Editing SS Imperator (section)

==Construction and early career==
[[File:IMPERATOR - figurehead LCCN2014694029.jpg|thumb|left|Closeup of the bronze figurehead before its removal]]
[[File:Imperator Altona 1913 01.jpg|thumb|left|''Imperator'' in Hamburg, 1913]]

The first plates of the [[keel]] were laid in 1910 at the [[AG Vulcan Stettin|Vulcan Shipyards]] in [[Hamburg]], Germany, and the ship made its maiden voyage in 1913. At 52,117 [[gross register ton]]s, ''Imperator'' was the largest ship in the world until ''Vaterland'' sailed in May 1914.<ref name="atlantic_liners_page">{{cite web|url= http://www.atlanticliners.com/imperator_home.htm |publisher=AtlanticLiners.com|title=''Imperator''|year=2009|access-date=2009-01-11}}</ref> After the [[Sinking of the Titanic|sinking of the ''Titanic'']] in April 1912, the shipyard added more lifeboats to ''Imperator'' to ensure there was more than enough room for all passengers and crew. In total, ''Imperator'' would carry 83 lifeboats capable of holding 5,500 people between them, 300 more than the ship's maximum capacity.<ref>{{cite book| title=The Ile de France and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel| author=Thomas Kepler| publisher=Lyons Press| year=2021| page=74|oclc=1264173498}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=maFOAQAAMAAJ&dq=imperator+ritz+carlton&pg=RA11-PA19| title=Some Facts Regarding Size of Marine Marvel, Imperator| publisher=Railway and Marine News| year=1913| volume=11| pages=20–21}}</ref>

Before her launch on 23 May 1912, [[Cunard]] announced that its new ship, {{RMS|Aquitania}}, which was under construction at the time at the [[John Brown & Company|John Brown shipyards]] in [[Glasgow]], would be longer by {{convert|1|ft|mm|sigfig=3}}, causing dismay in Hamburg. Several weeks later, she was fitted with a figurehead, an imposing bronze eagle, increasing her length past that of ''Aquitania''. The eagle was created by Professor Bruno Kruse of [[Berlin]], and adorned her forepeak with a banner emblazoned with HAPAG's [[motto]] ''Mein Feld ist die Welt'' (''My field is the world''). The eagle's wings were torn off in an Atlantic storm during the 1914 season, after which the figurehead was removed and replaced with gold scroll-work similar to that on the stern.

During her initial sea trials, the ship ran aground on the [[Elbe]] river due to insufficient dredging and a flash fire in the engine room which resulted in eight crewmen being taken to hospital. During her official [[Sea trial|trials]], she suffered overheating of the turbines and some stability issues were discovered. The trials were therefore abandoned and the builders were called in to carry out emergency work. Coincidentally, 1913 was the silver jubilee year for the [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser]], so he was going to be treated to an overnight cruise on the North Sea before the ship would make its maiden voyage.  The overnight cruise was canceled; it was eventually carried out in July of that year.

''Imperator'' left on her maiden voyage on Wednesday, 11 June 1913, with Commodore [[:de:Hans Ruser|Hans Ruser]] in command and [[Hamburg America Line|Hamburg-Amerika]] appointing four other subordinate captains for the journey to make sure that everything went smoothly. On the way, she stopped at [[Southampton]] and [[Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg]] before proceeding across the Atlantic to [[New York City|New York]], arriving on 19 June 1913. On board were 4,986 people, consisting of 859 first-class passengers, 647 second-class passengers, 648 third-class passengers, 1,495 in steerage, and 1,332 crew.<ref>{{cite news |title=Big Ship, Nearing New York, Behaves Admirably on Trip. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1913/09/16/archives/sea-tests-the-imperator-big-ship-nearing-new-york-behaves-admirably.html |quote=Never before were there so many persons on one ship as are on the Imperator. The exact number is 4,986, consisting of 859 first-class passengers, 647 second-class, 648 third-class, 1,495 in steerage, and 1,332 in the crew. |work=[[The New York Times]] via [[Guglielmo Marconi|Marconi Wireless]] |date=16 September 1913 |access-date=2009-11-17 }}</ref> The ship returned to Europe from [[Hoboken, New Jersey]], on 25 June 1913.<ref>{{cite news |title=Imperator Starts Return Trip To-day. Begins First Voyage to the Eastward with More Than 1,000 in Cabins. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1913/06/25/archives/imperator-starts-return-trip-today-begins-first-voyage-to-the.html |quote=The new Hamburg-American liner Imperator, the world's biggest transatlantic steamship, will sail on his first eastward voyage across the Atlantic at 11 o'clock this morning. The great liner when he backs out from his Hoboken berth into the river will have on board more than 1,000 cabin passengers, of whom over 600 will be in the first cabin. |work=The New York Times|date=15 June 1913 |access-date=2009-11-17 }}</ref>

