View source for SS Normandie

{{Short description|Ocean liner}}
{{About||the French RO-RO ship operating for Brittany Ferries|MV Normandie}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Use British English|date=March 2023}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = <!-- Do not insert a colorized image here, per MOS/Images -->SS Normandie at sea view.JPG
| Ship caption = "Normandie" at sea
{{ca|1935–1936}}
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = France
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|France|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Normandie''
| Ship namesake = [[Normandy]]
| Ship owner = [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]<ref name=LR>{{cite book |url= https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/35/35b0606.pdf |year=1935 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships |location=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]] |access-date=20 May 2013}}</ref>
| Ship operator = 
| Ship registry = [[Port of Le Havre]]<ref name=LR/>
| Ship route = [[Le Havre]]-[[Southampton]]-[[New York City|New York]]
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship awarded = 
| Ship builder = Chantiers de Penhoet, [[Saint-Nazaire]], France<ref name=LR/>
| Ship original cost = |Ship yard number
| Ship laid down = 26 January 1931
| Ship launched = 29 October 1932
| Ship sponsor = 
| Ship christened = 29 October 1932
| Ship completed = 1933
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship commissioned = 
| Ship recommissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship maiden voyage = 29 May 1935{{sfn|Bathe|1972|p=236}}
| Ship in service = 1935–1942
| Ship out of service = 1942
| Ship renamed = 
| Ship reclassified = 
| Ship refit = 
| Ship struck = 
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship homeport = 
| Ship identification = *[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]] FNSK<ref name=LR/>
*{{ICS|Foxtrot}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Sierra}}{{ICS|Kilo}}
| Ship motto = 
| Ship honours = 
| Ship honors = 
| Ship captured = 
| Ship fate = Caught fire, capsized February 1942. Scrapped October 1946.
| Ship badge = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = [[Ocean liner]]
| Ship tonnage = *{{GRT|79280}} (1935–1936)
*{{GRT|83423}} (post-1936)
| Ship displacement = 68,350 tons (loaded)
| Ship length = *{{convert|1029|ft|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
*{{convert|962|ft|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[Length between perpendiculars|p/p]]<ref name=LR/>
| Ship beam = *{{convert|117|ft|10|in|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}};<ref name=LR/>
| Ship height = {{convert|184|ft|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|36|ft|7|in|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} (loaded)
| Ship depth = {{convert|92|ft|m|1|abbr=on|order=flip}} to promenade (strength) deck
| Ship hold depth = 
| Ship decks = 12
| Ship deck clearance = 
| Ship ramps = 
| Ship ice class = 
| Ship power = Four [[turbo-electric transmission|turbo-electric]],{{clarify|date=May 2013}} total 160,000 hp (200,000 hp max).<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7CcDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1933+plane+%22Popular+Science%22&pg=PA16 |title=Latest Triumphs in Electric Ships |magazine=Popular Science |date=November 1933}}</ref>
| Ship propulsion = Four 3 bladed propellers on launch – later 4 bladed
| Ship sail plan = 
| Ship speed = *{{convert|29.5|kn|abbr=on}} designed
*{{convert|32.2|kn|abbr=on}} recorded on trials
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship test depth = 
| Ship boats = 
| Ship capacity = 1,972: 848 First Class (cabin), 670 Tourist Class, 454 Third Class
| Ship troops = 
| Ship complement = 
| Ship crew = 1,345
| Ship time to activate = 
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = 
| Ship armour = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''SS ''Normandie''''' was a French [[ocean liner]] built in [[Saint-Nazaire]], France, for the French Line ''[[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]'' (CGT). She entered service in 1935 as the largest and fastest passenger ship afloat, [[transatlantic crossing|crossing the Atlantic]] in a record 4.14 days, and remains the most powerful steam [[Turbo-electric transmission|turbo-electric]]-propelled passenger ship ever built.

