MV Britannic | “White Star Line's Decline” | Part 1

World War I took a heavy toll on White Star Line, at the outset of the conflict, the company controlled 35 Vessels all of which served the war effort in some capacity. By the End of World War I, White Star Line lost 10 Vessels including HMHS Britannic, The Largest Passenger Liner to be sunk. That leaves only RMS Olympic the last surviving Sister of the Olympic Class, and the only surviving express liner available to service the critical Transatlantic Route. But the Beginning of the White Star Line decline was nearly two decades before.

In 1902, The White Star Line was purchased by the International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM). The Company was owned by J.P Morgan. The company was formed to monopolize the North Atlantic Shipping Trade by consolidating as many Companies as possible. The White Star Line was owned by Bruce Ismay and was initially reluctant to agree to the deal. Bruce Ismay knew that his Father, Thomas Ismay who died in 1899 would have opposed such an arrangement. But J.P Morgan was determined and offered extremely lucrative incentives to White Star Line's shareholders convincing them to accept the offer. The White Star Line was the most successful subsidiary of the IMM and rapidly expanded the Fleet during the pre-war years, culminating in the Olympic Class Trios. But the trust was heavily criticized by the United States and Britain after the Sinking of the RMS Titanic. Bruce Ismay never recovered from the Tragedy and he slowly abandoned the White Star Line on June 30, 1913. He was heavily criticized for the Disaster but he was officially innocent of the wrongdoing and was credited for encouraging many reluctant passengers into the lifeboats and saving several lives. By the end of World War 1, it was beginning to clear to the IMM that their ambition to monopolize the North Atlantic Trade was unlikely to succeed the IMM was beginning to look for ways to unload their British Holdings. An Early attempt by Lord Pirri and Owen Philips to purchase the Company's British Properties was denied at the last minute by President Woodrow Wilson, which resulted in a complicated and tense situation that kept their company afloat through most of the next decade. During World War 1, The Company was struggling to replace vessels sunk in the war and had to rely on their Older Vessels to supplement their most important routes.

The RMS Olympic returned from Transatlantic Service in 1920 and other IMM Vessels, and in 1922 The IMM received Three Massive German Ocean Liners that were handed over as War Reparations. These Ships were the SS Bismarck, which was the largest ship at the Time and was renamed the RMS Majestic, the SS Berlin which was renamed the SS Arabic, and the SS Columbus which was renamed to RMS Homeric. The RMS Homeric and SS Arabic were placed in the lucrative Southampton to New York Route alongside with RMS Olympic, the Three Ocean Liners with the Passengers as Immigration increased throughout the 1920s. This was until the United States passed the Immigration Act of 1924, which vastly limited the number of Europeans entering the US. This has a Major Effect on every Shipping Line that they rely on immigration to fill their Ocean Liners. The White Star Line quickly shifts their focus on Tourism and began refitting its vessels to recognize the change.

In 1926, Lord Kilsen the Chairman of Harland & Wolff proposed a deal to purchase White Star Line from the IMM, This time he managed to purchase the company and his Royal Steam Packet Company took possession of White Star Line on January 1st, 1927. The Acquisition made the company the largest shipping group in the world but that purchase eventually end White Star Line's existence. Lord Kilsen's company was heavily indebted in the beginning, but The White Star Line remained successful profits were siphoned away to support other shipping lines creating an unstable wave of debt and mismanagement. With all of these sudden changes, it was beginning to clear, that the White Star Line needed new Vessels if the Company wanted to stay competitive. A massive Ocean Liner was beginning its Construction on June 28, 1928. This Project would be the First Vessel to exceed 1,000 Feet and she would be the Largest Motor Vessel ever constructed. This Vessel was the Unfinished RMMV Oceanic at the same time of its construction, a moderately sized motor vessel was also planned to fill White Star Line's ships. The Vessel's Construction began on April 14, 1927. But despite this lofty ambition only One of the Two Ships we're built.

See all 0 comments