SS United States is a retired American ocean liner that was built during 1950 and 1951 for United States Lines. She is the largest ocean liner to be entirely constructed in the United States and the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic Ocean in either direction, earning the Blue Riband for the highest average speed since her maiden voyage in 1952, a title that remains uncontested.
The ship was designed by American naval architect William Francis Gibbs and could have been converted into a troopship if required by the United States Navy in time of war. The ship served as a US icon, transporting celebrities and immigrants throughout her career between 1952 and 1969. Her design included innovations in steam propulsion, hull form, fire safety, and damage control. Despite her record speed, passenger counts declined in the mid-1960s due to the rise in jet-propelled trans-Atlantic flights.
United States was withdrawn from service in a surprise announcement in 1969. All planned cruises were canceled, and the ship changed owners repeatedly for the next several decades. Every owner attempted to make the ship profitable, but she was aging and poorly maintained. In 1984, her interior furnishings were sold at auction, and the rest of her interiors were stripped to the bulkheads in 1994. In 1996, she was towed to Philadelphia, where she remained until February 2025.
Since 2009, the SS United States Conservancy has been raising funds in an attempt to save the ship from being scrapped. The group purchased her in 2011 and has created several unrealized plans to restore the ship. Due to a rent dispute, in 2024, the ship was evicted from her pier. Because no other locations for the ship could be found, Okaloosa County, Florida, were able to purchase the ship and they plans to sink her by 2026 near Destin to become the world's largest artificial reef.
Development
Design
SS United States was designed by William Gibbs. When Gibbs was eight years old in 1894, he watched the launching of SS St. Louis and became enamored with ships and dreamed of a massive, grand American ship to surpass all others.
As an adult, Gibbs' first project was to lead the redesign and reconstruction of the ocean liner Leviathan, the largest ship in the world and an American war prize following World War I. Once complete, his skill was appreciated by the government, media, and other architects; groups such as the Pacific Marine Review referred to him as "America's foremost naval architect".
The first ship purely of Gibb's design was SS Malolo, a luxury liner for the Pacific Ocean. During her sea trials, the ship was struck amidship by a freighter, ripping a massive hole into Malolo's engine room. The damage was so severe the former Chief of US Navy Construction and Gibb's mentor David Taylor thought the ship would immediately sink, much like the RMS Empress of Ireland did in similar circumstances. The ship stayed afloat with little damage and few casualties; this success was credited to Gibb's meticulous designs, further increasing his fame.
Gibbs' work put him in contact with American officials, to whom he pitched his idea for a massive, American-flagged liner. By 1936, the US government was planning to replace the aging Leviathan so a new vessel could operate as a passenger liner during peacetime and as a troop transport during war. Although not the massive ocean liner Gibbs had envisioned, he was selected to design the new ship, which became the SS America.
At the end of the Second World War, Gibbs and his company had designed more than 70% of all American ships used during the conflict, and Gibbs was at the height of his career. He believed it was time to realize his vision of an American superliner.
Military application
During the Second World War, many ocean liners, including Normandie and Queen Mary, were seized or requisitioned by governments and used to transport soldiers between fronts. In 1945, the US Maritime Commission requested designs for a ship that could handle that role for future conflicts. Gibbs submitted a design of his decades-old vision, which eventually won the contract.
The most-promising use of the liner in war would have been as a troop transport. If mobilized, onboard furnishings could easily be removed to make room for a 14,400-man US Army division. The ship's size and speed meant she could rapidly deploy a division anywhere in the world without needing to refuel.
Construction
Following the end of the Second World War, the newly formed US Department of Defense was divided about its policy in the nuclear age. There was controversy around the supercarrier USS United States (CVA-58), which was canceled after her keel was laid. The shipyard, looking for a project to fill the void left by the Navy, agreed to dismantle the aircraft carrier and build an ocean liner with, coincidentally, the same name, in the same dry dock, allowing her keel to be laid on 8 February 1950. The circumstance saw United States become the first ocean liner to be built in a dry dock, accelerating her construction because parts of the ship could be prefabricated.