''Normandie''{{'}}s novel design and lavish interiors led many to consider her the greatest of ocean liners.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=2}}<ref name=palaces>''Floating Palaces.'' (1996) A&E. TV Documentary. Narrated by Fritz Weaver</ref>{{Verify source|date=February 2025}} During service as the [[flagship]] of the CGT, she made 139 westbound [[transatlantic crossing]]s from her home port of [[Le Havre]] to New York City. ''Normandie'' held the [[Blue Riband]] for the fastest transatlantic crossing at several points during her service career, during which {{RMS|Queen Mary}} was her main rival.

During the [[World War II|Second World War]], ''Normandie'' was seized by U.S. authorities at New York and renamed '''USS ''Lafayette'''''. In 1942, while being converted to a [[troopship]], the liner caught fire and capsized onto her [[port and starboard|port]] side and came to rest, half submerged, on the bottom of the [[Hudson River]] at Pier 88 (the site of the current [[Manhattan Cruise Terminal]]). Although salvaged at great expense, restoration was deemed too costly and she was scrapped in October 1946.

==Origins==
The origins of ''Normandie'' can be traced to the 1920s, when the U.S. put restrictions on immigration, greatly reducing the traditional market for steerage-class passengers from Europe, and placing a new emphasis on upper-class tourists, largely Americans, many of them wanting to escape prohibition.<ref name=palaces/> Companies like [[Cunard Line|Cunard]] and the [[White Star Line]] planned to build their own [[Superliner (passenger ship)|superliners]]{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=268–269}} to rival newer ships of the day; such vessels included the record-breaking {{SS|Bremen|1928|2}} and {{SS|Europa|1930|2}}, both German.<ref name=palaces/> The French Line ''[[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]'' (CGT) began to plan its own superliner.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=36}}

[[File:Normandie poster.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.65|[[Adolphe Mouron Cassandre|Adolphe Cassandre]]'s famed 1935 depiction of the ''Normandie'']]
The CGT's flagship was the {{SS|Ile de France|3=2}}, which had modern [[Art Deco]] interiors but a conservative hull design.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=36}} The designers intended their new superliner to be similar to earlier French Line ships. Then they were approached by [[Vladimir Yourkevitch]], a former ship architect for the [[Imperial Russian Navy]] who had emigrated to France after the [[Russian Revolution|1917 revolution]].{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=36}} Yourkevitch's ideas included a slanting clipper-like bow and a [[Bulbous bow|bulbous forefoot]] beneath the waterline, in combination with a slim hydrodynamic hull. His concepts worked wonderfully in scale models, confirming the design's performance advantages.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=42–47}}{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=273}} The French engineers were convinced by Yourkevitch and asked him to join their project. He also approached Cunard with his ideas, but was rejected because the bow was deemed too radical.<ref name=palaces/>

The CGT commissioned artists to create posters and publicity for the liner. One of the most famous posters was by [[Adolphe Mouron Cassandre]], another Russian emigrant to France.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5D91E3EF935A15755C0A96E948260|title=Antiques – A Proliferation of Poster Art|date=26 June 1988|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Reif|first=Rita|access-date=19 November 2008}}</ref> Another poster, by Albert Sébille, showed the interior layout in a cutaway diagram {{convert|15|ft|m|order=flip|round=0.5}} long. This poster is displayed in the ''[[Musée national de la Marine]]'' in Paris.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=267}}

==Construction and launch==
[[File:Yurkevich Normandia Model.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Vladimir Yourkevitch]] working on design of the  ''Normandie'']]
[[File:Normandie-under-construction.jpg|thumb|left|''Normandie'' under construction, 1932]]
Work by the ''Société Anonyme des Chantiers de Penhoët'' began on the unnamed flagship on 26 January 1931 at [[Saint-Nazaire]], not long after the [[Wall Street crash of 1929|stock market crash of 1929]]. While the French continued construction, the competing White Star Line's planned [[Oceanic (unfinished ship)|''Oceanic'']] was cancelled and Cunard's {{RMS|Queen Mary}} put on hold.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=268–269}} French builders also ran into difficulty and had to ask for government money; this subsidy was questioned in the press. Still, the ship's construction was followed by newspapers and national interest was deep, as she was designed to represent France in the nation-state contest of the great liners and was built in a French shipyard using French parts.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=269–272}}

