Commodore Harry Manning (center) made the record setting maiden voyage on the S.S. UNITED STATES in July 1952. The Eastbound transit from New York to England was 3 days 10 hours 40 minutes. Margaret Truman was a passenger and they let her blow the ship's whistle passing Bishop Rock (the finishing line). After receiving all the awards, Manning did not stay on very long. It was said that in an earlier career he had been a member of Amelia Earhart's aeronautical team. He was fortunate to have left the air and turned to the sea before her fateful flight. In 1994 a colleague of mine in London said he felt there was a similarity between the BIG U and the TITANIC - except for their fates - in that - Both sought to break the record crossing on their maiden voyage - both had their Naval Architects on board (ours being William Gibbs) -and both had owner's family members on board (ours being Gen. John M. Franklin's sister). Our ship's Westbound crossing was also a record averaging 34.51 knots. These transit times were both record crossings taking the Blue Riband from Cunard's QUEEN MARY 1. (Above excerpted from "The Eagle Blue Chronicles".
P.S. There is a current book published by Simon & Schuster about Mr. Gibbs titled "A Man and His Ship." His grand-daughter is a force behind the Conservancy efforts to save the ship.
tjs
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