Campania (1893)

Later names
HMS Campania (1916)

Owners:
Cunard Line
Liverpool, England
Oct. 15, 1914:
Unknown shipbreaking company
Nov. 27, 1914:
The Admiralty


Builder:
Fairfield Shipbuilding &
Engineering Company Ltd.
Govan, Scotland
Ordered:
N/A
Keel Laid:
1892
Year Built:
1893
Launched:
September 8, 1892
Sister Ships:
Lucania
Completed:
March 30, 1893
Fate:
Sunk Nov. 5, 1918 after breaking her moorings and drifting into the battleship
HMS Royal Oak.

Location: Firth of Forth, 4 miles north of Edinburgh, Scotland.
(56.02N - 03.13W)

No casualties.


Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
622'
Engines:
2 five cylinder triple expansion by Fairfield
Beam:
65'
Boilers:
12 fire tube type (coal fired)
Draft:
29' 9"
Shafts:
2
Gross Tons:
12,950
HP:
30,000
Displacement:
18,450
Speed:
21 knots
Crew:
415 (a)
Funnels:
2 (b)
Passengers:
2,000
Masts:
2

Construction notes:
(a):
As passenger ship.
(b):
Forward funnel replaced by two smoke pipes when converted into a seaplane carrier.


History:
Apr. 22, 1893:
Maiden voyage Liverpool - Queenstown - New York. Remained on this route until 1914.
June 23, 1893:
Won Blue Riband (westbound) 5 days, 15 hours, 37 minuets, 21.12 knots. Bettered the
record on a voyage Aug. 12 - 17, 1894 to 5 days, 9 hours, 29 minuets, 21.44 knots.
Losing to her sister Lucania on Aug. 31, 1894.
July 21, 1900:
Ran down and sank the bark Embleton killing 11 of the 18 men onboard.
1901:
Fitted with Marconi wireless.
Oct. 11, 1905:
Rogue wave washed 5 people overboard and injured 29 others. First time in Cunard
history that passengers had died from an accident in one of their ships.
May 1914:
Chartered by Anchor Line for Glasgow - New York route (2 trips).
Aug. 15, 1914:
Returned to Cunard Liverpool - Queenstown - New York service.
Oct. 15, 1914:
Sold for scrapping.
Nov. 27, 1914:
Bought by the Admiralty and converted into a seaplane carrier at Cammell Laird & Co.
Birkenhead, England. Forward funnel replaced with 2 smoke pipes, 160' flight deck
added for operating 10 aircraft, number of aircraft increased later.

Apr. 17, 1915:
Commissioned into Royal Navy as HMS Campania.
1916-1918:
Operated out of Scapa Flow.
Nov. 5, 1918:
Sunk after breaking her moorings and colliding with HMS Revenge. Wreck is now protected.


Notes:
Christened by Lady Burns, the wife of the chairman of Cunard.
Made over 250 trans-Atlantic voyages for Cunard.
First Royal Navy carrier to launch aircraft while underway.


Builder's Data
Page published Aug. 7, 2007