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RMS Queen Elizabeth

The RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by Cunard Line. Alongside Queen Mary, they provided weekly luxury liner service between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA. Services went via Cherbourg in France.

Construction

John Brown and Company built Queen Elizabeth at Clydebank in Scotland. During construction, she was known as Hull 552 in the mid-1930s. Launched on 27 September 1938, she was named in honour of Queen Elizabeth, then Queen Consort to King George VI, who became the Queen Mother in 1952. With a design that improved upon that of Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth was a slightly larger ship which made it the largest passenger liner ever built at the time and for a further 56 years thereafter.
Queen Elizabeth first entered service in February 1940 as a troopship in the Second World War but it was not until October 1946 that she served in her intended role as an ocean liner.

End of service

Queen Elizabeth 2 replaced both ships in 1969 due to the decline in popularity of the transatlantic route. Queen Mary retired from service on 9 December 1967, and was sold to the city of Long Beach, California. Queen Elizabeth was sold to a succession of buyers, most of whom had unsuccessful plans for her. Hong Kong businessman, Tung Chao Yung bought the ship intending to convert her into a floating university cruise ship. The intention was to rename the cruise ship, Seawise University. In 1972, whilst she was undergoing refurbishment in Hong Kong harbour, fire broke out aboard under unexplained circumstances. The ship capsized by the water used to fight the fire.

Her wreck was deemed an obstruction to shipping in the following year and during 1974 and 1975 was partially scrapped where she lay.

(Source: Wikipedia)