The growing hull in Saint-Nazaire had no formal designation except "T-6" ("T" for "Transat", an alternate name for the French Line, and "6" for "6th"), the contract name.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fvEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA881 "T-6 The Latest Giant Of The Sea"] ''Popular Mechanics'', December 1932</ref> Many names were suggested including ''Doumer'', after [[Paul Doumer]], the recently assassinated [[President of France]]; and originally, ''La Belle France.''{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=272}} Finally ''Normandie'' was chosen. In France, boat prefixes properly depend on the boat name's gender, but non-sailors mostly use the masculine form,{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=272}} inherited from the French terms for boat, which can be "''paquebot''", "''navire''", "''bateau''", or "''bâtiment''". British and Germans refer to boats as feminine ("she's a beauty"). The CGT called their ship simply "''Normandie''", preceded by neither "le" nor "la" (French masculine/feminine for "the") to avoid any confusion.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=273}}

[[File:Forme Joubert - porte et usine de pompage.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Louis Joubert Lock|''Normandie'' drydock in St. Nazaire]] which was built specifically for the new ship]]
On 29 October 1932 – three years to the day after the stock market crash – ''Normandie'' was [[ceremonial ship launching|launched]] in front of two hundred thousand spectators.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=275}} The 27,567-ton hull that slid into the river [[Loire]] was the largest launched and the wave washed up the shoreline and over several hundred spectators, but with no injury.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=7, 17–20}} She was dedicated by Madame [[Marguerite Lebrun]], wife of [[Albert Lebrun]], the president of France. The ship was [[fitting-out|outfitted]] until early 1935, her interiors, funnels, engines, and other fittings put in to make her into a working vessel. Finally, in May 1935, ''Normandie'' was ready for trials, which were watched by reporters.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=281}} The hydrodynamic qualities of Yourkevitch's hull resulted in very little bow wave. The ship reached a top speed of {{convert|32.125|kn|km/h|abbr=on|1}}{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=111}} and used her ability to dedicate all engines to full reverse to perform an emergency stop from that speed in {{convert|1700|m|ft|abbr=on|sp=us}}.

In addition to hull design which let her attain speed at far less power than other big liners,{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=171}} ''Normandie'' had a [[turbo-electric transmission]], with turbo-generators and electric propulsion motors built by [[Alstom|Alsthom]] of [[Belfort]].<ref name=LR/> She remains the most powerful steam turbo-electric-propelled passenger ship ever built.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=46–47}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Colossus into Clyde |date=1 October 1934 |newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,930557-2,00.html |access-date=19 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125153510/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,930557-2,00.html |archive-date=25 January 2009}}</ref> The CGT chose turbo-electric transmission because they felt it was quieter, more easily maintained, and more easily controlled, as it had the ability to use full power from all engines in reverse, removing the need for dedicated astern turbines.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=46–47}} The engine installation was heavier than conventional turbines and slightly less efficient at high speed but allowed all propellers to operate even if one engine was not running. An early form of [[radar]] was installed to help avoid collisions.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=160}}<ref>{{cite magazine |page=844 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x98DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA844 |title=Radio Waves Warn of Obstacles in Path |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=December 1935}}</ref> The rudder frame, including the 125-ton cast steel connecting rod, was produced by [[Škoda Works]] in [[Czechoslovakia]].

''Normandie'' had a significant cost. By the time of her maiden voyage, she had cost 615 million francs, then equal to $43 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|43|1935|r=2}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=199-200}}

==Interior==
''Normandie''{{'}}s luxurious interiors were designed in [[Art Deco|Art Déco]] and [[Streamline Moderne]] style by architect [[Pierre Patout]], one of the founders of the [[Art Deco]] style.<ref>Oudin, Bernard. ''Dictionnaire des Architectes'', Sechiers, Paris, (1994), (in French), page 372.</ref> Many sculptures and wall paintings made allusions to [[Normandy]], the province of France for which the ship was named.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=80}} Drawings and photographs show a series of vast public rooms of great elegance. Her voluminous interior spaces were made possible by having the funnel uptakes split to pass along the sides of the ship, rather than straight upward.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=275}} French architect [[Roger-Henri Expert]] was in charge of the overall decorative scheme.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |title=Art Deco Relics of the ''Normandie'' |first=Wendy |last=Moonan |date=17 June 2005 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/arts/design/17anti.html}}</ref>

