What Made the SS United States SO Fast?

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Fun fact. I was a crew member in 1968. We were delayed by a tugboat strike in Le Havre France for one day, and on the way back home we had a regularly scheduled stop in Cobh Ireland, which was also the Titanic's last port. So, a day late, we crossed the Atlantic in a little over three days, at something approaching 40 knots. It is not recognized in the Blue Riband competition since it didn't go from Bishops Rock to Ambrose light, but I believe it was the fastest transatlantic voyage by a liner. My bunk was right over the inboard port screw, and I bounced my way all across the Atlantic.

The British satire publication, Punch, said this at the time of the launch of the SS United States. “After the loud and fantastic claims made in advance for the liner United States, it comes as something of a disappointment to find them all true.” I think that summed it all up perfectly. Your video is a fantastic tribute to a spectacular ship!

As a child of 8 years old in 1956, I sailed on the SS United States with my mother and sister from New York to Southhampton — and back several months later. It was a brilliant experience. We were in "tourist class", but it was a world away from what was in another era "steerage". Tourist class was accommodated near the front portion of the ship. It was clean, and comfortable. The help and service from the stewards was first rate. A large dining room served sumptuous meals. A sheltered area between the two funnels provided space for recreation and leisure. An array of reclinable deck chairs offered an opportunity to relax and chill out with a blanket. I read books there and gazed at the ocean for hours. The attendants were very patient and kind to a boy full of curiosity who asked many questions. They even helped me with my reading. On the return crossing, the ship crossed paths with a hurricane. In order to get out of the way of the this disturbance, the ship powered up. A lot of the passengers got seasick. The gala steak dinner night was sparsely attended. My family was as sick as any other. I knew that getting on deck was at least a temporary cure. So I donned my macintosh and made my way up to the promenade deck where I found an alcove shelter. I watched the roiling sea and witnessed a trawler being tossed around like a cork. About 40 minutes later, an officer found me on deck, and I was returned to my panicked but angry mother. The experience was worth her wrath. Disembarkation was a revelatory experience. Back in our hometown of Vancouver, my father had managed to pull some strings. Accordingly, we were invited to disembark from the first class part of the ship. First Class enjoyed priority and rather effortless immigration clearance in the comfort of the first class ballroom. We were dazzled by the splendour of it all, which if not as ornate as in the old "Queens", it was at least as impressive in a more modern style. My mother recognized various people of eminence and celebrity, but they meant nothing to me at the time. At the end of the each voyage, passengers were presented with an elegantly printed, folded card with an abridged version of the ship's log. Usually it recorded the date and average speed and distance made by the ship. For this crossing, there were a couple of days left blank. The ship's upper limits of performance was still a state secret. I still have the card — a souvenir of a great adventure for a little boy.

When my dad rotated back to the states from England after his 3 year tour of duty at RAF Wethersfield (Air Force maintenance officer), he was offered a choice of flying our family back on MATS or a 5-day cruise from Southampton to NYC on the SS United States. Mom and Dad, along with us 5 kids were treated to an unforgettable, luxurious, and exciting trans-Atlantic crossing on this remarkable ship in March, 1963. I was 9 years old, so my memories were and still are quite vivid. My older sister and I had such fun exploring the ship from bow to stern and the meal service, complete with our own assigned waiter “Jack”, was second to none. In spite of the wonderful meal service, I skipped breakfast on the last day of the cruise to stand on the bow deck to watch our arrival past the Statue of Liberty to our docking spot in NY Harbor. What a thrill for a wide-eyed 9 year old! The cruise was the highlight of my youth, to say the least and my sister and I still love recounting our adventures on board. Watching this video really brought rushing back all those memories. Thank you!

In May of 1960, I was 8 years old and travelling aboard Cunard's HMS IVERNIA, travelling from Montreal to South Hampton. In the mid Atlantic, we spotted another ship behind us, that had just appeared on the horizon. Within 10 minutes the ship was alongside us and identified as the S.S. United States. The loud sound of steam horns were exchanged by the two ocean liners as greetings. Ten minutes more and the S.S. United States disappeared over the horizon ahead of us. She was fasssst!

