could build a ship that can travel at speeds in excess of 38 knots we made it happen
The SS United States was a legendary ship and should hold the blue riband to this day .
@@Gregm-l9r and it still does. And it will forever.
As a Marine engineer, I met a number of other engineers that had been on the USS United States for her sea trials back in 1952. When the government builds a ship, like the United States, under construction differential subsidy, the government reserves a large capacity of horsepower for the ship for their own use. The turbines that drove the ship were fitted with "commercial" nozzle blocks, which would drive the ship 38 kns. The government had the capacity of putting on "national defense" turbine nozzle blocks on the ship, which would dramatically increase the horsepower. The engineers that were there for the sea trials, in which they had the national defense blocks on the turbines, said the speed of the ship reached 55 kns in sea trials. Once the trials are over, the commercial blocks are replaced on the turbines, the national defense blocks would never again to be fitted to the ship.
As a child of 8 years old in 1956, I sailed on the SS United States with my mother and sister from New York to Southhampton - and back several months later. It was a brilliant experience. We were in "tourist class", but it was a world away from what was in another era "steerage". Tourist class was accommodated near the front portion of the ship. It was clean, and comfortable. The help and service from the stewards was first rate. A large dining room served sumptuous meals. A sheltered area between the two funnels provided space for recreation and leisure. An array of reclinable deck chairs offered an opportunity to relax and chill out with a blanket. I read books there and gazed at the ocean for hours. The attendants were very patient and kind to a boy full of curiosity who asked many questions. They even helped me with my reading.
On the return crossing, the ship crossed paths with a hurricane. In order to get out of the way of the this disturbance, the ship powered up. A lot of the passengers got seasick. The gala steak dinner night was sparsely attended. My family was as sick as any other. I knew that getting on deck was at least a temporary cure. So I donned my macintosh and made my way up to the promenade deck where I found an alcove shelter. I watched the roiling sea and witnessed a trawler being tossed around like a cork. About 40 minutes later, an officer found me on deck, and I was returned to my panicked but angry mother. The experience was worth her wrath.
Disembarkation was a revelatory experience. Back in our hometown of Vancouver, my father had managed to pull some strings. Accordingly, we were invited to disembark from the first class part of the ship. First Class enjoyed priority and rather effortless immigration clearance in the comfort of the first class ballroom. We were dazzled by the splendour of it all, which if not as ornate as in the old "Queens", it was at least as impressive in a more modern style. My mother recognized various people of eminence and celebrity, but they meant nothing to me at the time.
At the end of the each voyage, passengers were presented with an elegantly printed, folded card with an abridged version of the ship's log. Usually it recorded the date and average speed and distance made by the ship. For this crossing, there were a couple of days left blank. The ship's upper limits of performance was still a state secret. I still have the card - a souvenir of a great adventure for a little boy.
What a great memory. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Amazing story!!
Thanks for sharing your memories Lorne!
Mark from Melbourne Australia
Thanx for sharing...made me jealous.
I got very sea sick
In May of 1960, I was 8 years old and travelling aboard Cunard's HMS IVERNIA, travelling from Montreal to South Hampton. In the mid Atlantic, we spotted another ship behind us, that had just appeared on the horizon. Within 10 minutes the ship was alongside us and identified as the S.S. United States. The loud sound of steam horns were exchanged by the two ocean liners as greetings. Ten minutes more and the S.S. United States disappeared over the horizon ahead of us. She was fasssst!
What a sight that must have been.... Wow!
wow!!
Imagine going back in time and capturing that in footage.
That is incredible, thank you for sharing.
Awesome.
Not to nitpick....but, that would be RMS Ivernia, or SS Ivernia. HMS would be reserved for a naval or Govt ship.
Good video, I was a passenger on the SSUS. She was so fast that on deck I could lean into the wind like a downhill skier, almost parallel to the deck, and the force of the wind hold me up. A crossing on her was unlike any other ship I have been on, a truly amazing experience. Inside she was like a fine old-world hotel, cruise ships today, even the QM2 doesn't come close. Like a train on a schedule they were fast, but accommodating, in addition to meeting celebrities. Today's cruise/floating apt buildings with thousands of passengers cheapens the whole experience.
qm2’s still an ocean liner
Fun fact. At the conclusion of her maiden voyage and return to New York, she had to be dry-docked because the high speed and friction during the crossing had actually sandblasted the paint off the bow. It was at that moment that I think the USL realized that they had a true speed demon at their command.
Loss of paint at the bow was common on the highest-speed liners.
She was fast. Just useless today.
I believe they also had to use red lead to patch holes in the bow, too, as the sustained speed through salt water actually ate away at the steel plating.
Queen Mary had the same problem if you look at the footage of her coming towards Nantucket Light on her maiden voyage you can see the paint rubbed off her bow
Friction? Just add more lube champ 😅
In 1964, I made 5 crossings on the ship, working in the second class galley. It was an absolute pleasure. Even in a hurricane off Greenland returning to the U. S. she rode the waves smoothly. I spent numbers of nights in the anchor room with my head out the starboard port hole watching her cut through the waves, sleekly. Sad to see her in Philadelphia.
Damn I envy that experience
@@dougn2350 haha Yes! unique I bet!
I see this ship all the time just sitting in a South Philly pier and just rusting away still. It’s still so very impressive at the size of it. She dwarfs everything around her. I could only imagine how a present day passenger ship would compare. The paint scheme almost looks the same except for being extremely faded.
I remember when Carnival announced they were going to purchase the united states! And their plan was to tow it to Louisiana shipyard where it would be completely overhauled and redesigned! The idea was a five star Gatsby Era luxury ship. Not for the budget minded but instead for the millionaires and billionaires. I’m sure you remember this too because all of us who have been fans, overjoyed. But it did not happen! Why the city of Philadelphia claimed millions upon millions due in port fees storage fees etc! Carnival said they were going to invest upwards of $30-$50 million and Philadelphia should be happy to see this ship gone and saved from the scrapheap. The intelligent Negroes who make up the city Council stood firm! and what they got in the end was a plate full of warm shit! Slammed into their faces and that’s all. So this shit has been sitting there for 30 some years maybe more and I’m sure it will never see The glory that it could’ve had except for the monkeys in suits.
