R.M.M.V OCEANIC |
INFORMATION & GENERAL CHARACTERISTICSRoute: Southampton - New York (intended) Ordered: June 18, 1928 Builder: Harland and Wolff, Belfast Yard number: 844 Laid down: June 28, 1928 Tonnage: 80,000+ GRT (estimated) Length: 1,050 ft overall (estimated) 1,000 ft between perpendiculars Beam: 126 ft (estimated)* Decks: 12 (estimated) Speed: 30 knots (estimated) |
On August 3rd, 1926 when P.A.S. Franklin, head of the IMMC, reached New York in the Majestic from a business trip to London, he stated that a new 25-knot vessel to be built for the White Star Line was to embody the best features of the Majestic and Olympic, and was expected to bear a "family resemblance" to the latter vessel. This new project would eventually evolve into the largest vessel ever designed for the White Star Line, the RMMV Oceanic (III).
The Royal Mail Motor Vessel Oceanic (III) was partially built by Harland & Wolff for the White Star Line from 1928 to 1929. She was planned to be the largest vessel in the world and would have been the first 1,000-foot long ocean liner.
The order was placed on June 18, 1928, and construction began on June 28, 1928, when her keel was laid. After the keel plates were laid, and a few frames assembled, the project was put on hold. The entire work was coated with oil in order to protect it, and after a serious attempt to start the construction over again, the project was cancelled.
Some 20 years after Oceanic was cancelled, Cuthbert Coulson Pounder, Director and Chief Technical Engineer of H&W after WWII, released detailed information about her.
Pounder said that the ship “would have had 47 six-cylinder, exhaust turbo-charged, four-stroke single-acting diesel engines producing a total of 275,000 i.h.p. and coupled in pairs to electric generators. The total weight of the installation would have been some 17,000 tons, equal to the displacement tonnage of a smaller liner of the day!” Additionally the ship “was to measure 60,000 gross tons with an overall length of 1,010 feet, a beam of 120 feet and a draught of 38 feet.”
Dr. Denis Rebbeck, a director at Harland & Wolff, delivered a paper read before Section G of the British Association on Friday, September 5, 1952. This paper gave great detail about the history of the shipyard, and contained additional facts about the Oceanic, which he said "was to have nailed the flag of the oil engine for ships of the highest power to the top of the mast". He wrote that “The Musgrave Shipyard will also be long remembered by the people of Belfast as the yard where the keel of a 1000-ft. Diesel-electric passenger liner was laid down for the White Star Line in the late 1920’s …” and “the total power of the ship was designed to be 200,000 shaft horse-power on four screws, and there were to be 47 six-cylinder super-charged four-stroke Diesel engines, coupled in pairs.” He also said that "the fact that such a bold design was ever contemplated suffices to prove how far Harland and Wolff had by then progressed along the path of diesel engine development for marine propulsion."
This same paper shows the profile and engine arrangement of the Oceanic (below), which is still used today as the basis for all renditions of the ship.
The Royal Mail Motor Vessel Oceanic (III) was partially built by Harland & Wolff for the White Star Line from 1928 to 1929. She was planned to be the largest vessel in the world and would have been the first 1,000-foot long ocean liner.
The order was placed on June 18, 1928, and construction began on June 28, 1928, when her keel was laid. After the keel plates were laid, and a few frames assembled, the project was put on hold. The entire work was coated with oil in order to protect it, and after a serious attempt to start the construction over again, the project was cancelled.
Some 20 years after Oceanic was cancelled, Cuthbert Coulson Pounder, Director and Chief Technical Engineer of H&W after WWII, released detailed information about her.
Pounder said that the ship “would have had 47 six-cylinder, exhaust turbo-charged, four-stroke single-acting diesel engines producing a total of 275,000 i.h.p. and coupled in pairs to electric generators. The total weight of the installation would have been some 17,000 tons, equal to the displacement tonnage of a smaller liner of the day!” Additionally the ship “was to measure 60,000 gross tons with an overall length of 1,010 feet, a beam of 120 feet and a draught of 38 feet.”
Dr. Denis Rebbeck, a director at Harland & Wolff, delivered a paper read before Section G of the British Association on Friday, September 5, 1952. This paper gave great detail about the history of the shipyard, and contained additional facts about the Oceanic, which he said "was to have nailed the flag of the oil engine for ships of the highest power to the top of the mast". He wrote that “The Musgrave Shipyard will also be long remembered by the people of Belfast as the yard where the keel of a 1000-ft. Diesel-electric passenger liner was laid down for the White Star Line in the late 1920’s …” and “the total power of the ship was designed to be 200,000 shaft horse-power on four screws, and there were to be 47 six-cylinder super-charged four-stroke Diesel engines, coupled in pairs.” He also said that "the fact that such a bold design was ever contemplated suffices to prove how far Harland and Wolff had by then progressed along the path of diesel engine development for marine propulsion."
This same paper shows the profile and engine arrangement of the Oceanic (below), which is still used today as the basis for all renditions of the ship.
