The 5,008 tons Germanic was launched on July 15th, 1874, and fitting out was completed in early 1875, but delivery was delayed until May of that year, so that she would arrive in time for the summer transatlantic season. Germanic was primarily powered by steam, although she also carried four masts, three of which were square-rigged. She departed on her maiden voyage on May 30, 1875.

In July, during an eastbound run, Germanic set a transatlantic speed record of 15.76 knots (average), crossing the ocean in seven days, 11 hours and 17 minutes, winning the coveted Blue Riband. In February, 1876, she beat her own record. On a subsequent trip, when the ship was south of Ireland, the propeller shaft sheared, and she had to limp into Waterford on sail power alone.

In 1895, Germanic underwent a major re-fit, during which a larger triple-expansion steam engine was installed, and consequently the square rigging was removed from the masts. On February 13, 1899, while being coaled at the White Star's New York City pier. A blizzard blanketed her decks with a heavy layer of snow. Now top heavy, she listed to port so much that water began to enter doors opened for coaling and Germanic settled on to the shallow harbor bottom. She was raised, and determined to be worth saving, so she was ferried back to Belfast for four-months worth of repairs.

January 10th, 1903, with her bridge and upper works coated in ice, Germanic arrived in New York after an eight and a half day crossing marked by strong westerly gales and heavy head seas throughout. While proceeding up the North River to her berth, she struck a scow, which sunk almost immediately, although the two men on the scow jumped off and safely reached another scow being towed by the same tug.

On September 3rd, 1903, Germanic left on her final run as a White Star liner. She was then laid up for the winter; in 1904, Germanic was sold to the American Line, one of White Star's sister companies under the International Mercantile Marine Co. umbrella. There, still named Germanic, she served the Southampton to New York route - but for only six voyages. She was transferred to another IMM company, the Dominion Line, a niche company which served the immigrant trade. On January 5th, 1905, Germanic was renamed Ottawa. For the next four years, Ottawa plied the Canadian waters, sailing only in the summer, between Québec and Montreal. With the summer sailing for 1909 over, Ottawa was laid up for winter; her age was showing and her future was uncertain.

In 1910, the Government of Turkey bought the ship from IMM; she became part of a five ship transport fleet, leaving Liverpool for the last time on May 15th, 1911, carrying the name Gul Djemal, and operated by the Administration de Nav. A Vapeur Ottomane. In a few months, she was carrying Turkish soldiers to war duty in Yemen. When World War I began, Turkey joined forces with Germany and the ship again became a troop ship, ferrying soldiers to the Gallipoli Peninsula.

On May 3rd, 1915, Gul Djemal was on this run, carrying over 4,000 soldiers, when she was torpedoed by the Allied submarine E-14. Though she sank in shallow waters - only up to her superstructure - most of those on board lost their lives.

Because Gul Djemal had not completely sunk, it was determined that she could be saved. After being raised and repaired, she continued to serve the war effort. In 1918, she carried 1,500 German troops to Dover, to the Allied control point there, where they were disarmed and sent home.

With the war finally over, Gul Djemal went to work for the Ottoman American Line, again carrying immigrants to new lives in America - making her first trip in this role on October 10th, 1921. She later did duty in the Black Sea.

In 1928, she was transferred to Turkiye Seyrisefain Idaresi and became the Gulcemal. In 1931, she was grounded in the Sea of Marmora, but survived that mishap and World War II too, although she played no notable part in that conflict. By 1949, she was a storage ship; in 1950 she was converted to a floating hotel. Finally, on October 29th that same year, she was moved to Messina for scrapping - having endured 75 years, three major mishaps and two World Wars. As the scrappers cut  her up, the original White Star Line gold  hull stripe could still be seen.