Mein Feld ist die Welt:
The Great Ocean Liners of HAPAG and Norddeutscher Lloyd (1897-1945)
The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse:

Launched: 1897
Volume: 14,349 gross tons
Length: 655 feet
Speed: 22 knots
Demise: Ordered by her captain to be sunk in WWI
Norddeutscher Lloyd's Four Stackers
The Debut of the Classic Ocean Liner Desig
The Deutschland:

Launched: 1900
Volume: 16,502
Length: 684 feet
Speed: 22 knots
Demise: Scrapped after being a failure and renamed twice.

The other large steamship company in Germany was the Hamburg-based Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). When their fiercest competition, Norddeutscher Lloyd, unveiled the striking, swift and large
Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, jealousy raged and a ship was designed that was intended to steal the Blue Ribband from the North German Lloyd. Christened the Deutschland, this new ship did indeed capture the coveted Blue Ribband from the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. The Deutschland was very luxurious, following the tradition of German comfort installed in every class on every ship of the HAPAG fleet. This great four-stacker did have one very serious flaw. Her powerful engines rattled the ship so much, the passengers and crew became annoyed. This prompted HAPAG to move their emphasis from speed to size and luxury. True, the Deutschland was the largest when she appeared for the first time, but her engine rattling proved to be unacceptable. Her engines were rebuilt and she was sent off cruising and renamed Victoria Luise. She sat idle in WWI because of engine trouble and was not given to the Allies as reparations for the same reason. She was renamed Hansa in 1921 and sailed until her scrapping in 1925.  
The Kronprinz Wilhelm:

Launched: 1901
Volume: 14,908 gross tons
Length: 664 feet
Speed: 22 knots
Demise: Scrapped in 1923
The Kaiser Wilhelm II:

Launched: 1903
Volume: 19,361 gross tons
Length: 707 feet
Speed: 23 knots
Demise: Scrapped in 1940
The Kronprinzessin Cecilie:
Launched: 1906
Volume: 19,360 gross tons
Length: 707 feet
Speed: 23 knots
Demise: Scrapped in 1940
In 1889, the German Kaiser (Wilhelm II) paid a visit to White Star Line's Teutonic, he became envious and ordered plans to be drawn up for the largest, fastest, and most luxurious ships ever built. These four ships were the North German Lloyd's (NDL) attempts to beat the British at shipbuilding and fame and were the original bearers of the four funnels. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (KWDG) was the first of the quartet, and she succeeded in claiming the Blue Ribband and the title of "world's largest afloat" (Brunel's Great Eastern, though no longer existing, held the title of world's largest yet built). When NDL's greatest German rival, Hamburg American (HAPAG) struck back with their Deutschland, NDL realized that they were going to have to build ships that were as big as their names to keep up. They followed with the Kronprinz Wilhelm (KPWM), Kaiser Wilhelm II (KW2), and the Kronprinzessin Cecilie (KC). The KPWM was intended to recapture the Blue Ribband from the rival Deutschland, but never quite made it. She was very successful in the booming immigrant trade, and was known for her fine craftsmanship displayed in the first class areas. The KW2 was even larger than her predecessors, and was successful in snatching the Blue Ribband back for Norddeutscher Lloyd. She impressed the public so much, that fourty-thousand people came to her Hoboken pier in New Jersey to tour her grand interior. The KC was the last of the German four funnelers. She was neither the largest nor the fastest, but she was very exquisite and popular. All four of Norddeutscher Lloyd's wonder ships had sad endings. When World War One hit the globe, the German ships were taken into various duties. The KWDG was turned into an armed merchant cruiser and raided Allied ships. She sank three ships in all. While in Africa, the British H.M.S. Highflyer surprised her. When she had run out of ammunition, the capain ordered her to be destroyed by explosives. The Kronprinzezzin Cecilie was carrying over ten million dollars to Bremerhaven, when it was realized that she would become a target of attack. The KC's captain suggested that from a distance, the ship could be mistaken for White Star's Olympic. So she was repainted while enroute to the safety of Maine, and the disguise worked until White Star notified the port that the Olympic was in Manhattan. She was then captured by the US and renamed U.S.S. Mount Vernon.  She was scrapped in 1940. The Kronprinz Wilhelm and Kaiser Wilhelm II were also captured by the US. The KPWM was scrapped in 1923 with the name Von Stueben, and the KW2 was scrapped in 1940 as as the Agamemnon, along side the former Kronprinzessin Cecilie
The Imperator:

Launched: 1913
Volume: 52,117 gross tons
Length: 919
Speed: 23 knots
Demise: Given to Cunard after WWI and renamed
Berengaria.