The concept of the Oceanic began as early as June of 1923, when the White Star Line had asked Harland and Wolff to begin design work for a new vessel, meant to replace the Homeric. Preliminary drawings consisted of various hull forms and profiles. However, due to new restrictions placed on immigration, Harold Sanderson, the Chairman of the Board of the International Mercantile Marine Company, predicted that no new large liners would be built. By 1926, with the adoption and acceptance of tourist class, things started to change and H&W's designers began again to submit proposals for a new large White Star Liner. At least three general arrangements plans for the Oceanic were drawn between 1926 and 1930. The first set, submitted January 28 1926, shows a four funneled ocean liner with a cruiser stern that would bear more than a 'family resemblance' to the Olympic. With a length of 904 feet, a beam of 96 feet and a height 99 feet, this ship would have been a very close sister of the Olympic, fitted with a grand staircase modeled after the ones that became a trademark of that class of ships. Her passenger compliment would have been a total of 2,412 with the "arrangement of the staterooms...generally similar to that on the Olympic." The second set, drawn later the same year, shows a 935 feet long and 100 feet wide ocean liner with three squat funnels, roughly the same size as Bremen and Europa.
The third set shows a 1,000 feet long (between perpendiculars) and 120 feet wide ocean liner with three funnels and a cruiser stern. Ironically the final set of plans is the missing set, both earlier sets have been found in the Harland & Wolff archives. The very basic profile and engine arrangement of the Oceanic shown earlier is the only part of the final plans currently available. Several renderings were made from this profile. The two most famous being Captain Isherwood's and Richard Edward's. The most noticeable difference between both renderings is the forward superstructure, which on Isherwood's profile is curved and streamlined, while Richard Edwards' is flat. There are also several other differences such as the position of the docking bridge, windows, sun deck layout and length of the poop deck. Regardless, both are fairly similar and appear match the profile well.
In 1930, it was reported that Kylsant had "delayed Oceanic's construction while he examined the design and, especially the machinery, of Bremen" which was launched on August 16th, 1928. While this might have been one of the excuses used for the delay of Oceanic's construction, it was probably not an untrue statement, after all Oceanic was Britain's response to Germany's Bremen and Europa, and Kylsant certainly examined their design and probably made changes to Oceanic's. The ship, termed "super-Oceanic" by Time Magazine, supposedly had it's existing keel lengthened and more bulk added to it's design. If true, this supposed fourth re-design was the last set of plans drawn for the ship.
Had the Oceanic been completed, and White Star never merged with Cunard, Oceanic would have rivalled Normandie and Queen Mary on the North Atlantic service. All three ships had fairly similar proportions and overall design. Below is a comparison of the general characteristics of the three.
Length:
Oceanic - 1,050 ft
Normandie - 1,029 ft
Queen Mary - 1,019.4 ft
Beam:
Oceanic - 126 ft*
Normandie - 117.9 ft
Queen Mary - 118 ft
Draught:
Oceanic - 38 ft
Normandie - 37 ft
Queen Mary - 39 ft
Installed power:
Oceanic - Diesel-electric drive; 47 six-cylinder, exhaust turbo-charged, four-stroke, single-acting diesel generators. 200,000 shp (275,000 ihp) on four screws.
Normandie - Turbo-electric powered. 160,000 shp on four screws.
Queen Mary - 4 Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines. 160,000 shp on four screws.
*126 ft beam based on estimations taken from the Harland & Wolff engine arrangement and profile.
** Based on the information above, the Oceanic was to have significantly more horsepower than both Queen Mary and Normandie. However, if her hull design was in fact similar to Georgic's and Britannic's, the extra power would be needed in order to maintain a similar service speed to that of Normandie and Queen Mary.
Length:
Oceanic - 1,050 ft
Normandie - 1,029 ft
Queen Mary - 1,019.4 ft
Beam:
Oceanic - 126 ft*
Normandie - 117.9 ft
Queen Mary - 118 ft
Draught:
Oceanic - 38 ft
Normandie - 37 ft
Queen Mary - 39 ft
Installed power:
Oceanic - Diesel-electric drive; 47 six-cylinder, exhaust turbo-charged, four-stroke, single-acting diesel generators. 200,000 shp (275,000 ihp) on four screws.
Normandie - Turbo-electric powered. 160,000 shp on four screws.
Queen Mary - 4 Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines. 160,000 shp on four screws.
*126 ft beam based on estimations taken from the Harland & Wolff engine arrangement and profile.
** Based on the information above, the Oceanic was to have significantly more horsepower than both Queen Mary and Normandie. However, if her hull design was in fact similar to Georgic's and Britannic's, the extra power would be needed in order to maintain a similar service speed to that of Normandie and Queen Mary.
The Oceanic is the most famous and perhaps the most important of all the uncompleted Ocean Liners. Her completion could have greatly impacted the history of both Cunard and White Star Lines. Had she been completed, White Star would have most definitely been in a better position during the inevitable merger with Cunard (perhaps a 45% - 55% split) and could still be around today. Unfortunately, Oceanic's completion could have also meant an early retirement of Cunard-White Star's pre-war superliners (Majestic, Berengaria, Aquitania, Mauretania and Olympic) as Cunard-White Star could have operated a two-ship express service with Queen Mary and Oceanic as early as 1936. This could have also meant that there would be no need for the Queen Elizabeth. There are infinite ways that Oceanic's completion could have affected history, and to think about them is what makes her so fascinating.
Text by Eric Okanume, 2015
Sources:
White Star, Roy Anderson
Damned by Destiny, David Williams and Richard P. De Kerbrech
The Unfinished Dream, Timothy Trower
Falling Star, John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas
Eric Okanume
Richard Edwards
Timothy Trower
Ships of the White Star Line, Richard De Kerbrech.
Ocean Liners
White Star, Roy Anderson
Damned by Destiny, David Williams and Richard P. De Kerbrech
The Unfinished Dream, Timothy Trower
Falling Star, John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas
Eric Okanume
Richard Edwards
Timothy Trower
Ships of the White Star Line, Richard De Kerbrech.
Ocean Liners
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