[[File:IMPERATOR's damaged Eagle (LOC).jpg|thumb|left|Detail of the figurehead after its wings were damaged]]

On his first arrival, the harbor pilot assigned to bring her into the Ambrose channel, Captain George Seeth, noted that the ship listed from side to side when the helm changed the ship's direction. She was soon nicknamed "Limperator".

In October 1913, ''Imperator'' returned to the Vulcan shipyard to facilitate drastic work to improve handling and stability, as it had been discovered that her center of gravity was too high (see [[metacentric height]]). To correct the problem, the marble bathroom suites in first class were removed and heavy furniture was replaced with lightweight wicker cane. The ship's funnels were reduced in height by {{convert|3|m|ft|order=flip|abbr=on}}. Finally, 2,000 tons of cement was poured into the ship's double bottom as ballast. This work cost £200,000, which had to be borne by the shipyard as part of their five-year warranty to the shipowners. At the same time, an advanced fire sprinkler system was fitted throughout the ship, as several fires had occurred on board since the vessel had entered service.

During the 1914 refit of ''Imperator'', Commodore Ruser handed over command of the ship to Captain Theo Kier and left to take command of the new larger flagship ''Vaterland'', which was nearing completion. ''Imperator'' returned to service on 11 March, arriving in New York five days later on the 19th.

Whereas German ships are usually referred to with the feminine article ([[wiktionary:die#German|die]]), ''Imperator'' was instead referred to with the masculine article ([[wiktionary:der#German|der]]), on the explicit personal wishes of Emperor Wilhelm II.<ref name="Biefang, Andreas & Epkenhans, Michael & Tenfelde, Klaus 0">{{Cite book |last1=Biefang|first1= Andreas |last2= Epkenhans|first2= Michael|last3= Tenfelde|first3= Klaus |title=Das politische Zeremoniell im Deutschen Kaiserreich 1871–1918 |publisher= |year= |isbn= |series= |volume= |pages=202 |language=de|oclc=297198603}}</ref>

===Interiors===
The architect and designer [[Charles Mewès]] was responsible for the interior design of the ''Imperator'' and his sister ships.<ref>{{cite book| title=A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture| author=James Stevens Curl| publisher=Oxford University Press| year=2006| page=484|oclc=64585874}}</ref> One German critic commented on the prevalence of French-style décor on the new ship: {{blockquote|[[Style Louis XVI|Louis XVI]] seems to be the real ''Imperator''...judging by the decorative effects with which the world's biggest liner is embellished...the ladies saloon in Colonial, the smoking room in Flemish, the swimming pool in Pompeiian, the wintergarten in Louis XVI, the parlor in Louis XVI. - Louis XVI everywhere. Where is there any manifestation of present-day German style...the company, of course, must cater to the international public, especially Americans."<ref>Rotka, William (2018). "Building Luxurious Ocean Liners for the Transatlantic Elite in the Early Twentieth Century", ''Yearbook of Transnational History''. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; pg. 120. {{oclc|1045186146}}</ref>}}

