RMS Mauretania (1906) and launched with passengers. When "Britannic", working as a hospital ship during World War I, sank in 1916 after hitting a mine in the Kea channel the already davited boats were swiftly lowered saving nearly all on board, but the ship took nearly three times as long to sink as "Lusitania" and thus the crew had more time to evacuate passengers. "Mauretania" departed Liverpool on her maiden voyage on 16 November 1907 under the command of Captain John Pritchard, and on the return voyage captured the record for the fastest eastbound crossing of the Atlantic, with an average speed of
RMS Etruria a head. This was to bring "Etruria's" North Atlantic service to a halt temporarily, before she had even made her maiden voyage. On 26 March, "Etruria", and , found themselves chartered to the Admiralty. With the dispute reaching a settlement, "Etruria" was released from Admiralty service within a few days, although her sister was retained for six months. On 25 April 1885, "Etruria" finally made her maiden voyage under the command of Captain McMicken. She made the Atlantic crossing calling at Queenstown (Cobh). On her very next crossing, westbound (Liverpool to New York), she won the prestigious Blue Riband (see