May 4, 1897 saw the beginning of an era, the first of fourteen four funnel liners was launched, the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Grosse. Built at the behest of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Germans built her to win the Blue Riband from England, this she did and in doing so began the age of the German liners. The British had held the Blue Riband
since the beginning of the steamship age and now the Kaiser wanted Germany to show their pride and power
by building the biggest and fastest liner on the high seas. Cunard's Lucania was the current holder when the
Kaiser departed on her maiden voyage Sept. 19, 1897 and she continued to hold the record until the Kaiser
arrived at New York on April 5, 1898. It would take the British until 1907 to take back the speed record with
the Lusitania.
The Kaiser was built with speed in mind but, also with war in mind, and at the beginning of World War 1 she
was converted into a warship. She was the first to sink another ship in wartime. Only three days after Britain
declared war on Germany the 20,000 ton Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, well known to all as a passenger ship, stopped a small British fishing vessel named Tubal Cain, the crew were removed and the 200 ton ship was sent
to the bottom with one of the 4.1" guns. As a warship her career was short, she sunk only 3 vessels totaling
10,685 tons, two others had been captured and released due to the high number of women and children on
board them.
On Aug. 26, 1914 the Kaiser was located and sunk by the HMS Highflyer becoming the first of the four funnel liners lost in wartime.
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