SS United States

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**SS *United States*** is a retired ocean liner built in 1950–51 for the United States Lines at a cost of $79.4 million. The ship is the largest ocean liner constructed entirely in the United States and the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic in either direction, retaining the Blue Riband for the highest average speed since her maiden voyage in 1952. She was designed by American naval architect William Francis Gibbs and could be converted into a troopship if required by the Navy in time of war. The *United States* maintained an uninterrupted schedule of transatlantic passenger service until 1969 and was never used as a troopship.

The ship has been sold several times since the 1970s, with each new owner trying unsuccessfully to make the liner profitable. Eventually, the ship's fittings were sold at auction, and hazardous wastes, including asbestos panels throughout the ship, were removed, leaving her almost completely stripped by 1994. Two years later, she was towed to Pier 82 on the Delaware River, in Philadelphia. On July 4th 2000, the Ocean Liner was sold to the Godzillian International Cruise Lines and was restored to it's Original Paint Scheme.

Since August 2000, it served with the Transatlantic Fleet, consisting of Cruisers C-990-991, C-2020-1919, C-20-09 and C-458-01-2830 and Ocean Liners Titanic, Britannic, Olympic, Mauretania, Aquitania, Lusitania, Oceanic III, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and it's sister ship America.

## Design and construction

(Taken from Wikipedia)

Inspired by the service of the British liners RMS *Queen Mary* and *Queen Elizabeth*, which transported hundreds of thousands of US troops to Europe during World War II, the US government sponsored the construction of a large and fast merchant vessel that would be capable of transporting large numbers of soldiers. Designed by American naval architect and marine engineer William Francis Gibbs (1886–1967), the liner's construction was a joint effort by the United States Navy and United States Lines. The US government underwrote $50 million of the $78 million construction cost, with the ship's prospective operators, United States Lines, contributing the remaining $28 million. In exchange, the ship was designed to be easily converted in times of war to a troopship. The ship has a capacity of 15,000 troops, and could also be converted to a hospital ship.

In 1942, during World War II, the French liner SS *Normandie*, which had been seized by US authorities in New York and renamed the USS *Lafayette*, caught fire while being converted to a troopship by the US Navy. After millions of gallons of water had been pumped into her in an attempt to extinguish the flames, she capsized onto her port side and came to rest on the mud of the Hudson River at Pier 88, the current site of the New York Passenger Ship Terminal. As a result of this disaster, the design of the *United States* incorporated the most rigid US Navy standards. To minimize the risk of fire, the designers of *United States* prescribed using no wood in the ship's framing, accessories, decorations, or interior surfaces, although the galley did feature a wooden butcher's block. Fittings, including all furniture and fabrics, were custom made in glass, metal, and spun-glass fiber, to ensure compliance with fireproofing guidelines set by the US Navy. Asbestos-laden paneling was used extensively in interior structures. The clothes hangers in the luxury cabins were aluminum. The ballroom's grand piano was made from mahogany — although originally specified in aluminum — and accepted only after a demonstration in which gasoline was poured upon the wood and ignited, without the wood itself ever catching fire. Specially commissioned artwork included pieces by fourteen artists, including Nathaniel Choate, muralist Austin M. Purves, Jr., and sculptor Gwen Lux.

The vessel was constructed from 1950 to 1952 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia. The hull was constructed in a dry dock. *United States* was built to exacting Navy specifications, which required that the ship be heavily compartmentalized, and have separate engine rooms to optimize wartime survival. A large part of the construction was prefabricated. The ship's hull comprised 183,000 pieces.

The construction of the ship's superstructure involved the most extensive use of aluminum in any construction project up to that time, which posed a galvanic corrosion challenge to the builders in joining the aluminum superstructure to the steel decks below. However, the extensive use of aluminum meant significant weight savings, as well. *United States* had the most powerful steam turbines of any merchant marine vessel at the time, with a total power of 240,000 shaft horsepower (180 MW) delivered to four 18-foot (5.5 m)-diameter manganese-bronze propellers. The ship was capable of steaming astern at over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), and could carry enough fuel and stores to steam non-stop for over 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at a cruising speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).

