SS France (1910)

France in 1912
History
France
Name	France
Owner	Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
Port of registry	Le Havre
Route	Transatlantic
Ordered	1908
Builder	Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Laid down	February 1909
Launched	20 September 1910
Maiden voyage	20 April 1912
Out of service	1935
Identification	by 1914: code letters JHFL by 1930: code letters OHMA Official Number 9180229
Nickname(s)	"Versailles of the Atlantic"
Fate	Broken up in 1936
General characteristics
Tonnage	1912: 23,666 GRT, 8,432 NRT 1924: 23,769 GRT, 7,923 NRT
Length	711 ft 11 in (217 m) overall 690.1 ft (210.3 m) registered
Beam	75.6 ft (23.0 m)
Depth	48.5 ft (14.8 m)
Decks	5
Installed power	45,000 ihp (34,000 kW)
Propulsion	Four direct-drive steam turbines; four propellers
Speed	23.50 knots (43.52 km/h; 27.04 mph)
Capacity	2,020 passengers

France was a French transatlantic liner that sailed for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT), known as "French Line". She was later nicknamed "Versailles of the Atlantic", a reference to her décor which reflected the famous palace outside Paris. Ordered in 1908, she was introduced into the Transatlantic route in April 1912, just a week after the sinking of RMS Titanic, and was the only French liner among the famous four-funnel liners (the "four stackers"). France quickly became one of the most popular ships in the Atlantic. Serving as a hospital ship during World War I, France would have a career spanning two decades. Her overall success encouraged CGT to create even larger liners in the future.^[1]