Most of the public space was devoted to first-class passengers, including the dining room, first-class lounge, grill room, first-class swimming pool, theatre and [[winter garden]]. The first-class swimming pool featured staggered depths, with a shallow training beach for children.{{sfn|Maddocks|1978|pp=80–83}} The children's dining room was decorated by [[Jean de Brunhoff]], who covered the walls with [[Babar the Elephant]] and his ''entourage''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jean de Brunhof and Babar the Elephant |date=2004-12-10 |last=Cech |first=John |website=Recess! |url= http://www.recess.ufl.edu/transcripts/2004/1210.shtml |access-date=19 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513141620/http://www.recess.ufl.edu/transcripts/2004/1210.shtml |archive-date=2008-05-13}}</ref>{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=372}}

The interiors were filled with grand perspectives, spectacular entryways, and long, wide staircases. First-class suites were given unique designs by select designers. The most luxurious accommodations were the Deauville and Trouville apartments,{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=279}} featuring dining rooms, baby grand pianos, multiple bedrooms, and private decks.{{sfn|Maddocks|1978|pp=80–83}}

[[File:SS Normandie (ship, 1935) interior.jpg|thumb|left|''Normandie''{{'}}s main dining room, decorated with [[Lalique]] glass and compared to the [[Hall of Mirrors (Palace of Versailles)|Hall of Mirrors]] at [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]]]]
''Normandie''{{'}}s first-class dining hall was the largest room afloat. At {{convert|305|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}, it was longer than the [[Hall of Mirrors (Palace of Versailles)|Hall of Mirrors]] at the [[Palace of Versailles]],{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=86–87}}{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=276}} {{convert|46|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} wide, and {{convert|28|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} high. Passengers entered through {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall|0|order=flip|spell=in}} doors adorned with bronze medallions by artist Raymond Subes.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=85–86}} The room could seat 700 at 157 tables,{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=86–87}} with ''Normandie'' serving as a floating promotion for the most sophisticated [[French cuisine]] of the period. As no natural light could enter{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=86–87}} it was illuminated by twelve tall pillars of [[Lalique]] glass flanked by 38 matching columns along the walls.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=86–87}} These, with chandeliers hung at each end of the room, earned the ''Normandie'' the nickname "Ship of Light"{{sfn|Maddocks|1978|pp=80–83}} (similar to Paris as the "City of Light").

A popular feature was the café grill, which would be transformed into a [[nightclub]].{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=88}} Adjoining the café grill was the first-class smoking room, which was paneled in large murals depicting [[ancient Egypt]]ian life. The ship also had indoor and outdoor pools, a chapel, and a theatre which could double as a stage and cinema.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=276}}{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=91–92}}

The machinery of ''Normandie''{{'}}s top deck and [[forecastle]] was integrated within the ship, concealing it and releasing nearly all the exposed deck space for passengers. As such it was the only ocean liner to have a regulation-sized open air [[tennis court]] on board.<ref>{{cite book|title=Luxury Liners Life on Board | author=Catherine Donzel |year=2006 | publisher=Harry Abrams | pages=109–111}}</ref> The air conditioner units were concealed along with the kennels inside the third, dummy, funnel.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=273–275}}

==Career==
[[File:StateLibQld 1 144451 Normandie (ship).jpg|left|thumb|The maiden voyage of SS ''Normandie'']]
{{multiple image |direction=vertical |align=right
 |image1=SS Normandie Maiden Voyage NY arrival.jpg
 |caption1=The triumphant arrival of ''Normandie'' in [[New York Harbor]] in June 1935 on her maiden voyage.
 |image2=SS Normandie.jpg
 |caption2=''Normandie'' at sea}}
[[File:Le Havre, Normandia, França, Arquivo de Villa Maria, ilha Terceira, Açores.jpg|thumb|Postcard of the ''Normandie'']]
''Normandie''{{'}}s maiden voyage was on 29 May 1935. At Le Havre she took aboard 812 Passengers: 467 First Class Passengers, 244 Tourist Class and 101 Third Class. 50,000 people saw her off at Le Havre on what was hoped would be a record-breaking crossing. At Southampton she took aboard an additional 195 Passengers: 122 First Class Passengers, 53 Tourist Class and 20 Third Class. Her combined total was 1,007 passengers. First Class was booked at two-thirds capacity with 589, Tourist Class was half booked at 293, while Third Class was at less than a quarter capacity with only 121.<ref>New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957</ref>