### 1952–1996

On her maiden voyage—July 3–7, 1952—*United States* broke the eastbound transatlantic speed record (held by the RMS *Queen Mary* for the previous 14 years) by more than 10 hours, making the maiden crossing from the Ambrose lightship at New York Harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, UK in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots (65.91 km/h; 40.96 mph). and winning the coveted Blue Riband. On her return voyage *United States* also broke the westbound transatlantic speed record, also held by RMS *Queen Mary*, by returning to America in 3 days 12 hours and 12 minutes at an average speed of 34.51 knots (63.91 km/h; 39.71 mph). In New York her owners were awarded the Hales Trophy, the tangible expression of the Blue Riband competition. The maximum speed attained for *United States* is disputed as it was once held as a military secret. The issue stems from an alleged value of 43 knots (80 km/h; 49 mph) that was leaked to reporters by engineers after the first speed trial. In a 1991 issue of *Popular Mechanics*, author Mark G. Carbonaro wrote that while she could do 43 knots (80 km/h; 49 mph) it was never attained. Other sources, including a paper by John J. McMullen & Associates, places the ship's highest possible sustained top speed at 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).

By the mid-to-late 1960s, the market for transatlantic travel by ship had dwindled—*America* was sold in 1964, *Queen Mary* was retired in 1967, and *Queen Elizabeth* in 1968—and *United States* was no longer profitable. While *United States* was at Newport News for an annual overhaul in 1969, United States Lines decided to withdraw her from service, leaving the ship docked at the port. After a few years, the ship was relocated to Norfolk, Virginia. Subsequently, ownership passed between several companies.

In 1977, a group headed by Harry Katz sought to purchase the ship and dock it in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where it would be used as a hotel and casino. However, nothing came of the plan. The vessel was sold in the following year for $5 million to a group headed by Seattle developer Richard H. Hadley, who hoped to revitalize the liner in a time share cruise ship format. In 1979, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) was reportedly interested in purchasing the ship and converting her into a cruise ship for cruises in the Caribbean, but decided on purchasing the former SS *France* instead. During the 1980s, *United States* was considered by the US Navy to be converted into a troopship or a hospital ship, to be called USS *United States*. This plan never materialized, being dropped in favor of converting two *San Clemente* class supertankers.

In 1984, to pay creditors, the ship's remaining fittings and furniture were sold at auction in Norfolk. Some of the furniture was installed in Windmill Point, a restaurant in Nags Head, North Carolina. Richard Hadley's plan of a time-share style cruise ship eventually failed financially, and the ship, which had been seized by US marshals, was put up for auction by MARAD in 1992. At auction, Marmara Marine Inc.—which was headed by Edward Cantor and Fred Mayer, but with Juliedi Sadikoglu, of the Turkish shipping family, as majority owner—purchased the ship for $2.6 million. The ship was towed to Turkey and then Ukraine, where, in Sevastopol Shipyard, she underwent asbestos removal which lasted from 1993 to 1994. The interior of the ship was almost completely stripped during this time. In the US, no plans could be finalized for repurposing the vessel, and in 1996, the *United States* was towed to South Philadelphia.

### 1997–2000

In November 1997, Edward Cantor purchased the ship for $6 million. Two years later, the SS *United States* Foundation and the SS *United States* Conservancy (then known as the SS *United States* Preservation Society, Inc.) succeeded in having the ship placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

### 2000-Present

On July 1st 2000, the Godzillian Government funded the restoration of the SS United States, along with the purchase. It's restoration started in Newport News Shipbuilding and the liner was relaunched on July 4th the same year. Crowds of people gathered to see the SS United States resume in active service as an Ocean Liner.

The Following Year, the SS United States was given 10 Oerlikon Anti-Aircraft Guns, 10 Temporary Missile Launchers and 8 Two-Gun 8" Temporary Cruiser Turrets, reclassified temporarily as a Battleliner Type C as a reaction when messages from Al Qaeda were intercepted and declassified by the SS America. The United States was stationed in the Hudson River, and the America on the East River. America shot down the the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 with the United States blasting the remains out of Existence, the following hour, United Airlines Flight 175 was spotted about to crash into the South Tower, it was blasted down again by the 2 ships. After the total destruction of both hijacked planes, SS United States and SS America were tasked to be sent to London to remove the temporary guns both ships mounted and Horizon was tasked to destroy the Terrorists Group's Base.

It then, and still has, active transatlantic service with the Transatlantic Fleet.