Another major issue facing the Navy was its reduction of transport capabilities following the war. After the Inchon Landings during the Korean War, the Department of Defense realized it lacked troop-transport capacity and requisitioned the one-third-completed United States to quickly and cheaply fill part of the deficit. Under Navy control, stateroom bathrooms were to be stripped and large spaces divided to make room for gun mounts, wardrooms, more lifeboats, and equipment required to support the enlarged passenger count.
United States was requisitioned under Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, who believed it was cheaper and easier to convert an existing vessel than to build a new one. Days after the announcement was made, the secretary was relieved and replaced by George Marshall. After meeting with the chairman of the Maritime Administration, Marshall believed converting United States would take too long to be of any use during the Korean War. A month after her requisitioning was announced, the Joint Chiefs of Staff reversed the decision and returned the ship to previously scheduled civilian work.
United States was christened and launched on 23 June 1951, sponsored by Lucile Connally, wife of U.S. Senator Tom Connally. Her construction was a joint effort by the United States Navy and United States Lines (USL), and was broken into two parts. The cost of construction was split; USL contributed $25 million and the US government $20 million. The government also paid another $25 million for the incorporation of "national defense features" into her design, which brought her cost to $71.08 million, even though the ship itself cost only $44.4 million.
Features
Propulsion
The ship's power plant was developed in unusual cooperation with the Navy, leading to a militarized design. The ship never used US Navy equipment; the designers opted for civilian variants of military models. The engine room arrangement was similar to that of large warships such as the Forrestal-class aircraft carriers, with isolated engineering spaces, and redundancies and backups in onboard systems.
In normal service, the ship could theoretically generate 310,000 pounds (140,000 kg) of steam per hour, at 925 pounds per square inch (6.38 MPa) and 975 °F (524 °C), using eight US Navy-type M-type boilers; however, they were operated at 54% of their capacity. The boilers were divided among two engine rooms, four in each. Babcock & Wilcox designed the ship's boilers and manufactured those in the forward engine room; the other boilers were made by Foster Wheeler and were located aft.
Steam from the boilers turned four Westinghouse double-reduction geared turbines, each one connected to a drive shaft. Each turbine could generate approximately 60,000 shaft horsepower (shp), or 240,000 shp total. If at flank speed, initial designs estimated 266,800 shp from 1,100 °F (593 °C) steam at 1,145 pounds per square inch (7.89 MPa) could be generated.
The turbines turned four shafts, each of which rotated a propeller 18 feet (5.5 metres) in diameter. Owing to the designers' previous military experience, each propeller was made to efficiently rotate in either direction, allowing the ship to efficiently move forward or backwards, and to limit cavitation and vibrations. The two inboard propellers were five-bladed—a key secret of the design—and the outboard two had four. This aspect was one of the concepts that allowed the ship to achieve high speeds.
Funnels and superstructure
The primary purpose of a ship's funnels is to ventilate the vessel's engine rooms, allowing exhaust to escape. Gibbs believed funnels also create a unique and iconic character for the ship and her owners. To create an unforgettable silhouette, Gibbs had the liner topped with two massive, red-white-and-blue, tear-drop-shaped funnels located midship. Standing at 55 feet (17 m) tall and 60 feet (18 m) wide, they were the largest funnels ever put to sea.
The funnel design was a pinnacle of Gibb's experience from designing the Leviathan, America, and Santa-class liners. To prevent soot from coating the deck and passengers, horizontal fins on each side of the funnels deflected funnel exhaust away from the ship. During the retrofit of the Leviathan decades earlier, it was discovered her tall funnels compromised the vessel's stability. To avoid this issue on United States, Gibbs decided the funnels and the superstructure would be made out of lightweight aluminum to prevent the ship from becoming top-heavy and at risk of capsizing. At the time, United States was the world's largest aluminum construction project and the first major application of aluminum on a ship.
The main disadvantage in making the funnels and superstructure out of aluminum was the metal's difficulty to mold and handle compared to more conventional metals, making the funnels' fabrication the most complex part of the ship's construction. Special care was needed to prevent galvanic corrosion of the aluminum when it was welded to the steel decking. The laborious process antagonized shipyard workers but no problems arose during construction and it continued as planned.