She reached New York City after four days, three hours and two minutes, taking away the [[Blue Riband]] from the Italian liner {{SS|Rex|3=2}}.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=284}} This brought great pride for the French, who had not won the distinction before. Under the command of Captain René Pugnet, ''Normandie''{{'}}s average on the maiden voyage was {{convert|29.98|kn}} and on the eastbound crossing to France, she averaged over {{convert|30|kn}}, breaking records in both directions.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=147}}

[[File:Le Havre, França, Normandie en mer, princípio do séc. XX, França, Arquivo de Villa Maria, Angra do Heroísmo, Açores..jpg|left|thumb|Postcard of SS ''Normandie'']]
During the maiden voyage, the CGT refused to predict that their ship would win the Blue Riband.<ref name="palaces" /> However, by the time the ship reached New York, medallions of the Blue Riband victory, made in France, were delivered to passengers and the ship flew a {{convert|30|ft|m|0|adj=mid|-long|order=flip}} blue [[Pennant (commissioning)|pennant]].<ref name="palaces" />{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=284}} An estimated 100,000 spectators lined [[New York Harbor]] for ''Normandie''{{'}}s arrival.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=137}} All passengers were presented with a medal celebrating the occasion on behalf of the CGT.

[[File:NORMANDIE - Sjöhistoriska museet - Fo216301 (page 1 crop).tiff|left|thumb|SS ''Normandie'' in the seas]]
{{multiple image |direction=vertical |align=left |title=Cunard contemporary rival
 |image1=StateLibQld 1 171411 Queen Mary (ship).jpg
 |caption1={{RMS|Queen Mary}}
}}
''Normandie'' had a successful year but ''Queen Mary'', [[Cunard Line|Cunard White Star Line]]'s superliner, entered service in May 1936.  At 80,774 gross registered tons, she was larger than ''Normandie's'' 79,280 gross registered tons, and captured the title of the world's largest passenger ship.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=166–170}} In response, CGT increased ''Normandie''{{'}}s size, mainly through the addition of an enclosed tourist lounge on the aft boat deck. Following these and other alterations, she measured 83,423 [[gross register tonnage|GRT]].{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=166–170}} When the ''Normandie'' reentered service, she exceeded ''Queen Mary'' by 2,000 tons, reclaiming the title of world's largest ship.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=166–170}} ''Normandie'' retained the title until Cunard White Star Line's {{RMS|Queen Elizabeth}} at 83,673 gross registered tons formally entered service in 1946.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=221}}

On 22 June 1936, a [[Blackburn Baffin]], [[United Kingdom military aircraft serials|''S5162'']] of A Flight, [[RAF Gosport]], flown by Lt Guy Kennedy Horsey on torpedo-dropping practice, buzzed ''Normandie'' {{convert|1|nmi|km|0|spell=on|order=flip|abbr=off}} off [[Ryde Pier]] and collided with a [[derrick]] which was transferring a motor car belonging to [[Arthur Evans (politician)|Arthur Evans]], [[Member of parliament|MP]], onto a [[barge]] alongside the ship. The aircraft crashed onto ''Normandie{{'}}''s bow. The pilot was taken off by tender, but the wreckage of the aircraft remained on board ''Normandie'' as she had to sail due to the tide. It was carried to Le Havre. A salvage team from the [[Royal Air Force]] later removed the wreckage. Horsey was [[court-martial]]led and found guilty on two charges, and Evans' car was wrecked in the accident.<ref name=Aeroplane>{{cite magazine |last1=Hooks |first1=Mike |year=2010 |title=Buzzing the ''Normandie'' |magazine=Aeroplane |issue=November 2010 |page=60}}</ref><ref name=Hansard>{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1936/jun/23/royal-air-force-accident-solent#S5CV0313P0_19360623_HOC_237|title=ROYAL AIR FORCE (ACCIDENT, SOLENT). |work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] |date=23 June 1936|access-date=13 October 2010}}</ref>

