Celtic (2) was launched on April 4, 1901. Within the White Star
Line, her name was pronounced with a soft 'C' - 'Seltic'. She was to
be the first in the original 'Big Four' of the WS fleet - the others in the
quartet being Cedric, Baltic (2) and Adriatic (2).
On 4th July, she was handed over to the White Star Line. Her maiden voyage
to New York on the 26th . A deeper channel had to be dredged in the approach
to New York Harbour to allow the new liner access - she was then the biggest
ship in the World (in terms of tonnage).
By the time that Celtic (2) entered service, WS had settled upon
a policy of comfort and stability before speed and record attempts. Instead
of competing for the Blue Riband with Cunard and the German lines, WS
was content to aim for less dazzling crossing times and gain the resulting
economies in fuel consumption.
In February 1902, Celtic (2) began a Mediterranean cruise (with
800 passengers aboard) - it lasted for five weeks and after her stately voyage
was completed, she returned to North Atlantic service.
 |
 |
1907 - UK Newspaper (Southampton) |
She was briefly used by the American Line in 1907 - though, as she retained
her WS colours, her transfer would seem to have been viewed as a temporary
loan. At the outbreak of The Great War (World War I) in 1914, she was withdrawn
from service and converted into an Armed Merchant Cruiser - equipped with
armour plate and eight 6 inch guns which were fitted to pre-existing hard
points that had been included in her original design to aid rapid reconfiguration
to a wartime role. On 4th December, she joined the 10th Cruiser Squadron.
But, like Cunard's
Mauretania
and other large passenger ships pressed into service as auxilliary warships,
her prodigious consumption of coal soon helped to empty the Admiralty's fuel
bunkers. In a matter of months all of Britain’s coal supplies were gone
and most of the big liners were switched to more suitable tasks as troopships
or hospital ships.
In January 1916, Celtic (2) was converted into a troopship and
tasked with carrying soldiers to Egypt. By March, after more work to restore
her to passenger ship configuration (with provision for quick conversion
back to trooping), she was back on the Liverpool-New York route. Her
passenger-carrying voyages continued until 1917 when she struck a mine
(laid by German submarine U-80) close to Isle of Man. 17 people on
board were killed by the explosion. The London & North Western Railway
Co. ship Slieve Bawn picked up the passengers and brought them to
Holyhead in Wales. Celtic (2) was towed into Peel Bay. She was quickly
repaired in Belfast and put back into service.
In May 1917, the ship was attacked by a German submarine, but escaped
without damage. Another submarine - UB-77 - waylaid Celtic (2) in
the Irish Sea in March 1918; six people were killed when a torpedo found
its target. The liner was towed to Liverpool, fixed and returned to service
again. In 1919, she was returned to the White Star Line and promptly sent
to Belfast for an extensive refit back to her normal civilian standards of
accomodation. In 1920, she made her first post-war crossing over the
Atlantic.
On April 25, 1925 she collided with the Coast Line’s Hampshire
Coast in the Irish Sea. Celtic (2) sustained very little damage;
the other vessel came off much worse - but was able to limp to a safe harbour.
In 1927, there was a collison between Celtic (2) and a ship called
Anaconda. Fortunately, neither vessel was much hurt by the encounter.
1927 was also notable as the time when the old three-class system on
board was abandoned. The liner was turned into a Cabin Class ship with
accomodation for 2,500 passengers.
On 10th December, 1928 - inbound from New York - Celtic (2) went
aground at Roches Point, Queenstown (Cobh). The engines were ordered full
astern; she was freed, but then got grounded again on Calf Rocks. The ship
was stuck fast and after some failed salvage attempts, the Celtic was declared
a total loss.
Her 254 passengers, 25 of whom were survivors of the 12th November sinking
of Lamport & Holt's Vestris, were safely removed by tender. Much
of the cargo was salvaged, but in order to take off all her passengers
and cargo, a bridge was constructed between the ship and the land. The
ship’s rats, showing an uncanny instinctive awareness of the
situation, used the bridge to make their own mass escape. The Celtic’s
two funnels were immediately cut down - they hindered the beam of the Roches
Point Lighthouse. The gigantic wreck was sold to a Danish company Petersen
and Albeck. Celtic (2) was scrapped on the spot, but her demolition was not
completed until 1933. |
.jpg)