In the eighties, when I went to Old Dominion University, it was docked in Norfolk, VA, and I could see it from the bridge over the Lafayette River on Hampton Boulevard every day driving to my classes. I can only imagine how much more it has deteriorated since then.
@@Hibernicus1968 sadly she is in pretty rough condition as I recently saw her just a couple weeks ago because she is docked in South Philadelphia just across the street from IKEA that I often visit but at least for now she is still there but I don’t know what the future holds for her.
@@lotsatrains Efforts to restore her failed. Getting to Europe in three days is no longer a matter of taking a hot rod ship. Families want myriad dining options, rock walls, game rooms, water slides and all matter of fun stuff, speed be damned. At least, if she's going to sit here in Philly, kindly consider collecting for a new paint job that would at least honor her illustrious past.
I heard they upped her rent for sitting there and they can't afford to keep her there. I really hope they can keep her around.
I had the privilege of traveling on the SS United States back in 1961. We traveled from England to New York. We had so much fun swimming and going to the movies. We even sat with the Captain for dinner one evening. She was a beautiful vessel.
I took an 8mm movie film of the US passing Hailing island on the approaches to the Solent, and on to Southampton. I knew every ship that passed us because of the funnel designs, the US had very low profile and fat funnels with 'wings' if you would have waved I might have got you on film. Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and the France were regular visitors that I caught on camera, plus the hovercraft trials. ( The camera was a Bell and Howell triple turret, albeit silent ). now all converted to usb.
Thank you another excellent video. I started work at Newport News Shipbuilding in 1986. There were still quite a few employees who had worked on her. I was able to go onboard her while she was at a pier in Norfolk. This was shortly after the auction at which much of her interior furnishings were sold. For a few dollars and a signature on a liability waiver, you could go through the entire ship. I went all through the superstructure and the forward funnel. I will always regret that the lack of a flashlight prevented me from venturing down into the engine rooms.
Amazing Greg, thanks for sharing!
I went thru it about that time also. I bought a room key and a ships dinner napkin but I can’t remember what else.
@@davidmcdonald879 I bought a blanket and a key ring.
@@OceanlinerDesigns you spelt "Obsolescent" wrong
We bought a few life vests, blankets and shower towels and mats, that I still use today
Speaking as a life-long sailor, and a US Navy veteran, I find your content fascinating. I subscribed based on this video, and look forward to all the interesting videos you have created. High fives to your content AND your editing choices. ( I make my living now as a video producer, editor, and post-productionist, so I know good content when I see it.) Two thumbs up!
Thanks so much mate and welcome aboard!
Absolutely amazing video, well-done!! I’ve had the privilege of seeing the SSUS in-person in Philadelphia a few years ago. Even in her current condition, she is stunning! Even if you didn’t know how fast she was, you can tell by looking at her that she was meant for speed! Hopefully she can get restored in the future.
With all the trillions the federal government spends annually, surely it can spare one billion to restore the United States.
I was on board her in 1956.
I thought she was scrapped already - - but if not, yes !
...is there a way to donate for her restauration from outside the U.S...?
@@Packless1 Hi, a TH-cam documentary that I saw mentioned she needs a new owner with really deep pockets before anything can happen. I would if I could but can't.
The SS United States could do 20 knots - astern! She could also carry enough fuel and provisions to steam 10000 miles at 35 knots. An absolute marvel of marine engineering and it's a damn shame the condition she sits in today. The prototype Boeing 707 flew 2 years after she launched and the first 707 flew 5 years after her launch. She was doomed to a short career. Only one true ocean liner survives today.
QM2, one of the most elegant ships afloat today. Way better than the floating apartment blocks known as ‘ships.’
SS United States needs to be cut up for scrap asap.
@@robdog1245 True, the QM2 is regularly docked where I live, among different "apartement block" style cruise liners, and is generally just a much more nicely proportioned ship.
The Big U would have made a remarkable wartime vessel. Converted into a troop ship with a dazzle paint scheme, overloaded with thousands of soldiers like the Queen Mary... Now that would've been quite a sight!
Another website about SS United States has that photo. I soon as a saw I knew
the wake coming FROM the bow meant she was going ASTERN! Amazing!
I am too young to have seen this ship in action but from time to time I do see her docked in Phily PA. Even though she looks like she's two steps from the scrap yard, its awe inspiring to look at the shape and design of this ship. I dont know if it will ever happen, but it would be amazing to see this ship refitted and out doing her thing.
S.S. Unites States is so underrated as a ship i'm serious this ship broke all the records in the world and now is a rusty piece of iron i can't accept this fate for her
She still has life left somebody just needs to give her the push she needs to become something great again.
It's just not economically feasible over the years there have been multiple surveys committee's fundraising events investors who have tried to raise the money to restore the ship to operational condition all of been unsuccessful the money would just be too great I think the estimate was close to a billion dollars one of the problems is that in order to make the ship fireproof the ship is filled with asbestos and just the removal of the asbestos out of the ship would be hundreds of millions of dollars just to get the asbestos out she will never be operational again possibly the best you can hope for is that she turned into some kind of a museum or hotel like the Queen Mary but even the Queen Mary has become an economic burden on the City of Long Beach and even the future of the Queen Mary is very much in doubt at the moment last I heard that if there weren't 50 million dollars in emergency repairs done to the Queen Mary that she would capsize and sink because she's slowly taking on water in her Hual these leviathans were Machines of a different time period they were designed to do their job they did their job and there's just really no future use for these kinds of machines anymore
@@crazyguy_1233 it be easier to scrap her at this point. The Philadelphian winters and rusty seasons have eaten at her and done Irreparable damage.
