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R.M.S. L A C O N I A 1921 |
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HOMEPAGE
THE CUNARDERS |
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Welcome to our RMS Laconia website.The Laconia was one of a class of five 20,000 ton "Scythia" class Intermediate ships for the Intermediate services between Liverpool or Southampton and New York or Boston. She was the third of the class and completed the lead batch and entered service in 1922. Laconia made her maiden voyage on the 25th May 1922 and inaugurated the Intermediate services out of Southampton. Her debut crossing was to New York but later voyages the destination alternated between New York and Boston and for some voyages the route was extended beyond Southampton to Hamburg. In her first season the Laconia along with her sister Samaria, inaugurated world cruises. Each voyage lasted through the long winter months from November 1922 to February 1923 starting from New York and taking in calls at Cuba, the US West Coast, Japan, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, India, Egypt, Italy and the UK. The Laconia sailed in an eastbound direction. The world cruise took her through both the Panama and Suez Canals and included a variety of shore excursions. Thus Laconia inaugurated the world cruise tradition and her voyages were legendary and appealed to the discerning traveller of that era who had the time and was wealthy enough. Between 1930 and 1939 the Laconia was frequently engaged on cruises rather than scheduled voyages. Sadly at the outbreak of the Second World War the Laconia was requisitioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser initially. From 1941 she was released from naval service and converted into a troopship. The Laconia survived as a troopship for just over a year, sadly sucumbing to a torpedo attack launched by U156 on the 12th Sep 1942. This website celebrates the history of
this remarkable ship and honours its unique place in maritime history
in the story of Cunard Line and ocean travel in its heyday. |
CUNARD LINE THE WORLD CRUISE PIONEER |
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Her
Regular Service
Route: Great Britain to the United States of America (USA)
Southampton to New York "Intermediate" service "THE INTERMEDIATE
SERVICE" |
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