SS ''Tuscania'' was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, and launched on 4 October 1921 for the Anchor Line.

Building and description

During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, several large liners of

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

-based Anchor Line (Henderson Bros) Ltd were lost, including the earlier ''Tuscania'' of 1914. Embarking on a replacement programme even before the end of 1918, the replacement ''Tuscania'' for the Mediterranean- New York service was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric: ''Gwovan''; Scots language, Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of southwest Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the sout ...

, Glasgow, as yard number 595. She measured and , was long between perpendiculars by beam and had a depth of . She had six Brown-Curtis

steam turbines A steam turbine or steam turbine engine is a machine or heat engine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work utilising a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Par ...

, also made by Fairfield, driving twin

screws A screw is an externally helical threaded fastener capable of being tightened or released by a twisting force (torque) to the screw head, head. The most common uses of screws are to hold objects together and there are many forms for a variety ...

via double reduction gearing, giving her a speed of . The ship was formally named ''Tuscania'' when launched on 4 October 1921, in the midst of the post-war economic slump, when many shipowners, Anchor Line included, had asked builders to slow or suspend building work. ''Tuscania'' was not completed until almost a year later; she ran

sea trial A sea trial or trial trip is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on op ...

s on 8 September 1922 and was registered at Glasgow with

Official Number Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their flag state, country of registration. Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats hav ...

146307. As completed, she has capacity for 2462 passengers (267 1st class, 377 2nd and 1818 3rd) and a complement of 342 officers and crew.

History

Anchor Line

Earlier plans to deploy ''Tuscania'' on the company's Mediterranean-New York service were changed, and she began her career on the Glasgow- Moville-New York route, leaving the Clyde on her maiden voyage on 16 September 1922. She continued on the North Atlantic, with occasional New York-Mediterranean voyages, until May 1926. In May 1926, ''Tuscania'' was chartered to the

Cunard Line The Cunard Line ( ) is a British shipping and an international cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its four ships have been r ...

for its service between London and New York, via

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

and

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

, and repainted in the charterer's colours. She was returned for service with Anchor Line in 1931. She was later employed on their

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

service and cruising until sold in 1939 to the Goulandris brothers' General Steam Navigation Company of Greece.

''Nea Hellas''

Upon arrival in

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...

on 8 March 1939 the ship was renamed ''Nea Hellas'' (''Νέα Έλλας'', meaning "New Greece") and refitted for service between Piraeus and New York City beginning on 19 May 1939. Service between these two ports was interrupted for the duration of World War II for use as a troopship for Allied soldiers. The ship was renamed ''New York'' and placed on a New York to

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

service in 1955. Due to her age, the ship was retired in 1959 and scrapped in 1961.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuscania Passenger ships of the United Kingdom Passenger ships of Greece Ships of Scotland 1921 ships