Did Kronprinz Wilhelm Ever Hold the Blue Riband?

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Did The Kronprinz Wilhelm Ever Hold Blue Riband? Just Wondering, as it seems to be disputed by a good many Authors. Some Say she Never held the Blue Riband and others Say she Did. So I thought I'd Ask Everyones Opinion.

 

[Mark Baber]

Hello, Jesse---

The Kronprinz did, in fact, hold the westbound record from September 1902 to September 1903; a complete list of the east- and westbound record holders in on Great Ships.

What sources are you referring to as denying that she held the record?

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Mark

I know There Are Authors That Don't Acknowledge the Kronprinz Wilhelm As A blue Riband Holder, but I'm Not Home Right now, so I can't Name Them All, though one Particilar Author is "William H. Miller". When I get the Time I'll List More.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

Hi Jesse,

Do you know for what reasons the sources disputed the claim? Thanks!

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Jeremy

I'm Not sure why it's Disputed, I just Know That Some Authors Say the Kronprinz Wilhelm Won the Blue Riband, and some she Didn't. There is also Disagreement over when the Kaiser Wilhelm II Won the Blue Riband. Some Say 1903 from the Kronprinz Wilhelm, Others say 1906 from Deutschland. Looks Like I have Some Research to do.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

From my book The First Great Ocean Liners by William H. Miller Jr., it stated that the Kronprinz Wilhelm was intended to capture the Blue Riband from the Deutschland. However, according to the author, she never succeeded because her machinery could not muster the additional power to surpass the Deutschland's record.

This book also says that the Kaiser Wilhelm II took the Blue Riband only in June 1906 from the Deutschland.

I think this is the book you are referring to.

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Yes. There Are Other books which say that too.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

Guess I will have to find out, why the other books said NO too!

 

[John A. Zdanowicz]

I have an abstract of log for the voyage of the Kronprinz Wilhelm from NY to Plymouth leaving June 3, 1902 and arriving June 9, 1902. The log states it was a world's record time of 5 days, 11 hours, 32 minutes at a speed of 23.53knots. In the book "Majesty at Sea" by Shaum and Flayhart it states the following about this trip on page 19: "In June 1902 an incident occurred which caused some embarrassment to NDL as the captain (Richter)was a little generous in his calculations of the liner's time and distance with the result that NDL claimed a record.....Albert Ballin...publicly questioned the figures with the result in August 1902 that NDL and HAPAG signed a declaration that Deutschland still retained the record. Kronprinz Wilhelm did complete a record westbound passage on arrival in NY on Sept. 16, 1902 of 5 days, 11 hours, 57 minutes at 23.09knots. The Kronprinz Wilhelm was never able to secure the eastbound record."

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Here is a good chart of the Blue Riband Holders giving the Wilhelm a westbound Blue Ribbon crossing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Riband