RMS Mauretania (1906)

Mauretania in 1907 on the Tyne
History
United Kingdom
Name	Mauretania
Namesake	Mauretania
Owner	1906–1934: Cunard Line 1934–1935: Cunard White Star Line
Operator	Cunard Line
Port of registry	Liverpool
Route	Liverpool–Queenstown–New York (1907–1919) Southampton–Cherbourg–New York (1919–1934)
Ordered	1904
Builder	Swan Hunter, Northumberland, England
Yard number	735
Laid down	18 August 1904
Launched	20 September 1906
Christened	20 September 1906, by the Duchess of Roxburghe
Acquired	11 November 1907
Maiden voyage	16 November 1907
In service	1907–1934
Out of service	September 1934
Identification	Wireless call sign: MGA (until 1934)
Fate	Scrapped in 1935 at Rosyth, Scotland
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	31,938 GRT, 12,797 NRT
Displacement	44,610 tons
Length	790 ft (240.8 m)
Beam	88 ft (26.8 m)
Draft	33 ft (10.1 m)
Depth	33 ft 6 in (10.2 m)
Decks	8
Installed power	Direct-action Parsons steam turbines (two high pressure, two low pressure) 68,000 shp (51,000 kW) nominal at launch, 76,000 shp (57,000 kW) on record run, later increased in 1928 to 90,000 shp (67,000 kW) July 1929
Propulsion	Quadruple propeller installation
Speed	25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) ‐ 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph) design service speed
Capacity	2,165 passengers total: 563 first class 464 second class 1,138 third class
Crew	802
Notes	Largest ship in the world from 1907–1910. Running mate to RMS Lusitania and RMS Aquitania

RMS Mauretania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson on the River Tyne, England for the Cunard Line, launched on the afternoon of 20 September 1906. She was the world's largest ship until the launch of RMS Olympic in 1910. Mauretania captured the eastbound Blue Riband on the maiden return voyage in December 1907, then claimed the westbound Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing during her 1909 season. She held both speed records for 20 years.^[1]

The ship's name was taken from the ancient Roman province of Mauretania on the northwest African coast, not the modern Mauritania to the south.^[2] Similar nomenclature was also employed by Mauretania's running mate Lusitania, which was named after the Roman province directly north of Mauretania, across the Strait of Gibraltar^[2] in Portugal. Mauretania remained in service until September 1934, when Cunard-White Star retired her; scrapping commenced in Rosyth, in 1935.