One contemporary review noted how the ship's "great size...has enabled her designers to allow unusual space for passenger accommodation."<ref name= "engineer">{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmTQPYq2wBQC&dq=imperator+pompeiian+swimming+pool&pg=PA468| title=The Marine Engineer & Naval Architect| date=July 1913| volume=35| pages=467–468}}</ref> This was echoed in ''The Master, Mate, and Pilot'', which stated that "taking advantage of his great dimensions, the ships' public cabins, and staterooms have been made so large as to avoid any suggestion of crowding."<ref>{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ywAAAAAMAAJ&dq=imperator+pompeiian+swimming+pool&pg=PA66| title=S.S. "Imperator" The World's Largest Ship| publisher=The Master, Mate, and Pilot| date=June 1913| volume=6| page=65}}</ref> Space-saving devices like berths and folding washbasins were eliminated in the First-Class staterooms on ''Imperator'', all of which had free-standing beds and marble-topped washstands with hot and cold running water. Almost all First-Class cabins were "outside" cabins, meaning they had portholes or windows for natural light and ventilation. Over 200 cabins were reserved for single occupancy, and 150 had en-suite bathrooms.<ref name= "engineer"/> The two "Imperial" suites had 12 rooms each, including a breakfast room, private veranda, sitting room, and servants' quarters.<ref name="master">{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ywAAAAAMAAJ&dq=imperator+pompeiian+swimming+pool&pg=PA66| title=S.S. "Imperator" The World's Largest Ship| publisher=The Master, Mate, and Pilot| date=June 1913| volume=6| pages=65–66}}</ref>

The main First-Class dining room was on F Deck and there were two restaurants on B Deck. The main dining room could accommodate 700 diners at tables for between 2 and 8 people. The Ritz-Carlton restaurant, which was joined with a [[winter garden]]/palm court in the [[Directoire style]], was managed by staff from the [[Carlton Hotel, London|Carlton Hotel]] in London. There was also a Grill Room at the aft end of B Deck, a tea garden, and a Veranda café.<ref name="engineering"/> Other First-Class public rooms included a 72-foot-long lounge/ballroom, several ladies sitting rooms, and a smoking room. The [[Tudor architecture|Tudor style]] smoking room was decorated with brick from a demolished Tudor-era cottage in England.<ref name="engineer"/><ref>{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=maFOAQAAMAAJ| title=Some Facts Regarding Size of Marine Marvel, Imperator| publisher=Railway and Marine News| year=1913| page=19}}</ref> The lounge, or "Social Hall", as it was called, was hung with [[Gobelins Manufactory|Gobelins]] tapestries and included a stage for theatrical performances to be held. In the evening the carpet could be removed for dancing.<ref name="master"/><ref name="engineering">{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13G2KV-KSh8C&q=imperator| title=The Hamburg-Amerika Liner "Imperator"| publisher=Engineering: An Illustrated Weekly Journal| date=20 June 1913| pages=827–828}}</ref> Off the entrance halls were amenities like a bookshop, florist, pharmacy, doctor's office, and the offices of the purser, chief steward, and baggage master.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmTQPYq2wBQC&dq=imperator+pompeiian+swimming+pool&pg=PA468| title=The Marine Engineer & Naval Architect| date=July 1913| volume=35| page=467}}</ref>

''Imperator'' introduced a two-deck-high, [[Pompeii]]an-style swimming pool for its First-Class passengers. It was inspired by a similar swimming pool built in London in 1907 for the [[Royal Automobile Club]], of which Charles Mewès was also one of the architects.<ref name=miller/>{{rp|28}} Connected to the pool were [[Victorian Turkish baths|Victorian-style Turkish baths]],<ref>Shifrin, Malcolm (2015). ''Victorian Turkish baths''. Swindon: Historic England. pp.257—258 {{oclc|
929684255}}</ref> steam baths, [[electric bath]]s, massage and hairdressing rooms. The gymnasium was "the largest and most luxurious that has ever been fitted up on a passenger steamer...", according to ''The Marine Engineering and Naval Architect''.<ref name="engineer"/> For the first time on an ocean liner, Second-Class had its own gymnasium as well. Second-Class passengers also had their own smoking room, reading and writing rooms, dining room, and music room.<ref name="engineer"/>

While the Cunard refit changed plates identifying switches and valves were reversed and reinscribed in English, drains in cabin bathtubs remained marked ''AUF'' and ''ZU'' and ashtrays still read ''ZIGARREN''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Maxtone-Graham |first1=John |title=The Only Way to Cross |date=1997 |publisher=Barnes & Noble Books |isbn=0760706379 |page=165}}</ref>