Speed
The maximum speed attained by United States is disputed and was once held as a military secret, and complicated by the alleged leak of a top speed of 43 kn (80 km/h; 49 mph) the ship attained after her first speed trial. The New York Times reported in 1968 the ship could make 42 kn (78 km/h; 48 mph) at a maximum power output of 240,000 hp (180,000 kW). Other sources, including a paper by John J. McMullen & Associates, placed the ship's highest-possible sustained speed at 35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph). The liner's top achieved speed was later revealed to be 38.32 kn (70.97 km/h; 44.10 mph), which she achieved during a full-power trial run on June 10, 1952.
Interior design
Dorothy Marckwald and Anne Urquhart, who also designed the interiors for America, designed the interiors for United States. Their goal was to "create a modern fresh contemporary look that emphasized simplicity over palatial, [with] restrained elegance over glitz and glitter". Marckwald and Urquhart also wanted to replicate the smooth lines seen on the exterior and to visualize the ship's speed.
To achieve the aesthetic, the liner was furnished with mid-century modern decor that was amplified by plentiful use of black linoleum decking and the silver lining of edges. While visually unique compared to her competition, the simplicity of decorations compared to the expected grandeur of ocean liners saw the interiors described by those accustomed to the older style as what would be found on a "navy transport".
Interior décor included a children's playroom that was designed by Edward Meshekoff, who was also tasked with creating interiors that were completely fireproof. This caused an exceptional difficulty when selecting materials, such as those for usually flammable items such as drapes or carpet.
Fire safety
As a result of maritime disasters involving fire, including SS Morro Castle and SS Normandie, William Gibbs specified the ship must be fully fireproof, which further compounded his history with safety and attention to detail.
To minimize the risk of flames, the designers of United States proscribed the use of wood in the ship, aside from the galley's wooden butcher's block. Fittings, including furniture and fabrics, were custom made in glass, metal, and fiberglass to ensure compliance with the US Navy's fireproofing guidelines. Asbestos-laden paneling was extensively used in interior structures and many small items were made of aluminum. The ballroom's grand piano was originally designed to be aluminum but was made from mahogany and accepted only after a demonstration in which gasoline was poured upon the wood and ignited, without the wood catching fire. Additionally, instead of traditional teak decking, the exterior decks were covered with a green latex composition called "Neotex."
Art
To create the onboard art, the artists Hildreth Meière and Austin Purves consulted Marckwald. The artists' goals were to give the ship a unique character that was detached from any single art style. Because the ship was going to serve as a floating icon of the US, it was decided her character would reflect the country. This was achieved by theming spaces around an aspect of the United States, such as the Mississippi River, Native Americans, or American fauna.
The liner was decorated with hundreds of unique art pieces, including sculptures, relief murals, and paintings. Aluminum was commonly incorporated into the artworks, allowing pieces to be light and fireproof, and to match the black-and-silver theme. For instance, nearly 200 aluminum sculptures were used in the first-class stairway, with a large eagle and each state's bird and flower emblems on the landing of each deck.
First class passenger spaces
Cabin class passenger spaces
Tourist class passenger spaces
Accommodations
Gibbs' design incorporated a conventional, three-tiered class system for passengers, replicating those found on other classical ocean liners. Each class was segregated, having its own dining rooms, bars, public spaces, services, and recreation areas. Gibbs envisioned having passengers enforce the separation, only intermingling in the gymnasium, swimming pool, and theater. The stark and physical class separations, an idea associated with the Old World, contrasted with the overall American theme of the ocean liner; the United States was often seen as a nation that was removed from the old money and class segregation of the Old World.
At maximum capacity, United States could have carried 894 first, 524 cabin, and 554 tourist-class passengers. During a standard season, the cost of a first-class ticket would start at $350 ($4,196 in 2024), a cabin ticket $220 ($2,638), and a tourist ticket $165 ($1,978).
First class
First-class passengers were entitled to the best services and locations the ship had to offer, including the grand ballroom, the smoking room, first-class dining room and restaurants, observation lounge, main foyer, grand staircase, and promenades. Most of these facilities were located midship, distant from the vibrations and distractions of the engines and the outside.
