After losing ground to the faster Four Flyers of North German Lloyd, Cunard's fastest Lusitania and Mauritania duo, the decision was made to create a trio of the worlds largest and most opulent ships. Unfortunately for HAPAG, White Star's Olympic class ships were launched first and the sinking of the Titanic would be remembered first.
Launched at the height of the German Empire, Kaiser Wilhelm insisted the ship be referred to in the masculine form, whereas most other liners were referred to as feminine. Although the Kaiser was to sail as soon as the ship entered service, issues during sea trials postponed the ship's maiden voyage. Earlier images show taller funnels that were shortened due to excessive roll and stability issues. Lighter furniture, removal of marble floors in first class, and filling the bottom double hull with concrete helped alleviate these initial issues.
Several unique design decisions created a grand and powerful ship. One of those designs featured a 10 foot tall bronze eagle standing on a globe located on the prow of the ship. The 40 foot wide wings did not survive many trips and were ripped off in a storm. Gold scrollwork and Imperator name replaced the eagle.
Larger Than The Titanic
After the turn of the 20th century, the Golden Age of ocean liners was in full swing. Nationalism of the time aided in the fierce competition between the different shipping lines. The inspiration for the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse came from a visit of royalty aboard the White Star Line RMS Teutonic. NGL responded with size and speed, sparking the race for the Blue Riband.
Hamburg America sorely needing an answer to a completely new Atlantic fleet, answered with a trio of ships - largest and most luxurious ships afloat. As the first to sail, the Imperator surpassed the RMS Titanic's and Olympic's size, claiming the title of world's largest ship and keeping it until the launch of sister ship SS Vaterland
Famed Bronze Eagle on the Bow
Designed using the latest technological advances, the Imperator was a sight to see. New turbines powered the ship's four propellers, giving him decent speed.
One of the most visibly designed elements on the ship helped the Imperator soar above the waves. A bronze eagle towered over a globe it perched upon. Unfortunately, the eagle's 40 foot wings only survived a year before being knocked off in a storm, somewhere at the bottom of the Atlantic.
Throughout the first few years, the ship developed a tendency to roll in most seas. During ensuing refits, the funnels were reduced in height, furniture replaced with lightweight replacements, and concrete was added to parts of the bilge to balance the ships buoyancy.
SS Imperator to RMS Berengaria
As World War One raged on, the Imperator sat on the sidelines docked in Hamburg for the duration of the war. Periodic wartime salvage efforts stripped the ship of bonze while leaving the ship in increasingly deteriorating condition. At the end of the war, the ship was surrendered and converted into a United States troopship, returning soldiers home after the war.
After an extensive overhaul, the ship was renamed Beregaria and sailed for Cunard alongside the Mauretania and Aquitania. Sailing through the 1920's and 1930's, the Berengaria was the first ship of the era to be replaced by the Queen Mary.
SS Imperator / RMS Berengaria Ship Facts
Tonnage:
Length:
Beam:
Draft:
Number of Decks:
Cruising Speed:
Max Speed:
52,117 GRT
906' - 0"
98' - 3"
35' - 2"
11
23.5 Knots (27 mph or 43.5 km/hr)
26 Knots (29mph or 46km/h)
Line:
Shipyard:
Port of Registry:
Maiden Voyage:
Years in Service:
Current Status:
AG Vulcan, Hamburg
Hamburg / Liverpool
June 11, 1913
1913-1938
Scrapped in 1939
SS Imperator
RMS Berengaria
SS Imperator | RMS Berengaria Frequently Asked Questions
What was the SS Imperator?
SS Imperator was a German ocean liner built for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) by AG Vulcan in Hamburg. Launched on 23 May 1912, she was the largest passenger ship in the world on completion in 1913. After World War I she was handed to Britain, and Cunard renamed her RMS Berengaria in 1921.
What happened to the Imperator?
She was laid up in Hamburg from August 1914. In 1919 the US Navy used her as the troop transport USS Imperator, and she passed to Britain and then to Cunard. Cunard renamed her Berengaria in February 1921 and retired her in 1938. She was sold for scrap and broken up at Jarrow, with demolition finishing around 1946.
Is the Imperator the same ship as the Berengaria?
Yes. Imperator and Berengaria are the same ship. She sailed as the German Imperator from 1913 and was renamed RMS Berengaria by Cunard in February 1921, after Berengaria of Navarre, wife of King Richard I of England.
Is there a wreck of the Imperator or Berengaria?
No. She never sank. After being retired in 1938 she was scrapped, so there is no wreck.
What happened to the Imperator’s eagle?
A large bronze eagle by the Berlin sculptor Bruno Kruse decorated her bow, above the motto “Mein Feld ist die Welt” (“My field is the world”). Its wings were torn off in an Atlantic storm during the 1914 season, and gold scrollwork replaced the eagle.
How big was the Imperator?
She was 906 ft (276 m) long and 98 ft 3 in (29.95 m) wide, with 11 decks and a gross tonnage of 52,117. She could carry 4,234 passengers: 908 in first class, 592 in second, 962 in third and 1,772 in steerage. Her crew was about 1,180.
Was the Imperator bigger than the Titanic?
Yes. At 52,117 gross tons and 906 ft long, she was larger than the Titanic (46,329 gross tons, 882 ft 9 in) and carried far more passengers. She was the largest ship in the world until her sister ship Vaterland sailed in May 1914.
What were the Imperator’s sister ships?
The Imperator class had three ships: the Imperator, the Vaterland (54,282 gross tons, later the US liner Leviathan) and the Bismarck (56,551 gross tons, later White Star’s Majestic).
Why was the Imperator top-heavy?
She rolled badly because of heavy first-class fittings and tall funnels. In October 1913 her builder shortened her funnels by about 3 m (9.8 ft), removed marble bathroom suites, replaced heavy furniture with wicker and added about 2,000 tons of cement ballast. The work cost £200,000, paid by the shipyard under its warranty.
What was the USS Imperator?
After the 1918 Armistice, the US Navy took the Imperator as a troop transport and commissioned her as USS Imperator (ID-4080) at Brest on 5 May 1919. On three trips she returned more than 25,000 troops, nurses and civilians to the United States.
How fast was the Imperator?
She had a maximum speed of 24 knots. Four turbines (60,000 shaft horsepower) drove her four propellers, with steam from 46 boilers that were converted from coal to oil in 1921.
Why was the Imperator renamed Berengaria?
Cunard renamed her in February 1921 after Berengaria of Navarre, the queen consort of Richard the Lionheart. She was Cunard’s flagship until the Majestic replaced her in 1934.
When was the Imperator built and launched?
Her keel was laid on 18 June 1910, and she was launched on 23 May 1912. Her maiden voyage began on 11 June 1913, from Cuxhaven to New York via Southampton and Cherbourg, arriving on 19 June.
Why did Cunard retire the Berengaria?
By 1938 she had suffered electrical fires from ageing wiring, and Cunard-White Star retired her. She was sold to Sir John Jarvis, who had her scrapped at Jarrow.
Last edited: October 2026