Service Career
The Maiden Voyage
During the builder's trials in June 1952, which were followed by U.S. Navy trials, the SS United States exceeded all expectations. Print media reporters observing the trials from nearby ships noted in their stories that there could be no doubt that the new liner would snatch back the Blue Ribbon for the United States. On July 3, 1952, the SS United States backed away from United States Lines' Pier 86 in New York City and headed for glory. Captain Harry Manning, Commodore of the United States Lines, was noncommittal about a record-breaking run. Disappointment temporarily ensued when the SS United States encountered fog during her first day out, and Manning prudently reduced speed. When the fog lifted, Manning ordered full power and the liner leapt ahead into the North Atlantic. Despite the delay, as well as gale force winds and heavy seas approaching the coast of Europe, the SS United States reportedly handled like a thoroughbred with its neck stretched toward the finish line. The liner steamed seemingly without effort in heavy swells, for a time exceeding 36 knots with no apparent vibration in the stern. By the time the SS United States reached Bishop Rock, England, there was no doubt that the North Atlantic speed record had been smashed. The SS United States easily bested the record held for 14 years by the Queen Mary, by over 10 hours, arriving in an unprecedented 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes. Several days later, Manning pointed the ship's slender bow back toward the United States and charged into the record books once again with another crossing that again shattered all former records, arriving in New York in 3 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes. To this day, the westbound crossing record of the SS United States stands unbroken. The eastbound crossing had been achieved at an average speed of 35.59 knots and the return more difficult westbound crossing at 34.51 knots average speed.
The Glory Years
American passengers flocked to their new national flagship and bookings in the early years were strong. The introduction of jet aircraft in the 1950s steadily drew away passenger traffic from all the major ocean liners, when travelers could arrive in Europe now in just a matter of hours vs. five or six days at sea. Until the late 1950s, the SS United States enjoyed solid bookings, which often exceeded 90% of capacity. The America and United States continued to act as the American version of the Atlantic Ferry for more than a decade. The America had been thoroughly refurbished after the war and the two ships maintained a 5-day crossing schedule meant to reduce strain on the older and slower vessel.
As the dominance of the jet continued to erode the profits of steamship lines on the North Atlantic in the late 1950s, increased operating costs, reduced government subsidies and a decline in passenger carriage took their toll and United States Lines eventually sold the SS America to foreign interests in 1964, leaving the SS United States without a viable running mate on the North Atlantic. As subsidies continued to decline and with increasingly frequent labor unrest in the shipping industry, the fate of ocean passenger shipping was sealed. By the mid 1960s, many passenger lines were expanding cargo operations and divesting themselves of their dwindling passenger operations, most notably Cunard, which by 1968 had retired both of its famous Queens.
Passenger bookings continued to drop as the 1960s wore on, and labor unrest in the maritime industry grew dramatically. In November 1969 it was abruptly announced that the SS United States would be withdrawn from passenger service and laid up. After a successful 17-year career, the SS United States, Queen of the American Merchant Marine, vanished from public view and began her long, slow decline. The ship was laid up indefinitely at Norfolk, Virginia.
Photos on this page courtesy of the Mark Perry Collection