First view of the new liner as she arrived at the pier from the shipyard.
S.S. UNITED STATES - 50TH ANNIVERSARY
A Photo Essay by John McFarlane
It was Monday, June 23, 1952 and the United States Lines flagship S.S. UNITED STATES was brand new and the author, at age sixteen, was just beginning his interest in ocean liner photography. America's greatest ocean liner arrived in New York City for the first time that day directly from her birthplace at the Newport News, Virginia shipyard. It was a typical warm, hazy, early summer day as she arrived at Pier 86 North River around midday having received a big reception from ships in the harbor as she passed up the river.
First view of the new liner as she arrived at the pier from the shipyard.
The new liner sparkled in the hazy sunlight showing off her big red, white and blue funnels towering over her sleek black hull and white superstructure.
She turns into her berth at Pier 86 for the first time.
S.S. UNITED STATES was 990 feet in length and measured 53,290 gross tons. Her mighty steam turbines generated in excess of 240,000 shaft horsepower allowing the liner an easy cruising speed of 35 knots.
Dressed overall she is slowly edged into the slip.
All the photographs were taken by the author in June and July 1952, using a Kodak "Brownie" box camera and 120 Kodak film. This type of camera did not really have a proper lens nor any way of adjusting for various lighting conditions.
Several Moran tugs assist S.S. UNITED STATES to complete her docking.
There was of course a great deal of excitment and interest generated by the crowd of onlookers including a host of ship enthusiasts having their first look at America's greatest passenger liner.
An interesting closeup view of her sleek hull.
(A composite of two photos.)
Her overall dimensions including the 101.7 foot width of the hull allowed the liner to transit the Panama Canal. When viewing the hull up close from the bow one had the illusion that she was rather narrow and very sleek for a ship of over 100 feet in width.
The peak of her bow almost reaching onto 12th Avenue, she ties up at the pier to await her first sailing ten days hence.
When docking at New York City's Pier 86 on her first few arrivals, S.S. UNITED STATES was handled very carefully by the attending tugboats and the docking maneuver took some time. Pier 86 was somewhat shorter than the 1,100 foot long "super piers" 88/90/92 North River.
THE MAIDEN VOYAGE AND THE SPEED RECORD.
Precisely at noon on Thursday, July 3, 1952, S.S.UNITED STATES sailed from Pier 86 North River New York on her maiden voyage to Le Havre, France and Southampton, England.
Visitors, "ocean liner buffs" and other onlookers begin to gather in the late morning sun to see her off.
The excitment mounts as the noon hour approaches.
Margaret Truman, daughter of U.S. President Harry S. Truman, embarks with over 1,700 other passengers, and with gangways hauled in and hawsers dropped S.S. UNITED STATES sails for Europe at noon. The great turbines begin to throb and Manhattan's West Side resonates to the blasts from her mighty whistles.
As she slowly gathers momentum M.V. ITALIA passes down the North River, saluting the departing S.S. UNITED STATES. Home Lines ITALIA sailed from from her berth, Pier 95, one half hour earlier for Cuxhaven (Hamburg), Germany.
S.S. UNITED STATES hesitates for just another moment to allow the Swedish American Line M.S. STOCKHOLM to sail by. STOCKHOLM had sailed from Pier 97 at 11:30am heading for Gothenburg, Sweden.
Once the river is clear, she picks up speed and with her whistles blasting away, begins a history-making voyage.
Bands play, crowds cheer and the great ship is off on a voyage that will break all transatlantic speed records.
The above photo and following five images show S.S. UNITED STATES backing into the North (Hudson) River and turning for her voyage out of New York harbor and into the Atlantic.
During her maiden transatlantic voyage S.S. UNITED STATES captured the "Blue Riband" from the Cunard liner R.M.S. QUEEN MARY. On July 7, 1952, at 5:16 am GMT, she passed Bishop's Rock off the coast of England having traveled 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots.
Monday, July 14, 1952, at 4:29pm EDT, she passed Ambrose Light Vessel at the end of her westbound voyage and another record crossing of 3 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes at an average speed of 34.51 knots. The following morning, after an overnight stay anchored at quarantine she weighed anchor and sailed triumphantly up the North River to her berth at Pier 86. Flying from her mast was a 40 foot blue pennant signifying the capture of the "Blue Riband" of the North Atlantic. Many areas of her hull could be seen to be missing paint especially in the bow area. The force of the sea passing along her hull at great speed during the voyage, peeled the new paint from the sides of the ship.
The great ship arrives at Pier 86.
One can clearly see the paint peeled away from her bow.
Several Moran tugboats gently turn the liner into the slip.
The "Blue Riband" back in American hands once again after 100 years; in August 1851 Collins Line BALTIC made a record crossing from Liverpool to New York in 9 days and 18 hours at 13 knots.
America's largest ocean liner, now the world's fastest liner, received a stirring welcome when she returned to New York City at the end of her maiden voyage receiving loud whistle salutes from every nearby ship, tug, ferry and excursion boat in the harbor.
The 40 foot dark blue banner can be seen flying from her mast symbolizing her feat of sweeping the speed records of the Atlantic.
Selected sources:"S.S. UNITED STATES - The Story of America's Greatest Ocean Liner" - William H. Miller
"Fifty Famous Liners" - Frank O. Braynard & William H. Miller
All photographs by the author - Copyright John A. McFarlane (1952/2002)