@@whatsittooya3013 I think she can still be saved. But a lot of work would need to be done to her superstructure. The last assessment said she was still fairly solid which was surprising. The ship isn’t great but it’s still in a save able condition for now. I think in another 15 -20 years she’ll be too far gone but not yet.
Good it deserves to be it hasn't done anything good for the world
I crossed from NYC to Bremerhaven aboard the SS US in 1960 as a 17-year-old boy going to Germany with my Army family. It was in the middle of January, and the storms were violent beyond belief. The ship felt safe and powerful no matter what was going on. She was almost empty, so we got super-dooper service and attention from the friendly staff. It was a taste of the millionaire's life. I wish I could tell you all my explorations and the fun I had. It was the last years of the great liners, and I'm glad I didn't miss it. At at our destination: Europe! I'm sorry for anybody who wasn't an American kid in those days.
Well, I was an American kid in those days and I STILL haven't done anything so exciting as that.
@@nickpaine I know how lucky I was, and I'm grateful to my parents for the life and education they gave me. You keep looking around -- you never know when adventure will strike, even at our age!
@@Axgoodofdunemaul I'll try. Maybe I chose the wrong parents. Foolish me.
Her actual top speed was classified for years, but some sources hinted at 45 knots for a top end. She was also designed that her cabin accommodations could be converted to troop transport configuration in about a week. Amazing ship.
41,6 knots were really, members of the crew told that.
38.3 was her max if I remember correctly. For every knot over 24, the horsepower of a hull has to double. SSUS used 280k horsepower to go 38 knots. It's physically impossible to put a million horsepower in SSUS's hull. It's a fun story, though.
During her sea trials, I believe they had her clocked at 23 knots...IN REVERSE! (Yeah...I know..."going astern".)
@@moosecat hi there moosecat. Re "going astern" or " hard astern", examples of basic Sea English which are part of the naturally used vocabulary in the Anglosphere for all of us who have or have had any connection to the sea in anything from a small wooden rowing boat to sea-going vessels of all kinds, but a mystery language seen by some among the landbound community as pretentious and offensive to their lazy reading and comprehension ability. Hence, I realise what lay behind the necessity for your explanatory note.
I once used the expression "shipping it green" to the sneering puzzlement of some who read it in a comment in another forum. The overt anger apparent in having to make a small additional effort of understanding, over and above their usual base level, caused me to wonder at the hostility to the unfamiliar, the lack of curiosity and the rude aggression in the grammar police-like tone.
It's a shame tho, because Sea English reaches into everyday speech all across the Anglosphere in its descriptively unambiguous precision. Seafarers, whether from Britain, both shores of North America, Aus/NZ, anywhere English is spoken, have at their disposal this wonderful lexicon of commonly understood meaning and communication, from ship to ship or from one seaman to another. May it endure as long as men put to sea in whatever craft they sail.
Finally thankyou for your interesting remarks on the astern performance of USS UNITED STATES. I immediately wondered how much Sea room she needed to come to a stop from full astern at 23knots, and how her handling was affected. I'm guessing that rudder movement at that speed might have been a very restricted option due to the great weight of the opposing flow of water against the face of the rudder, and the stresses that would impose on the rudder shaft and its supporting structure. Each cubic metre of seawater weighs I believe, about 1 ton , so weight times velocity squared over 2g (kinetic energy, schoolboy level arithmetic which is my learning limit,) would be a pretty impressive force. Any thoughts on this, anyone?
@@xmtryanx they may be getting that speed from a maximum achieved with a following current at a specific time.
Like, "in ideal conditions she was even able to maintain 46 knots" is likely the real story
The Big U was crewed by 3 Unions of American sailors who followed orders and only ran her just fast enough to keep the Blue Ribband, keeping her true troopship speed unpublished. Legend around the Union Halls has it that the engineers only “opened her up” to full wartime speed a few times, one of which occurred due to a tug boat strike work stoppage in NY harbor which delayed the departure of the Big U who had a set Arrival time at the Panama Canal. In order to make it on schedule, the weather decks were closed off, passengers stayed inboard and the engineers opened her up to classified speed and just made the Canal arrival. The Deck Officers were truly impressed at her “war speed.”
Amazing! They would be hard pressed to keep a secret like that today!
What was her WAR speed? I've read a similar story from a book a Stewart mentioned in 1965/66 they closed off the open air decks, secured the furniture and the speed was 48kts or 52Mph.
My Granny`s brother Commodore George Guy Morris was Captain of the Mary when she docked in New York unassisted because of a strike.
@@Saint-Christopher 48 knots is a little over 55mph.
@@bobjohnson1587 it's crazy having seen this ship in person, to think it could reach near 55mph.
We see her everytime we go over the Walt Whitman bridge heading to Wildwood New Jersey for vacations. So glad she survives, though unfortunately her condition is not good. I know Mr. Gibbs daughter is involved, and may even own the ship. I certainly hope a treasure like this will one day get the attention and recognition she deserves, and shine again. Awesome video!
I think it is wishful thinking they can raise enough money to do anything useful with the remaining hulk. I hate to see her go but a respectful breaking should be next.
This is a total Don Quixote project. They need to just put it the death already.
She’s been totally gutted.
@@lindaterrell5535 Yep. This all past Glory dreaming. Just Red, white, blue and rust bucket now.
I was hoping she'd become a hospital ship (decades ago, the military apparently examined this), but a museum of some kind is probably the best we can hope for. The money is sky high for maintaining a ship like her, and she doesn't have much internally.
My father was sent to England during WWII on board the Queen Mary. The QM was so fast that she didn't want or need military escorts, and traveling in a convoy would negate her speed. She was so fast she simply outran any u-boats. No zig zag course, pointed towards England and pedal to the metal all the way. They did make one mid course correction when a spotter plane saw a u-boat along her pathway.
My uncle made the trip to Europe sleeping in the swimming pool.
I saw an interview with a former u boat captain who claimed to have spotted queen Elizabeth. By the time they went through the silhouette book and plotted a firing solution, she was gone.