The liner's famous passengers favored first class due to its prestige, priority service, and spacious cabins. The Duck Suite, which was popularized by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, was the ship's best-known stateroom. It was created by combining three first-class staterooms into a single suite containing four beds, three bathrooms, two bedrooms, and a living room. The name came from the walls, which were decorated with paintings of waterfowl. Up to 14 similar suites could be created in a similar way, establishing a level of stateroom above that of a standard first-class ticket. Tickets for the two-bedroom suites started at $930 ($11,150); these were aimed at the wealthiest passengers on board. Much like the Duck Suite, these rooms reflected a post-war American standard of living, lacking in intricate details and adorned with natural scenes. All suites were spacious and equipped with dimmed lights, which were not seen on any other vessels.
Cabin class
Cabin class was aimed toward the American middle classes, striking a key balance between the affordability of tourist and the elegance of first class. Each cabin had four beds and a private bathroom, and were located primarily aft. While inferior to first class, passengers received service and had access to amenities that were historically reserved for the highest class on other ocean liners.The food, pool, and theater were shared with first-class passengers, making cabin class ideal for those who wanted the first-class experience without paying first-class rates.
Tourist class
Tourist class was aimed at those who were unable or unwilling to spend much on a ticket; it was often booked by migrants and students. Cheapest of all tickets, tourist-class cabins were located at the peripheries of the ship, where rocking and noise were most pronounced. These small cabins were shared among passengers, each room containing two bunk beds and simply furnished with little detail. Communal bathrooms were shared with all tourist-class passengers in the same passage. Service from the crew was lacking compared to the other classes, as tourist-class passengers received the lowest priority. While equivalent to the steerage or third-class on other vessels, these poorest conditions on United States were noticeably better than what was offered on other vessels.
Commercial service (1952–1957)
Maiden voyage
United States made her maiden voyage from July 3 to 7, 1952, and broke the eastbound-transatlantic speed record that had been held by RMS Queen Mary for the previous 14 years by more than 10 hours, making the crossing from the Ambrose lightship at New York Harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, UK, in three days, ten hours, and 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 kn (65.91 km/h; 40.96 mph), winning the coveted Blue Riband. On her return voyage United States also broke the westbound-transatlantic speed record, which was also held by Queen Mary, by returning to America in three days, twelve hours, and twelve minutes at an average speed of 34.51 kn (63.91 km/h; 39.71 mph). In New York City, her owners were awarded the Hales Trophy, the tangible expression of the Blue Riband competition.
The ship's return to the United States was marked with celebration as she was escorted into New York City by bands, helicopters, and small boats, and was met by a crowd of thousands. As a public symbol of the Blue Riband, a long, blue flag was flown from her radar mast as she approached. Many people noticed her fresh hull paint had worn off, apparently due to the high speeds at which she traveled. Her crew was officially welcomed to the city several days later with a Ticker-tape parade, escorted by more than 2,000 people and greeted by a crowd of 150,000. The centerpiece of the event was the liner's captain, Commodore Harry Manning, who is one of the few people to receive a Ticker-tape parade twice after his 1929 rescue of crewmembers from the cargo ship Florida.
The record was not a reflection of the ship's actual operational speed. Prior to her voyage, many expected a race between United States and the British vessel Queen Elizabeth for national pride over the Blue Riband. In 1951, Gibbs instructed the crew to "[not] beat the record by very much. Beat it by a reasonable amount, such as 32 knots." He hoped Cunard Line, which operated Queen Elizabeth, would then develop a slightly faster ship and United States would then break the intentionally low record, sailing at a much higher speed.
United States' record-breaking speed was also held back by safety concerns. The line understood the crew was still inexperienced with the new ship, and ordered them to not take unnecessary risks with extravagant speeds. The memory of the sinking of RMS Titanic influenced USL's caution, an issue personal to several of its leaders. CEO John Franklin was son of White Star Line's office manager Philip Franklin during the Titanic disaster, and the company director Vincent Astor lost his father John Jacob Astor on that ship. Franklin was so concerned about a potential accident he had written and sealed a message that was only to be made public if there was a disaster during United States' maiden voyage.