During the 1910s, all of the major shipping lines had a group of very large liners planned, and Germany's HAPAG responded with a trio of their own. Planned as the
Europa, the Kaiser thought that Imperator would be a more fitting name for the first of these gigantic liners. At over 52,000 gross tons, this ship would definately be the largest ship yet built. Surpassing the Mauretania (31,938 gross tons) and even the Titanic (46,392 gross tons), the Imperator was given the nickname "colossus of the Atlantic." This new pride of Germany carried one very unique but short-lived ornament. On her prow was a huge figurehead of an eagle pirched on the globe. (It has been suspected that the eagle was mounted on the bow of the Imperator to add extra length to the ship because of the dimensions of Cunard's new Aquitania.) The eagle was broken in a storm and was removed. On her maiden voyage from Hamburg, Germany to New York, a serious flaw was discovered in the Imperator. She was top-heavy and rolled much too easily. This was partially taken care of when HAPAG shortened the three enourmous stacks, removed heavy panelling and marble fixtures, and poured cement into her bottom. After WWI, the Imperator was given to the Cunard Line as repartaions for the loss of their Lusitania. She was renamed Berengaria and became Cunard's flagship.  
The Amerika / Kaiserin Auguste Victoria:

Launched: 1905 / 1906
Volume: 22,225 / 24,581 gross tons
Length: 700 / 705 feet
Speed: 17.5 / 17.5 knots
Demise: Scrapped in 1958 / 1930

The
Amerika was the largest ship in the world when she was launched, again giving HAPAG the attention over Norddeutscher Lloyd. The designers of this ship decided on a modest two stacked design to heop the public disassociate her from the failed Deutschland. The American press was so impressed with her, that her attributes were over-emphasised. The public was bombarded with information about her. Her luxurious interiors were described in American newspapers, along with her powerful machinery and safety features. This attention, often given to Germany's new ships, caused them to be known better in America than their home country. With the enormous success of the Amerika, HAPAG decided to build a sister-ship to compliment her service. The year after the Amerika was introduced, the larger Kaiserin Auguste Victoria was commissioned. The public was impressed again by the beautiful first class spaces, the size of the ship, and the speed at which she plowed through the waves. The Amerika served a very long career, but it was not such a safe one. She rammed and sank two ships as HAPAG's Amerika, she was actually sunk herself after being sold to another line, and was nearly gutted twice by fire as the America of the United States Line. She also sailed as a troop ship in both World Wars. She was scrapped in 1958 in Baltimore. The Kaiserin Auguste Victoria sailed under the German flag until 1919, when she was given to the British and renamed Empress of Scotland. She sailed under her new name until she was scrapped in 1930.   
The Big Three:
The Quest for Glory on the High-Seas
The Vaterland:

Launched: 1914
Volume: 54,282 gross tons
Length: 950 feet
Speed: 23 knots
Demise: Giveen to the US after WWI and renamed
Leviathan.

Determined to have the largest ships in the world, HAPAG launched the second of the great trio in 1914. This ship was to originally be named
Europa just as the Imperator had been planned, but high German nationalism forced the ship to be named Vaterland (Fatherland). Over forty thousand people attended the launch and Prince Rupert had the honor of christening the giantess. As the most luxurious ship yet built, her prestige knew no bounds. In face of the Titanic disaster, Vaterland's safety features were over-publicized. Her success was immediate, but she was caught in New York after only two months of service. War had erupted in Europe and soon escalated into World War One. The United States seized the Vaterland, and her fate was sealed. She was given to the United States in the treaty following the war and was given the hideous name Leviathan.
The Bismarck:

Launched: 1914
Volume: 56,551 gross tons
Length: 956 feet
Speed: 23.5 knots
Demise: Turned over to the White Star Line and renamed
Majestic

Only a month following the launch of the
Vaterland, the ceremony for the launch of the next in line was held. The public saw a bad omen directly before the launch when Countess Hanna von Bismarck missed the ship with the bottle of wine to be used for the christening. The Kaiser was forced to step forward and complete the naming himself. With that, the new Bismarck took to the water. Only eight days later, events unfolded that would change the world. In Sarejevo, Ferdinand was shot and killed, marking the first event leading to WWI. Consequently, Bismarck never sailed for her German builders. She sat at the shipyard unfinished throughout the entire war, and was ordered to be completed near the end. Much to Germany's dismay, Bismarck was not completed for sailing under HAPAG's company flag. She had been given to the White Star Line to replace the Britannic, Titanic's sister-ship. The ship was finished to British codes, but very slowly. Work proceeded at a snail's pace because of a steel shortage and reluctant workers. The stubborn Germans refused to give up the last of their great trio. When White Star Officials arrived in Hamburg in 1922 to retrieve the new ship, they found her painted boldly in HAPAG colors with the name Bismarck instead of Majestic displayed prominantly on her bow. The captain's quarters were being deliberately used as a storage closet. However, the British won the ship, so she was taken, repainted in the famous White Star buff and black and renamed Majestic. 
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