With 800,000 carried to war in Europe, many have similar stories. It’s why the British government subsidized the thing in the first place. My father-in-law talked of a bunk every other night, and finding a spot to lean against a bulkhead the other nights. No complaint of cold or wet. Sounds more comfortable than a hammock or whatever on a corvette.
When my dad rotated back to the states from England after his 3 year tour of duty at RAF Wethersfield (Air Force maintenance officer), he was offered a choice of flying our family back on MATS or a 5-day cruise from Southampton to NYC on the SS United States. Mom and Dad, along with us 5 kids were treated to an unforgettable, luxurious, and exciting trans-Atlantic crossing on this remarkable ship in March, 1963. I was 9 years old, so my memories were and still are quite vivid. My older sister and I had such fun exploring the ship from bow to stern and the meal service, complete with our own assigned waiter “Jack”, was second to none. In spite of the wonderful meal service, I skipped breakfast on the last day of the cruise to stand on the bow deck to watch our arrival past the Statue of Liberty to our docking spot in NY Harbor. What a thrill for a wide-eyed 9 year old! The cruise was the highlight of my youth, to say the least and my sister and I still love recounting our adventures on board. Watching this video really brought rushing back all those memories. Thank you!
We did the same thing. After 4 years in England, we to the ship back the states. Also in 1963 but I don’t remember the exact dates. My dad gave the Conservancy all our pictures and memorabilia. Hope they’re able to find a permanent home and get the funds to restore the ship.
If only all 9yr old boys could have experienced that 😭😭😭😭😭
I’m a US citizen because my father served on the Bremen. He told me about her bulbous nose. We were invited to a Captain’s diner on board the Coast Guard’s Eagle in Detroit before I was old enough to become a citizen because long before the war he was a cadet on her. And he helped her escape from NY to Murmansk early September 1939. After the war my mother taught me how to swim within sight of the SS United States during flood tide in Bremerhaven. I was thrilled to see one of her propellers at the entrance to the aircraft carrier Intrepid in NY City a half dozen years ago. Thank you for your research and fantastic commentary !
Wonderful video. I sailed from Bremerhaven to NYC summer of 1958, first class. It was a great trip as my brother and I and another boy our age explored the ship at length. At one point we were in heavy seas so they closed the swimming pool as the water was surging up to the ceiling. I noticed a freighter about a mile away was plowing through waves over their bow as we passed them with a comfortable ride.
In 1953 my mother and dad and my brother Tom and I drove from Sheboygan, WI. To New York. We boarded the S.S UNITED States, along with our car, which my father had just purchased, on our voyage to La Havre, France. If I remember correctly it took 4 days and 8 hours. My dad and I enjoyed every moment and my mother and brother were deathly sick with motion sickness. My son sent me the video and I must say that I enjoyed it tremendously. Brought back wonderful memories.
What a fantastic video! I've been interested in ocean liners since I was a small boy many (way too many) years ago. I knew the generalities of the United States, but I've never seen such a simple and elegant analysis and explanation of the overall design of the ship. Thanks for creating this great piece of historical video and promoting awareness of this remarkable ship!
Well done, thank you. Not many maritime history videos here on UT are all that strong for the facts. I will just add a note-William Francis Gibbs is buried in an obscure grave in the Princeton Cemetery, Princeton NJ (same location as President Cleveland). You would not even know Gibbs was there-I just happened to stumble onto it, after going to the Cleveland 100th Anniversary centennial of his passing.
A friend of mine came to the United States on SS United States. I hadn't heard of a faster ocean liner but, before watching this video. I didn't know she held the record for speed of an ocean liner. Thanks for telling the story of her engineering.
I was born in the U.S. but I only speak "American" and have difficulty understanding English from most places outside the American Midwest. Thanks for including the written version onscreen.
Please note, Gibbs' Malolo had a bulbous bow before Bremen and Europa... he didn't "borrow" the design from them, he initiated the practice in large passenger liners.
Fantastic video!
I came from Germany to America in 1952 on this magnificent ship I was only 5 years old but we're I'll never forget and strangely it haunts me all the time I remember so vividly that every night the orchestra played the Tennessee waltz which was I believe Patti Page a song that was popular then And it just every night they played it several times what an incredible experience I wish I could remember more.
This is the greatest liner of all time and I think it is WAY to underrated.
Awesome video! Love the style and story telling. Can't wait for more :)
Hey thanks so much!
~Mike
ayo you like ships too?! nice!
@@OceanlinerDesigns go get some pics of her now. It's terrible 😔.
@@jasonbirch1182 Yes, it is, but I blame Pan American Airlines.
@@hillbilly4895 Its not Pan America Airlines that did this to her! Its after all a 70 year old ship.
Thanks for that video.
I had the experience to cross the Atlantic on the SS United States from Le Havre, France to New York City in October of 1963. The North Atlantic in October is no place for the weak at heart. The crossing was quote bumpy, the huge ship was heaving up and down considerably. But the captain kept the speed up and we arrived in NYC 4 1/2 days. A little more than a day more than the Blue Riband run, but give the sea state it was still pretty remarkable. It was an experience I'll never forget.
Wow, you are so fortunate. Thank you very much for sharing your experience.
Another great video Michael. I used to live near Philadelphia and have seen the United States up close several times. It is a shame she is in such a poor condition at present. I keep holding out hope she will be saved, but time is running out.
Agreed Darthdevious! We can only hope.
Never going to happen. People been hanging onto this pipe dream for decades now.
@@WALTERBROADDUS i don't think so.
@@potato1907 well you have not had the watch it sit year after as every idea about the hulk has fallen through.
My mother crossed the Atlantic on her in the 1950s, having done so on other liners, and remarked that while it was an impressively quick crossing, there was rather a lot of vibration. My dad crossed twice on QM1 in the war and am lucky enough to have enjoyed the Empress of Canada in 1970 and QE2 in 1973. Thanks for making such excellent videos!
This video was honestly both very entertaining and instructive. As always, great production work, love the videos ! Please keep going that way, cheers !
