RMS Britannia was an ocean liner of the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, later known as Cunard Steamship Company. She was launched on Wednesday 5 February 1840,^[1] at the yard of Robert Duncan & Company in Greenock, Scotland. The ship and her Britannia-class sisters, Acadia, Caledonia, and Columbia, were the first ocean liners built by the company.

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RMS Britannia at harbour.
History
United Kingdom
Name	RMS Britannia
Namesake	Britannia
Owner	British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
Builder	Robert Duncan & Company, Greenock, Scotland
Launched	5 February 1840
Maiden voyage	4 July 1840
Out of service	Sold to the Reichsflotte in March 1849
German Confederation
Name	SMS Barbarossa
Acquired	March 1849
Out of service	Transferred to the Prussian Navy in June 1852
Prussia
Name	SMS Barbarossa
Acquired	June 1852
Fate	Sunk as a target ship in July 1880
General characteristics
Class and type	Britannia-class steamship
Tons burthen	1,154
Length	207 ft (63 m)
Beam	34 ft (10 m)
Draught	16.8 ft (5.1 m)
Propulsion	Paddle wheels Two-cylinder side-lever engine 740 ihp Three masts
Speed	8.5 knots (15.7 km/h)
Range	640 tons coal
Capacity	115 passengers
Crew	82

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Britannia was a large ship for the period, 207 feet (63 m) long and 34 feet (10.3 m) across the beam, with three masts and a wooden hull.^[2] She had paddle wheels and her coal-powered^[2] two-cylinder side-lever engine (from Robert Napier) had a power output of about 740 indicated horsepower with a coal consumption around 38 tons per day.^[2] She was relatively fast for the time: her usual speed was about 8.5 knots (16 km/h),^[2] but she could do better if the winds and currents were favourable. She had a tonnage, or carrying capacity, of 1,154 tons (by the Builder's Old Measurement). She was capable of carrying 115 passengers with a crew of 82.^[3]

On her maiden voyage, starting on 4 July 1840, she made Halifax, Nova Scotia, from Liverpool, England, in 12 days and 10 hours, continuing on to Boston, Massachusetts. The Britannia transported numerous types of cargo alongside its passengers. The cargo included 600 tons of coal; mail due across the Atlantic; livestock for food and milk; and cats to control the rat population. There were 115 passengers, with 82 crew members on board.^[4]

Her first homeward run from Halifax to Liverpool was made in just under 10 days at an average speed of about 11 knots (20 km/h), setting a new eastbound record which lasted until 1842.^[5]

She was joined by her sister ship Acadia in August 1840, by Caledonia in October 1840 and by Columbia in January 1841, each constructed by a different shipbuilder.^[2] All four ships could carry 115 passengers and 225 tons of cargo. The dining saloon was a long deck-house placed on the upper deck and there was also a 'ladies only' saloon. The fare to Halifax was 35 guineas (2,964 GPB in 2015)^[6] which included wines and spirits as well as food.^[7]

In January 1842 Charles Dickens and his wife travelled to the United States on Britannia. The weather was bad, he was seasick for most of the voyage and returned home on a sailing ship.^[8][9]

In March 1849 she was sold by Cunard to the revolutionary German confederation and was renamed SMS Barbarossa. She had nine guns fitted, and was the flagship of the Reichsflotte under Karl Rudolf Brommy in the Battle of Heligoland. In June 1852 she was transferred to the Prussian Navy and used as a barracks ship at Danzig. In May 1880 she was decommissioned from the Prussian Navy and in July 1880 she was sunk as a target ship.^[8]

The funding and first crossing of Britannia were key plot elements in a Warner Brothers film released in 1941 as Atlantic Ferry in the U.K., and Sons of the Sea in the U.S.