As a Marine engineer, I met a number of other engineers that had been on the USS United States for her sea trials back in 1952. When the government builds a ship, like the United States, under construction differential subsidy, the government reserves a large capacity of horsepower for the ship for their own use. The turbines that drove the ship were fitted with "commercial" nozzle blocks, which would drive the ship 38 kns. The government had the capacity of putting on "national defense" turbine nozzle blocks on the ship, which would dramatically increase the horsepower. The engineers that were there for the sea trials, in which they had the national defense blocks on the turbines, said the speed of the ship reached 55 kns in sea trials. Once the trials are over, the commercial blocks are replaced on the turbines, the national defense blocks would never again to be fitted to the ship.

In 1964, I made 5 crossings on the ship, working in the second class galley. It was an absolute pleasure. Even in a hurricane off Greenland returning to the U. S. she rode the waves smoothly. I spent numbers of nights in the anchor room with my head out the starboard port hole watching her cut through the waves, sleekly. Sad to see her in Philadelphia.

Not only did the Navy subsidize her construction but she was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. The very same shipyard who is now the sole builder of aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy and who had arguably the best workforce avaliable when it came to large ships design for high speed post WW2.

Fun fact. At the conclusion of her maiden voyage and return to New York, she had to be dry-docked because the high speed and friction during the crossing had actually sandblasted the paint off the bow. It was at that moment that I think the USL realized that they had a true speed demon at their command.

In June 1959 I sailed on the SS United States from La Havre France to New York City. In port at lunch on the first day the Captain announced the Queen Elizabeth had sailed from Portsmouth 12 hours earlier and with the passengers permission he said he would like radio the Captain of QEI and challenge her to a race to NYC. Four and a half days later we arrived in NYC five hours ahead of the QE1. Great trip even in high seas for three days. Fun watching our progress.

In February 1953 we were heading to New York from Ireland on the RMS Ascania. Mid ocean we passed the SS United States east bound. The crew on our ship hoisted possibly every flag and pennant we had on board as a salute to the fastest ocean liner. It must have been one of her earliest trips across the Atlantic. Our ship took 11 days to cross. The US took, I heard, 3 days max.

Good video, I was a passenger on the SSUS. She was so fast that on deck I could lean into the wind like a downhill skier, almost parallel to the deck, and the force of the wind hold me up. A crossing on her was unlike any other ship I have been on, a truly amazing experience. Inside she was like a fine old-world hotel, cruise ships today, even the QM2 doesn't come close. Like a train on a schedule they were fast, but accommodating, in addition to meeting celebrities. Today's cruise/floating apt buildings with thousands of passengers cheapens the whole experience.

S.S. Unites States is so underrated as a ship i'm serious this ship broke all the records in the world and now is a rusty piece of iron i can't accept this fate for her

I see this ship all the time just sitting in a South Philly pier and just rusting away still. It’s still so very impressive at the size of it. She dwarfs everything around her. I could only imagine how a present day passenger ship would compare. The paint scheme almost looks the same except for being extremely faded.

I had the privilege of traveling on the SS United States back in 1961. We traveled from England to New York. We had so much fun swimming and going to the movies. We even sat with the Captain for dinner one evening. She was a beautiful vessel.

Her actual top speed was classified for years, but some sources hinted at 45 knots for a top end. She was also designed that her cabin accommodations could be converted to troop transport configuration in about a week. Amazing ship.

Thank you another excellent video. I started work at Newport News Shipbuilding in 1986. There were still quite a few employees who had worked on her. I was able to go onboard her while she was at a pier in Norfolk. This was shortly after the auction at which much of her interior furnishings were sold. For a few dollars and a signature on a liability waiver, you could go through the entire ship. I went all through the superstructure and the forward funnel. I will always regret that the lack of a flashlight prevented me from venturing down into the engine rooms.

I live just outside of Philadelphia where the United States is docked. For nearly my entire life it’s been sitting there rotting away and I’ve always wondered why it’s still sitting there. There’s an IKEA just outside of where she’s docked and the little restaurant there has huge windows looking right out to the ship and gives you a great view of it and you can see everyone looking at it wondering why it’s there lol.

The SS United States could do 20 knots - astern! She could also carry enough fuel and provisions to steam 10000 miles at 35 knots. An absolute marvel of marine engineering and it's a damn shame the condition she sits in today. The prototype Boeing 707 flew 2 years after she launched and the first 707 flew 5 years after her launch. She was doomed to a short career. Only one true ocean liner survives today.