In August 1936, ''Queen Mary'' captured the Blue Riband, averaging {{convert|30.14|kn}}, starting a fierce rivalry.<ref name=palaces/> To recapture the speed record, CGT modified ''Normandie'' to reduce vibration and increase her speed. CGT replaced her three-bladed propellers with four-bladed ones, and made structural modifications to her lower aft section. These modifications reduced vibration at speed.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=172–173}}{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=286–287}} In July 1937, she regained the Blue Riband, but ''Queen Mary'' took it back in 1938. After this, the captain of ''Normandie'' sent a message: "Bravo to the ''Queen Mary'' until next time!" This rivalry could have gone on into the 1940s, but was ended by the [[World War II|Second World War]].

''Normandie'' carried distinguished passengers, including the authors [[Colette]] and [[Ernest Hemingway]];{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=325–326}} the wife of French president [[Albert Lebrun]];{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=284}} songwriters [[Noël Coward]] and [[Irving Berlin]]; and Hollywood celebrities such as [[Fred Astaire]], [[Marlene Dietrich]], [[Walt Disney]], [[Douglas Fairbanks, Jr]], conductor [[Arturo Toscanini]] and [[James Stewart]].{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=147, 184–185, 205, 218, 238}} She also carried the [[Georg Ludwig von Trapp|von Trapp family singers]] (later immortalized in ''[[The Sound of Music]])'' from New York to [[Southampton]] in 1938; from Southampton, the family toured Scandinavia before returning to the United States.

==Planned running mate – SS ''Bretagne''==
''Normandie'' never repaid any of the loans that made her construction possible. The CGT considered a sister ship, SS ''Bretagne'', which was to be longer and larger. There were two competing designs for this ship {{ndash}} one conservative, one radical. The conservative design was essentially ''Normandie'' with two funnels, possibly larger as well. The radical one was from ''Normandie''{{'}}s designer, Vladimir Yourkevitch, and was super-streamlined with twin, side-by-side funnels just aft of the bridge. The more conservative design won, but the outbreak of the war halted the plan indefinitely.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=237, 423}}{{sfn|Williams|De Kerbrech|1982|p=}}{{page needed|date=August 2021}}

==Popularity==
Although ''Normandie'' won praise for her design and decor, ultimately North Atlantic passengers flocked to the more traditional ''Queen Mary''. Two of the ship's greatest attributes, in reality, turned out to be two of her biggest faults.

[[File:Jeton du paquebot Normandie, 1930-1940.jpg|thumb|''Normandie'' depicted on a token]]
[[File:Luftaufnahme der Normandie.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Overhead view of ''Normandie'' at sea]]
Part of ''Normandie''{{'}}s problem lay in the fact that the majority of her passenger space was devoted to first class, which could carry up to 848 people. Less space and consideration were given to second and tourist class, which numbered only 670 and 454 passengers, respectively. As a result, the consensus among North Atlantic passengers was that she was primarily a ship for the rich and famous. In contrast, in ''Queen Mary'', Cunard White Star had placed just as much emphasis on décor, space, and accommodation in second and tourist class as in first class. Thus ''Queen Mary'' accommodated American tourists, who had become numerous in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these passengers could not afford first-class passage yet wanted to travel in much of the same comfort as that experienced in first. As a result, second and tourist class became a significant source of cash for shipping companies at that time. ''Queen Mary'' would accommodate these trends and subsequently the liner achieved greater popularity among North Atlantic travellers during the late thirties.<ref name="thegreatoceanliners.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/normandie2.html|title=TGOL – Normandie|website=thegreatoceanliners.com|access-date=9 September 2009|archive-date=21 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721130024/http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/normandie2.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Another of the CGT's greatest triumphs also turned out to be one of ''Normandie''{{'}}s greatest flaws: her décor. The ship's slick and modern Art Deco interiors proved to be somewhat intimidating and uncomfortable for her travellers, with some claiming that interiors gave them headaches. It was also here that ''Queen Mary'' triumphed over her French rival. Although also decorated in an Art Deco style, ''Queen Mary'' was more restrained in her appointments and was not as radical as ''Normandie'', and proved ultimately to be more popular with travellers.<ref name="thegreatoceanliners.com"/>

