Launched in 1913, the SS Vaterland of the Hamburg America Line not only became the largest ship to sail, the Vaterland highlighted luxury of the era. Holland America (HAPAG) sailed the SS Deutschland of the previous decade with varying success against the Four Flyers of NGL. Taking a similar course as White Star, HAPAG commissioned three super liners, ships to be the largest and most grand, in lieu of speed. The SS Vaterland was the second ship of Albert Ballin's trio of luxury liners for HAPAG.
After sailing for a year under the German flag, war broke out and erupted into WWI. The Vaterland was stranded in New York, a neutral port. However, the decision was made to keep the ships in safe harbor until further notice. Upon the United States entry into the war, the US Navy seized the ship and sailed it as a troop ship during the remainder of the war as the USS Leviathan. After the war, the United States lines was awarded the Leviathan as reparations from Germany due to the Treaty of Versailles. The SS Leviathan sailed dry throughout the majority of her career, serving as the flagship of the United States Lines.
Larger Than The Titanic
The SS Imperator, SS Vaterland, and SS Bismarck were to be the worlds largest and most luxurious passenger liners, the largest ships to ever sail. Larger than the RMS Titanic and Olympic, these three ships were the pride of Germany.
SS Vaterland to SS Leviathan in WWI
After only a years time, WWI broke out and ensnared the civilian maritime trade. The seas were a dangerous place. Some ships were able to outrun any enemy threat. Other ships became hospital ships, and others were hunters. As the war continued on, Britain's naval advantage caused the SS Vaterland to stay berthed in Newark, NJ for the majority of the war.
After the United States entered WWI, the US government seized the Vaterland and renamed the ship the Leviathan. Stripped and fitted for naval use, the ship primarily transported troops. The dazzle paint scheme below made the ships harder to see on the horizon from the periscope of a hunting submarine.
Journey on to Hollywood
During the service of the USS Leviathan, the ship carried nearly 119,000 soldiers to their destination. On several troop transport missions, Humphrey Bogart was on duty as Chief Quartermaster. Humphrey Bogart was at the helm whenever arriving or departing, in real life.
SS Leviathan of the
United States Lines
After a major overhaul at the end of the War, the SS Leviathan was equipped with new oil fired boilers, newly designed layout, and new plumbing and electrical systems.
Looked at as the pride of American shipping, the Leviathan sailed through the roaring twenties, without alcohol, due to prohibition regulations. Consequently, the ship was not profitable. As the effects of the stock market crash and great depression rippled throughout the world, the Leviathan was older and expensive, and finally no longer subsidized. After sitting for several years, the ship was sent to Scotland for breaking.
SS Vaterland | SS Leviathan Ship Facts
Tonnage:
54,282 GRT
Length:
900'
Beam:
100' - 4"
Draft:
37' - 9"
Number of Decks:
12
Cruising Speed:
26 Knots (30 mph or 48.2 km/hr)
Max Speed:
26 Knots (30 mph or 48.2 km/hr)
Line:
Shipyard:
Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany
Port of Registry:
New York
Maiden Voyage:
May 14, 1914
Years in Service:
1914-1933
Current Status:
Scrapped in Rosyth in 1938
SS Leviathan
SS Vaterland
SS Vaterland | SS Leviathan Frequently Asked Questions
What was the SS Vaterland (SS Leviathan)?
SS Vaterland was a German ocean liner built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg for the Hamburg America Line. She was the largest ship in the world when she was completed in 1914. The United States seized her in 1917 and renamed her USS Leviathan, and she sailed as the SS Leviathan for United States Lines from 1923. She was scrapped in Scotland, starting in 1938.
Is the Vaterland the same ship as the Leviathan?
Yes. The Vaterland and the Leviathan are the same ship. The US Navy renamed the German Vaterland as USS Leviathan on 6 September 1917, five months after the United States entered World War I.
What happened to the Leviathan?
She was laid up at Hoboken in 1933, made five more round trips in 1934, and was then retired. United States Lines sold her to British Metal Industries in 1937. She left New York on 26 January 1938 and arrived at Rosyth, Scotland, on 14 February 1938 to be broken up. Demolition took until the 1940s.
Is there a wreck of the Vaterland or Leviathan?
No. She never sank. She was scrapped at Rosyth, so there is no wreck.
Why was the Vaterland renamed the Leviathan?
The ship was laid up at Hoboken, New Jersey, from late July 1914, after the war began. The United States seized her on 6 April 1917 and the Navy commissioned her as USS Vaterland. President Woodrow Wilson renamed her Leviathan on 6 September 1917.
What was the USS Leviathan?
She was a US Navy troop transport in World War I. She carried troops from 17 December 1917, with a record of 14,416 on a single trip, and about 119,000 across ten round trips before the Armistice. Afterwards she made nine more westward crossings with returning troops, ending in September 1919.
How did influenza affect the Leviathan?
She left New York on 29 September 1918 and reached Brest on 8 October with about 2,000 sick and 80 dead from the influenza epidemic.
Was the Leviathan bigger than the Titanic?
Yes. She was about 950 ft (290 m) long, against the Titanic’s 882 ft 9 in, and about 54,000 gross tons, against the Titanic’s 46,329. After her 1923 refit her measured tonnage rose to 59,956.
How big was the Vaterland?
She was 950 ft (290 m) long overall, 906.9 ft (276.4 m) on the registry measure, and 100 ft 4 in (30.6 m) wide. Her design capacity was 4,050 passengers and 1,200 crew.
How fast was the Leviathan?
Her service speed was 26 knots. On her trials in 1923 she averaged 27.48 knots. Steam turbines drove her four propellers, with steam from 46 boilers that were converted to oil in the 1922 to 1923 refit.
Was the Vaterland the largest ship in the world?
She was the largest passenger ship in the world when completed in April 1914, ahead of the Imperator. The Bismarck (later White Star’s Majestic) overtook her in 1922. In 1923 United States Lines advertised her as the largest and fastest ship, and Cunard and White Star disputed the claims.
Why was the Leviathan a “dry” ship?
From 1920, US-registered ships were dry under Prohibition. She sailed without alcohol and never made a profit under US ownership. Medicinal alcohol could be served outside US waters from 1929.
Who built the Vaterland, and when?
Blohm and Voss in Hamburg. Her keel was laid in September 1911, and she was launched on 3 April 1913 by Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria. She left Hamburg on her maiden voyage on 14 May 1914 and arrived in New York on 21 May.
What were the Vaterland’s sister ships?
The other Imperator-class liners: the Imperator (later Berengaria) and the Bismarck (later Majestic). The Vaterland was the second of the three.
How many passengers did the Vaterland carry?
Her civilian capacity was 3,909 (752 first class, 535 second, 850 third and 1,772 fourth), against a design capacity of 4,050. The crew was about 1,234.
What was the Leviathan’s 1923 refit?
Newport News Shipbuilding rebuilt her over about 14 months, converting her from coal to oil. She re-entered service as the SS Leviathan under United States Lines, and her maiden voyage under that name began on 4 July 1923.
Last edited: October 2026