When I graduated college I rung the bell from this ship, which today sits in the bell tower of Christopher Newport University in Virginia. The library houses many other artifacts from the ship, and one of the propellers is across the street at the Mariner’s Museum.
I'm so glad to see a new video from you!
I love this ship. If I were a multi-billionaire, I would gladly part with a couple of those billions, or more, whatever it took, to comprehensively restore Big U to her original, fully operational condition.
She deserves no less. Totally unique in the world, she is one of the most amazing ships ever built. Her staggering power and speed are a big part of what defines her. She really should be made operational. Not, however, to be put into regular service, which would require modifications so extensive that it would alter her drastically. I'm thinking of a different kind of role- an operating museum ship, perhaps? I would pay to take a 40-knot thrill ride on Big U for a few hours, or go on an overnight trip.
After her restoration, I would set up a generous trust to ensure that she'd be maintained in top condition.
I know. I'm crazy.
So?
Thankyou so much!
I agree with you completely! It would be really something to see her sailing once more, a true golden-age ocean liner at sea, something which probably hasn't been since seen the scrapping of Norway.
Totally unrealistic pipe dream.
There is a reason that ships aren't powered by steam plants anymore. It would be difficult to even find a crew qualified to run a high pressure/temperature steam plant nowadays.
And the fuel costs would be insane!
Complete waste of time and money.
But yeah, if I was a eccentric billionaire, I'd get her put back in shape and go speeding around the worlds oceans in my ocean liner.
🙂
@@straybullitt Pitch the idea to Elon Musk; he's weird enough to maybe do it.
It truly is a pipe dream. The old girl’s been put down and sold (and mostly if not totally demolished) and put in dry dock. The ship graveyard. Nice thoughts though.
Would have to steal propulsion equipment from the Iowa class museum ships amongst other fittings
I got to see her in person. She is an amazing liner I just hope she is restored as a museum and hotel one day.
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I can see why you kept going back to add more details to this video. She's a remarkable vessel, those propellers! Love that picture of the funnel with the cars parked around it.
Wow she must be fast: she's got some really big stacks. 😉🤣🤣🤣🤣 (I didn't make that up: someone else did)
Holy crap though they were huge: 10 Hudson Hornets it looked like lined up from one end to another.
@@Kaidhicksii Yes, she was 'stacked'! lol
Easy, power. The ship was partly funded by the USN and would be used as a fast troop carrier in the event of a war in Europe. It was fitted with the power plant that had already been used in the Iowa class battleships and were being used in the Forrestal class carriers. In the Iowa the plant produced 212,000 hp and drove the 58,000 ton ship at least 33 knots. In the Forrestal the plant produced 260,000 hp and pushed the 80,000 ton ship at least 33 knots. In the United States they produced 242,000 hp and pushed the much lighter 47,000 ship at least 38 knots. The engineering department was off limits as the machinery was classified. In a war setting with no thought to wear and tear, the plant could probably produce more power and drive the ship over 40 knots easily. The ship also had a long narrow hull, more destroyer or cruiser like. It also had 2 inch hull plating, in case of future war duty.
interesting. that speed feels quite a lot on a ship.
SS United States' power plant shared a lot of the same design principles, but was not derived from the steam plants of either the Iowas or Forrestals. The Iowas used 600psi steam plants with superheating to 850 degrees Fahrenheit, while United States used 1000psi boilers (de-rated to 925psi in service to improve reliability) and 975 degrees Fahrenheit superheating (which was de-rated to the 850 degrees number that Mike mentioned). The Forrestals used 1200psi steam plants with superheating up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit.
It was all those amazing performance stats that would have made her superb as a troop ship, outrunning any wartime threat, but not so great when you’re trying to operate at a profit.
My cousin David Odell was an engineer officer on the SS United States. When he was asked about the immense speed it could do , he replied that it could, but was subject to a LOT of vibration when it did.
...THAT FIGURES-!!!
When I was in the Navy in the late 60's and early 70's she was parked at south annex in Norfolk, VA .My ship (Navy) was parked near her for a few months and we talked the watchman into letting us crawl around one Sunday afternoon. She was impressive just to walk through even then and her speed record was still legendary.
Years later we owned a vacation home on the Outer Banks of NC and a retired doctor had purchased quite a bit of SS United States interior at auction, particularly the furniture from lounges and dinning rooms, and created a restaurant in Nags Head called Windmill Point. The lounge was call SS United States and it became one of our favorite restaurants.
The ship has been sold several times since then and now sits in Philadelphia's marine terminal looking very dim and dodgy, just a shadow of it's former self. Seems like someone tries to put her back into service every few years but then runs out of cash. Oh well, all things eventually come to an end; even great ships!
I absolutely adore the animations in these videos, so freaking gorgeous on how well you pay to attention. Definitely worth waiting for the next video.
My grandmother grew up in Bremerhaven and told me about how she always went to look at the great liners and troup ships that went into the harbour from america and how she actually was invited with her father onto the United States and how grand everything (especially the food) was to her and you can clearly see how great the impact of those liners were on the people
Theese ships werent just means of transport they were beacons of progress, hope and friendship between nations
You didnt need to be rich and traveling first class to enjoy theese liners it was more than enough to just see them arriving in your harbour with the music and celebrations to be part of this awesome experience
Great video!! I have some family connections to this ship and she will always be super special to me. My mother worked at the U.S. Lines office in downtown Philadelphia in the 1970s; but back in 1963, I got my picture taken standing beside her in NY harbor while we were on a family vacation. My only regret is that I did not get to sail on her myself. She will always be the world's fastest ship!
She was, and still is a very remarkable ship in my opinion. One of the best.
Why does time make a ship less remarkable, do you honestly think modern cruise ships get within a margin of the magnificence of these Ocean~liners. Its like someone took the contemporary in the Magic Kingdom, dolled it up in lifeless white glossy paint, and put it on the water. Back then, a ship was a ship, it looked like a ship, showed wonderfully with elegant curvature and a satisfying lower stern than the front which became a guaranteed silhouette in the 1930's, along with wonderfully decorated liners such as the mauretania, docked in Manhattan in 1936 glimmering with metallic mint funnels.