[[File:SS Normandie in NYC Harbor at Pier.jpg|thumb|''Normandie'' at C.G.T.'s pier 88 in New York]]
As a result, ''Normandie'' at many times throughout her service history carried less than half her full complement of passengers. Her German rivals ''Bremen'' and ''Europa'', and Italian rivals ''Rex'' and {{SS|Conte di Savoia||2}} also suffered from this problem; despite their innovative designs and luxurious interiors, they made little profit for their respective companies. Contributing to this were international boycotts against [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] and [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)|Italy]] as the European geopolitical situation deteriorated through the 1930s.

In contrast, Cunard White Star's ''[[MV Britannic (1929)|Britannic III]]'', ''[[MV Georgic (1931)|Georgic II]]'', and much older ''[[RMS Aquitania|Aquitania]]'', along with the [[Holland America Line]]'s {{SS|Nieuw Amsterdam|1937|3=6}}, were among the few North Atlantic liners to make a profit, carrying the lion's share of passengers in the years preceding the Second World War.

Sometime in 1939, the famous Von Trapp Family Singers stayed in third class and traveled to Southampton aboard the Normandie. In Part 2, chapter 5 of "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers", the autobiography of Maria Augusta Trapp, Maria describes the Trapp Family's experience aboard the Normandie. She states, "The ''Normandie''! What a noble boat, and what a wonderful crew! although we were only third-class passengers, the French-line went out of its way to make our stay as enjoyable as possible ... On board the Normandie we were treated as celebrated artists. People knew about our Town Hall concert and we were asked to give a gala performance on the last evening together with Rene Le Roy, the flutist. Champagne was served free of charge afterwards. The boat itself was a dream of beauty ... But four days was not too short to create a warm feeling for the boat and its crew, and when, years later, we learned of the dreadful disaster the Normandie had suffered in New York, we felt as if something terrible had happened to a close friend of ours."<ref name="Trapp 2002">{{cite book |last=Trapp |first=Maria Augusta |author-link=Maria Augusta Trapp |title=The Story of the Trapp Family Singers |publisher=Perennial |publication-place=New York |year=2002 |orig-year=1949 |isbn=978-0-06-000577-1 |oclc=47746428 |chapter=Part 2, Chapter 5}}</ref>

==World War II==
[[File:The three largest ships in the world, New York, 1940 - photographic postcard (3796186285).jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''Normandie'', ''Queen Mary'' and ''Queen Elizabeth'' in New York Harbor in 1940]]
The outbreak of the war found ''Normandie'' in New York Harbor. Looming hostilities in Europe had compelled ''Normandie'' to seek haven in the U.S. The federal government [[Internment|interned]] her on 3 September 1939, the same day France declared war on Germany. Several days later, ''Queen Mary'' moored nearby. ''Queen Elizabeth'' joined them several months later in March 1940. For approximately two weeks, the three largest liners in the world sat side by side, before Queen Mary departed later that month for [[Sydney]], Australia.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=360–361}} ''Queen Elizabeth'' departed in November 1940 for Singapore. ''Normandie'' remained at the pier in French hands, with French crewmembers on board, led by Captain Hervé Lehuédé, into the spring of 1940.

