HMT ‘Mauretania’

(Hired Military Transport)

Reference Source: “Transatlantic Liners 1945-1980” – William H. Miller, 1981, ISBN 0-7153-8020-6

(Alex Duncan)

Mauretania in the traditional black hull and white superstructure colouring of the Cunard Line

Service:

Particulars:

Builders:

Machinery:

Capacity:

Southampton, Le Havre and Cobh to New York; winter cruising from New York to the Caribbean.

35,655 tons gross; 772x89x30 ft.

Cammell Laird & Company Limited, Birkenhead, England, 1939.

Steam turbines geared to twin screw; service speed 23 knots.

470 first class, 370 cabin class and 300 tourist class.

1938:

1939:

1940:

1940-1946:

1944:

1946:

1947:

1957:

1962:

1963:

1964:

1965:

28 July - Launched.

17 June - Commenced maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York; thence on Southampton-Le Havre-New York sailings.

December - Laid-up at New York for safety.

6 March - Sailed for Sydney and there converted for trooping.

Government trooping.

8 January - Collided with tanker Hat Creek outside New York.

2 September - Decommissioned from war duties: refitted at Liverpool.

10 June - First post-war sailing from Southampton to New York.

Made fully air-conditioned.

December - Repainted in green and used mostly for cruising.

Experimental season on the Naples-Genoa-Cannes-Gibraltar-New York run; unsuccessful. Further cruising.

October - Chartered to Regent Refining Company Limited to carry guests to opening of new refinery at Milford Haven.

23 November - Arrived in Firth of Forth for scrapping; broken-up at Inverkeithing.

(Cunard Line)

In 1962 she was repainted in green with an eye toward further cruising