Design and Construction

While Lusitania and Mauretania were designed for speed, compelled by the threat of possible German naval superiority, Aquitania’s roots originated with the domestic competition between Cunard and the White Star Line.  White Star’s Olympic and Titanic were larger than Lusitania and Mauretania by 15,000 gross tons.  Even though the Cunard sisters were faster ships, the White Star ships were regarded as more luxurious.  Cunard needed a third ship to make a weekly transatlantic express service possible, and decided that the company’s third liner would follow in White Star’s steps and focus on size and luxury instead of speed. That ship would be Aquitania. In the Cunard tradition of drawing parallels between the British and Roman empires, Aquitania would be named after the Roman province that makes up modern-day, southwestern France (the regional name “Guyenne” also has its origins in the Latin “Aquitania”).

As with Lusitania and Mauretania, Aquitania would be designed by Leonard Peskett.  To get a feeling on how a ship the size of the Olympic-class liners (approaching 50,000 gross tons) would work, Peskett himself traveled aboard Olympic in 1911.

The contract for Aquitania was awarded to John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland, builders of Lusitania.  Her keel was laid in December 1910, her Yard Number 409.  Like Lusitania and Mauretania, Aquitania would have four funnels.  Her superstructure and forecastle, however, would better resemble the smaller Cunarder Carmania, which Peskett also designed.  Unlike the Cunard twins, Aquitania would be built entirely with Cunard funds and not be subsidized by the British Government.  Still, Peskett made sure that Aquitania met Admiralty requirements in case she was needed in war.  She had the capability to be converted into an armed merchant cruiser, and her decks were strengthened for the ability to mount guns should she ever carry any.

Aquitania was launched on 21 April 1913, christened by Alice Stanley, the Countess of Derby.  Aquitania was planned to be the largest ship in the world at the time of her launch, but that title had been taken by the German Imperator before her launch.  Furthermore, refits made to Olympic following the Titanic disaster of 1912 made Olympic’s gross tonnage larger than Aquitania’s.  Aquitania, however, would be the longest ship in the world when she entered service.  Following the Titanic disaster, Aquitania was one of the first ships to carry enough lifeboats for all of her passengers and crew.  Two of these lifeboats were motorized launches equipped with Marconi wireless.