What Happened to the Cruise Ship Olympic?

By Michael Ferguson

When we think of the great ocean liners of the past, one of the most recognizable names is the Olympic. The vessel was built in 1911 and was a part of the White Star Line, which was owned by J.P. Morgan’s International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM). The Olympic was the largest and most luxurious vessel in its day and it quickly became a symbol of grandeur for the White Star Line.

During World War I, the Olympic served as an auxiliary cruiser for Great Britain. After the war, it returned to service as a passenger liner and continued to sail until 1932 when it was deemed too costly to maintain. The Olympic was retired from service and sold off to be scrapped in 1935.

The scrapping process began at Jarrow shipyards in England, where sections of steel were cut from the hull. This process took six months, during which time some portions of the ship were salvaged for use in other vessels or as decorations. By 1938, all that remained of the Olympic were two sections of its hull which had been turned into breakwaters at Southampton.

The Olympic may be gone but its legacy lives on. Parts of its hull are still visible today at Southampton and there are many artifacts that have been salvaged from it over the years. There is even a full-scale replica built in 1998 that has been used as a floating museum in Belfast Harbor.

Conclusion:

The grandest ocean liner ever seen – The Olympic – met an unfortunate fate due to rising costs after World War I. It eventually ended up being scrapped at Jarrow shipyards before being turned into breakwaters at Southampton by 1938.

Although no longer present, parts of its hull can still be seen today and some artifacts have also been salvaged from it over time.