Photo from 1923: Majestic II Drybocked at Boston

[Mark Baber]

Early in her career, Majestic II was too large to be drydocked at any facility in the U.K. and needed to go to the U.S. Navy Yard at Boston for periodic refreshment. Here's a photo of what I think was the first such visit, from The Boston Sunday Globe of 5 August 1923. It wasn't until 1934, when Majestic entered the King George V graving dock at Southampton that she was refreshed at a U.K. drydock.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Question: Wasn't there a dry dock in Germany where she was built?

 

[Mark Baber]

Sure, but returning her to Germany for any reason was probably never in the cards.

 

[Lloyd Penfold]

Question: Wasn't there a dry dock in Germany where she was built?

Not after this: In an act of defiance by the German workers, wrongly painted in Hamburg America Lines colours and bearing the name 'Bismarck', she begun her sea trials on March 28th 1922.

 

[Mark Baber]

This, too. To say that Germany was unhappy at Bismarck's fate is quite an understatement.

5 October 1920: Bismarck (future Majestic II) is badly damaged by fire at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, during fitting out; as a result, her completion will be delayed by more than a year. Sabotage is suspected but never proven; Harland & Wolff will supervise the balance of the construction. (Sources: The New York Times, 6 October 1920; Chirnside's RMS Majestic; Kludas' Great Passenger Ships of the World; Moss and Hume's Shipbuilders to the World.)

 

[Mark Baber]

A correction to my first message: This was Majestic's second drydocking at Boston. The first was in November 1922.

 

[Mike Spooner]

A great ship indeed. As I see her maiden crossing from Southampton 10th April 1922. 10 years to the date when Titanic set sail.
Seeing the name Chirnside. Has Mark completed his new book on RMS Majestic yet?

 

[Mark Baber]

According to Mark's Facebook page, https://m.facebook.com/search_results/?q=Mark+Chirnside's+Reception+Room the revised version is due next year.

 

[Mark Baber]

As I see her maiden crossing from Southampton 10th April 1922. 10 years to the date when Titanic set sail.

Not quite.

10 May 1922: Majestic II (Capt. Sir Bertram Fox Hayes) leaves Southampton on
her maiden voyage; she will arrive in New York on 16 May. Continued 20 May.
(Source: The New York Times, 10, 11 and 17 May 1922.)

 

[Mike Spooner]

Mark thanks for the correct maiden date. I should of said she left Hamburg on the 9th April and arrived at Southampton on the 10th April 1922.

 

[Mark Baber]

That's right.