I was fortunate to sail on her as 9yo in 1968. We departed NYC to Southampton. 54 years ago and I remember it like yesterday,
I have ALWAYS loved the SS US and I have and will continue to contribute to the SS US Conservancy in an attempt to save this beautiful legend. It's still so sad that she is doomed to lay dormant in Philadelphia Harbor for the rest of her life when she should be on the world's oceans living her natural existence.
I have spent about two hours trawling through the comments on this post a lot of which are very good quality and very pertinent and some of which are not really of the same standard, and I have made two or three remarks of my own (which others must judge). Regardless of that it is good to see the genuine interest shown in what is a unique and very interesting ship.
Well done, from the UK, on a very good presentation!
A couple of things: Those "air bubbles" at the propellers were not air, they were pure vacuum. The propeller overstrained the water to the point that the water split right open. These bubbles very quickly collapsed and made a heck of a snap, that's what ate away at the propellers.
Speed was fine and very useful in wartime as it let the ship potentially run away from enemy subs. However the power needed goes up very sharply compared to the speed, so at 38 knots you are very close to a brick wall on speed.
It's high cost, high speed and limited passenger capacity made it rather uneconomical to run. It was retired from service in 1969. Unfortunately it was also heavily slathered in asbestos, so it was impractical to remodel it for other uses. Beautiful ship, though.
Not pure vacuum. They contain water molecules in vapour form when the pressure drops below the vapour pressure of water.
The phenomenon it's called cavitation
"It's high cost, high speed and limited passenger capacity made it rather uneconomical to run"
So she was the Concorde of ocean liners then.
The technical term for those vacuum bubbles is cavitation.
@@dieselyeti Yes, and both had large government subsidies as no independent business concern could or would fund such a money-losing project.
I was on that ship in 1968, I was only two years old at the time. My father was in the Air Force and met my mother in England around 1956. My dad got orders to move to Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson AZ. So myself, 3 older sisters and my older brother packed up and moved to Tucson. About 4 years ago I was on Face Time with my sister in England. I asked her if she remembered an all metal ship that had red stacks and was white and blue. I told her for some reason I always remember playing with it when i was around 10 years old. She said “ Are you kidding me” I wondered what happened to that ship. Dad bought that for me when we moved to the states, it was for decoration. Long story short, she told me how much fun my sisters had running around on the USS United States as kids around 12 and 13….It was a beautiful ship…Thank you for the upload!!!
Most enjoyable video.
The SS United States was built across the river from me and I have a few linens, towels, tray covers and napkins 'appropriated' on the last voyage.
One thing omitted from the video, and an answer as to why the ship is so fast - estimated at 52 mph,
tho' it's speed is still classified, were the engines.
Being built in Newport News Shipyard, to double as a Presidential Command Ship, or troop ship as might become necessary,
it was decided the only engines capable of delivering the desired speed were aircraft carrier engines.
The ship was quite spartan, utilizing aluminum tubes for the stateroom chairs, with flame proof fabrics.
The only items aboard that could burn were the chopping blocks in the gallies and the grand pianos.
One item of exquisite luxury was the Lalique etched glass wall between the First Class bar and dance floor.
I remember how sad I was, standing on the first island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel when out of the cold, drizzling mist appeared
this magnificent ship, the Pride of the United States, behind an ocean-going tug on her way to Turkey
THEY HAD ALUMINIUM GRAND PIANOS IN AIR SHIPS
Always been impressed by ships speed. My fishing boat does 30 mph. And that big bastard is fifty years older but could leave me standing still. Just awesome!
Thank you for this great video! My favorite ship, I hope they restore her soon so we can all go see!
Bravo! A great story of the design of this magnificent ship! My uncle, William Reuel Holland was the Chief Radio Officer on this record winning vessel! He later became W1GCL and I am W6JOB.
I only learned much later in life that he and I shared the exciting hobby of amateur radio.
In 1964 I paid a visit to Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands. I went down to the docks and noticed two ships anchored off shore. One was the aircraft carrier Forrestal and the other was the United Sates. There were some US sailors standing around at the dock, so I asked them a question. "If those two ships were to have a race from here to the Statue of Liberty in NYC, who would win?" One sailor said "I really don't know but I am certain it would be a very close race." I think at that time the max speed for the United States was still a closely guarded secret,. I would bet that the Big U would win. PS I and my family came to America on the SS America and we arrived in NYC on 4/28/50. Our family found the America to be a more elegant ship but certainly much slower.
And she still exists! We can just go see her right now!
A beautiful, revolutionary ship. I love her a lot.
I didn't know most of that about Gibbs. Or her propellers, either. That's very unique and interesting.
He seems like a character. I wish he had designed more of the big ones, I'd love to know more about his process and ideas.
He was quite a quiet guy, but as Mike pointed out, also quite the eccentric thinker and a very firm patriot. There's a story where the Brits came to his offices (as he was America's preeminent naval architect) during the Second World War, asking him to help design ships for them that could be rapidly built and transport large numbers of materials. He replied and I quote: "You don't need them." If they were winning the war, they didn't need his help. 🤣🤣
Nonetheless he did provide them with the ships they needed, and in addition also some for the States. That's where the Liberty-class ships were born. :D
Sadly, it's a rusted, gutted-out hulk. You need a tetanus shot just to look at it.
@@stormwulf117 You're not wrong. Still, the form lives.
No scrapper has the heart to take a torch to her. Even though no longer a functional ship. the SS United States still has value as a piece of art far exceeding that of the steel and aluminum of which she's made.
@@FusionAero Too bloody right!
Mike you have made us happy with your videos for so long and we all owe you a great debt of gratitude for all of your work. I am 40 years old and you teach me new things in every one of your videos. I can't thank you enough.
When I was a child my family and I crossed the Atlantic in the SS United States. I only wish I remembered more details, but I was only 8 at the time. I do remember quite a bit, though -- it was a beautiful way to travel!
