History of the MV Britannic

Launched: 1930 Maiden Voyage: June 28, 1930 Volume: 26,943 gross tons Length: 712 feet Speed: 18 knots Demise: scrapped in 1960 At the end of the 1920s, a new brand of liner had made a debut: the motorship. These ships grew in popularity partly because of the low profiles these ships made. The tall stacks could be abandoned for very squat funnels. The Cunard-White Star Line ordered two new motorships, naming them Britannic and Georgic and painted them in White Star buff and black. These new ships became very popular with the travelling public. The Britannic was decorated in more traditional liner style, harkening back to the days of the Olympic and Majestic, while the Georgic had more of an art deco style, reflecting the changing of the times. The Britannic boasted the distinction of carrying the most passengers of all of the past White Star Liners. In the later 1930s, Cunard liquidated the rest of White Star's assets, and dropped the White Star name altogether. These only remaining White Star liners now belonged to Cunard, but they retained their original colors. These ships served up to the outbreak of WWII, when they were both converted to troopships. The Georgic caught fire, and was repaired and put back into troop service. After the war, the Georgic was sent to be refit which included removal of the first funnel, and sailed for only a short period afterwards. The Britannic finished her wartime efforts, was restored and returned to service in White Star colors. She continued until 1960 when repair costs forced Cunard to retire her and send her to the scrappers.