Fantastic! Are there any stand-out memories that come to mind?
My family sailed on her from NYC to France in the Summer of 1966. There was a dock strike that day so we didn't leave until evening, a special treat going between Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty at dusk. To make up time we went faster than normal but they slowed down at the end so they purposely wouldn't break the record.
MANY thanks! And thanks, too, for an uplifting ending by not showing her as she is now, but in her 'prime!'
wonderful renderings!
Somewhere around 1960, I got to tour the SS United States while berthed in NY. I was six-years-old in 1960 so I am guessing the year. I clearly remember that my biggest thrill was meeting Sonny Fox, the host of Wonderama, a local kids' TV show that I believe sponsored the tour. The ship impressed me too though as being sleek and modern. Though my career ultimately focussed on land based buildings - I did participate in a few boat houses and other shoreline projects - I have always loved studying boat and ship plans.
Wow, I am mighty jealous you got to tour the ship like that!
A very interesting video, thanks!
My mother and I crossed the Atlantic from New York to Bremerhaven on the SS United States in 1958. I was too young to remember and only have photographs of me in my baby stroller next to a life ring with the ship's name as reminders. My last crossing was on the USNS Buckner in 1965 which I vividly remember since I was seasick from Southhampton to New York. Memorable times!
Mike...WoW!!! I am blown away by the production value of this video! So well done my friend! So entertaining with great visuals and perfect narration! I was late to this video and I'm ashamed...it was that good! What an awesome liner she was. A damn pity the state she is in now.😞
Thanks so much Tracy, so glad you enjoyed it :) This is how I want the videos to look from now on!
HELLO SASSY LADY!!!
A few years ago I bought and read a book about the SS United States. This video is a great summation of what that book described. You hit all the high points. It's sad to see this great lady rust away at a pier. I fear she will not be restored.
I remember going down west shore drive in NYC and her bow would protrud over the highway. The France was also a beautiful ship
That's cool!
Make of boilers and turbines no mention
What a breathtaking sight that must've been.
SS United States and SS France are two of my favourites as well. France was actually very fast, too, only United States could out-drag her.
Your realistic 3D animations look good enough to be in a movie. I’m impressed!
As a child, I crossed the Atlantic twice in the late 1950s aboard this ship. I wish we could still have an option to travel by ocean liner, and by train, besides plane travel.
You DO HAVE THE OPTION TO TRAVEL BY OCEAN LINER. It just takes making the additional time in your travel plans. I would prefer to cross the ocean on an ocean liner over that of a jet airliner any day. Traveling by air may be rated as the safest way to travel, but there’s still far too many airliners that end up crashing, usually because they’ve become so ridiculously complicated that something is eventually going to fail or the pilot’s going to make a grave error. At least when a modern, compartmented ocean liner breaks down, it’s still floating on the surface. Planes have no such option. And there’s no place I need to be so fast that requires me to take such a risk, as small as that risk might be. Obviously I’ve watched more than a few of those programs about plane crashes. And in most cases, it’s the pilot or co-pilot’s fault. That failure point is the one that’s never going to be fool proofed.
This is one of, if not THE best produced documentary on TH-cam. Excellent production value and narration.
Thank you for another wonderful video. Beautiful visuals. I wish we in the US had a better sense of history., but maybe it's not too late. The video was well worth the wait!😉
What a fantastic piece of engineering. Thanks.
This ship deserves a second life.
Wonderful video - thank you for your tribute to this beautiful ship!
I had heard about the ship growing up in the 1950s & '60s and was fascinated by what I heard. In the US Navy, stationed in the Norfolk area, one night I managed to stumble on her tied up. Even with faded paint and in the dark she was so very impressive looking. I would love to see her restored to service or even cosmetically as a museum.
Who’s here after the recent news about this ship?
Thanks for a great video! My family took the United States on a return trip from Europe. Even at kid, I knew the United States was a special ship. The United States was more than a great ocean liner… it was the fastest ship in the world! Back then, that meant something. To be on the fastest ship that sailed across the Atlantic was something very special. One night during the five day voyage I slipped from our cabin and tip-toed out and into the long hallway lined with closed stateroom doors. Everyone was asleep. Everyone - except for me and the ship. I found my way up the stairs and passages to the sports deck. And there in the darkness, standing in my blue pajamas, I looked up and watched the fiery spray of stars pass over the giant funnels. What a feeling of freedom and exhilaration! These days there are lots of lumbering, top-heavy cruise ships to choose from. But in the 1950's to travel internationally on a great ocean liner was a unique experience. It was what movie stars and famous people and world leaders did. And to enjoy the trip on the fastest ship in the world; now that was something special.
i would never go on a cruise ship. Ocean Liners are the only way to go.
@@MrChickennugget360 slip picking as only Cunards Queen Mary 2 left
Your story made my eyes tear up. How very fortunate you were.
Great video... nicely done. Of note - Not mentioned in the engine portion of this video, was that these very fast engines were the result of the engineering genius of Marine Engineer Briton O. Smith - an employee of Gibbs & Cox, New York for 35 years. Smith made 60 transatlantic crossings aboard the SS United States. He was born in Montreal Canada, and lived in Plainfield, NJ for over 50 years where he died in 1986 at the age of 97. His career included work on a number of World War II ships including anti-aircraft vessels and destroyers and he was given a commendation by the Department of the Navy for his wartime contributions. Smith was a graduate of McGill University in 1915 and became a US citizen in 1940. His input on the engine design and construction was instrumental in the vessel having achieved the speed records she still holds to this day.
How utterly magnificent! A total joy to watch in these dark times with Ukraine. I doff my cap to all those involved in that suave, elegant and sophisticated machine which picked up its petticoats and sprinted across the Atlantic at 5800rpm!! Love it!🧤❤
Thank you for doing this video I love oceanliners and this is my ship As a child I was on the ship SS United States twice (
1966 in 1968) my brother helped me touch the funnel by pushing me up to touch the funnel
Fond memories
That’s when I fell in love with ocean liners
The award for the fastest crossings was the Blue Riband. Blue ribbons are given for the best pies and cows at county fairs.
What a sight to see on the west side of NY the US, then the Michaelangelo, next to the Leornardo da Vinci--i even saw the Queen Mary going down the Hudson with tugboats blaring and saluting--wonderful memories
She is just amazing. The fact that such a large ship could keep pace with, or outrun a destroyer running at flank is just insane.
Built at Newportnews Shipbuilding. When I first started working there, there was a statue which read, "Always good ships, at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always good ships"
While reading the comments, I came across yours. Thanks for telling us viewers where the ship was built. My late father worked on her. He often told us that she was 'his' ship. At the entrance to the nearby "Mariners' Museum," a huge propeller -- 34 tons -- stands at the entrance to the museum in Newport News, Virginia. It's called "The Virginia Propeller." It came from the SS United States.
Keep seeing "bits and pieces" of WW-II "IOWA" Battleship design. Although the war was over military secrets were then paramount. Beautiful smart designs, every change in design has positive and negative issues. Ship goes fast, more people "may" become sea sick..
1954 NYC.
My first grade class was invited for a field trip on the SS United States.
It was brand new, and I was blown away by her size, and beauty.
My father emigrated to the US on this ship. Always loved seeing it parked in the port of Philadelphia. He came here in 1964.
In the 60’s I served on QE as Jr Asst Purser……these two ships frequently passed in mid-Atlantic at a combined speed of 74 knots (over 80 mph)……it was a truly awesome maritime event to witness.
Nicely rendered images and data. It’s hard to imagine the US government having a stake in the liner’s build for strategic reasons. Once air travel between the continents was viable, the notion of a fast boat to Europe was obsolete overnight.
No plane would ever have a hope of sending 15,000 soldiers across the sea in one go, but the Cunard Liners could and often did that during WWII. That bulk shipment may have been worth the slower speed of shipping.
3:42 That ship better have gotten bonus points
Well done and presented and quite informative. Thank you for putting this video together and sharing it.
This channel is fascinating. I’m becoming an ocean liner buff.
Wonderful presentation !! We took her east bound, twice, NY to LeHarve, first class, courtesy of the U.S. State Dept. (foreign service family, diplomatic corps) We did go thru an atlantic storm,2nd trip...she sliced thru it like a knife.....a great ship, I remember a 'slight' vibration when under way , as she was driving very hard. Its so sad to see her now ,laid up since 1969(?) (We donated all of our memorabilia from her to the Steamship Historical Society, in Rhode Island ). Thanks Again for a great program !
How come all the ppl who say they crossed had a storm? I crossed in 69 and also had a doozy. Somebody had to have had a smooth crossing at sometime.
@@jasomkovac9115 just the 'weather' i guess, We crossed a few more times, in different liners, and it was always calm. the north atlantic tends to be cool and windy,even in the heat of summer
I just love how Gibbs was like "Hey US Navy, can I borrow the propulsion system out of an Aircraft Carrier for an Ocean Liner? Oh and I promise to make it easily convertible to a troop ship to fight the communists."
"Well hell Gibbs here you go!!"
The engineering plant of SS US as a mechanical engineering student is so fascinating to me and is just so impressive, thank you for this video. I can see her where I live in Philadelphia
I am very jealous of your view!
Actually, The Iowa class battlewagons and Midway class carriers had 212,000 shp plants, so she was the most powerful ship afloat for three years until the Forrestal class with 280,00 shp came into service
@@colbeausabre8842 I forget how the story goes, but as far as I know the Navy gave Gibbs the boilers and turbines from one of their big capital ship plants, most likely the Turbines from the Iowas and the boilers were probably upgraded cruiser spec boilers, as the SSUS originally ran 1000 psi steam pressure, but later was reduced to 925 psi
That was pretty much it in a nutshell. 😂😂You see this is why it's my belief that the United States is the most fun ocean liner to talk about. We get to have discussions such as these, 'cause she is just such an awesome ship. :D
Now, this is a story I really love! What a badass!
Fantastic video!!!!!!!! Please make more!!!!!! Love these vids and can use your vids as a resource to teach my students!!!!!!!! Thanks again
Thanks Benjamin, it's wonderful to hear they can be used as such a resource!
~Mike
PLEASE DO. Students need to learn the history of our country and why she is something to be proud of, and the SS United States is a perfect thing that they ought to learn about. :D
In 1960,my parents took me to the Isle of Wight on holiday. In those days ,a cruise to Southampton Docks was a tourist must ,to see the great liners. I saw the Queen Mary berthed. As we left to cruised back to Ryde Pier,the United States was spotted on our port bow .It cruised past us at some speed heading to Southampton Happy memories.
I had the pleasure to travel on her first class from Bremerhaven to New York in 1964 courtesy of Uncle Sam. My father was a US Army officer. I remember It was difficult to walk on deck due to the high wind speed caused by her forward motion of 38 knots. By the way it's Blue "Riband" not ribbon. This ship was the embodiment of America when she was at her apex of power and prestige. Thanks for a wonderful video.
The record has since been broken three times in succession by passenger vessels, in succession, all built by Incat, starting in 1990.
@@Gottenhimfella What were their names? Certainly vastly smaller purpose built vessels for sure for a handful of "passengers".
After she was retired in 1969 she was laid up on the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, just south of the destroyer and escort piers of the Naval Operating Base. My father and I used to run our 19-foot runabout up behind her so close it felt like you could reach out and touch her. I knew nothing of her history then but just being near her was amazing. We also ran up behind the ships at dock at the NOB including carriers. That was well before a safety boom was put in after 9-11 !! No one seemed to care we were there.
Did you know queen Elizabeth actually has the fastest crossing of the Atlantic but it was in war time so it doesn’t count apparently
Well done! Am and have been an ocean liner buff for years and this was a great video on the US response to years of ocean liners, I love the old British and French ones but the Unite States was incredible!!
Sailed on her to France in 1956, she was wonderful.