On 15 May 1940, during the [[Battle of France]], the [[United States Department of the Treasury|U.S. Treasury Department]] detailed about 150 agents of the [[United States Coast Guard]] (USCG) to go aboard the ship at Manhattan's [[New York Passenger Ship Terminal|Pier 88]] to defend it against possible [[sabotage]]. (At the time, U.S. law mandated the Coast Guard as part of the Treasury during peacetime.) When the USCG became a part of the [[United States Navy]] on 1 November 1941, ''Normandie''{{'}}s USCG detail remained intact, mainly observing while the French crew maintained the vessel's boilers, machinery, and other equipment, including the fire-watch system. On 12 December 1941, five days after the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], the USCG removed Captain Lehuédé and his crew and took possession of ''Normandie'' under the right of [[angary]], maintaining steam in the boilers and other activities on the idled vessel. However, the elaborate fire-watch system which ensured that any fire would be suppressed before it became a danger was abandoned.{{sfn|Braynard|1987|p=87}}

===''Lafayette'' conversion===
[[File:SS Normandie docked at Pier 88, New York city (USA), 20 August 1941 (80-G-410223).jpg|thumb|''Normandie'' docked in New York Harbor at Pier 88, site of attempted troopship conversion]]
On 20 December 1941, the Auxiliary Vessels Board officially recorded [[President of the United States|President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s approval of ''Normandie''{{'}}s transfer to the U.S. Navy. Plans called for the vessel to be turned into a troopship ("convoy unit loaded transport"). The Navy renamed her USS ''Lafayette'', in honor of both [[Marquis de la Fayette]], the French general who fought on the [[Colonial history of the United States|Colonies]]' behalf in the [[American Revolution]], and the alliance with France that made American independence possible. The name was a suggestion of J. P. "Jim" Warburg, advisory assistant to Colonel [[William J. Donovan]], [[Coordinator of Information]], which was passed through multiple channels including [[Secretary of the Navy]] [[Frank Knox]]; Admiral [[Harold R. Stark]], [[Chief of Naval Operations]] (CNO); and Rear Adm. [[Randall Jacobs]], Chief of the [[Bureau of Navigation]]. The name ''La Fayette'' (later universally and unofficially contracted to ''Lafayette'') was officially approved by the secretary of the navy on 31 December 1941, with the vessel classified as a transport, AP-53.

Earlier proposals included turning ''Lafayette'' into an [[aircraft carrier]], but this was dropped in favor of immediate troop transport.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=274–276}} The ship remained moored at Pier 88 for the conversion. A contract for her conversion to a troop transport was awarded to [[Robins Dry Dock and Repair Company]], a subsidiary of [[Todd Shipyards]], on 27 December 1941. On that date, Capt. Clayton M. Simmers, the 3rd Naval District Materiel Officer, reported to the Bureau of Ships (BuShips) his estimate that the conversion work could be completed by 31 January 1942, and planning for the work proceeded on that basis.

Capt. Robert G. Coman reported as ''Lafayette''{{'}}s prospective commanding officer on 31 January 1942, overseeing a skeleton engineering force numbering 458 men. The complicated nature and enormous size of the conversion effort prevented Coman's crew from adhering to the original schedule; crew familiarization with the vessel was an issue, and additional crew members were arriving to assist the effort. On 6 February 1942, a request for a two-week delay for the first sailing of ''Lafayette'', originally scheduled for 14 February, was submitted to the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations. On that day, a schedule extension was granted due to a design plan change: elements of the superstructure were to be removed to improve stability, in work that was expected to take another 60 to 90 days. However, on 7 February, orders came from [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] that the reduction of the top-hamper had been abandoned and ''Lafayette'' was to sail on 14 February as planned. This abrupt reversal necessitated a frantic resumption of conversion work, and Captains Coman and Simmers scheduled 9 February meetings in New York and Washington to lobby for further clarification of conversion plans; ultimately, these meetings would never take place.

===Fire and capsizing===
[[File:Normandie fire.jpg|thumb|''Lafayette'' (AP-53) afire at New York Harbor on 9 February 1942]]
At 14:30 on 9 February 1942, sparks from a [[welding torch]] used by workman Clement Derrick ignited a stack of life vests filled with flammable [[Ceiba pentandra|kapok]] that had been stored in ''Lafayette''{{'}}s first-class lounge.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|p=299}}{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=367–368}} The flammable varnished woodwork had not yet been removed, and the fire spread rapidly. The ship had a very efficient fire protection system, but it had been disconnected during the conversion and its internal pumping system was deactivated.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=272, 304–314}} The [[New York City Fire Department]]'s hoses did not fit the ship's French inlets. Before the fire department arrived, approximately 15 minutes after fire broke out, all onboard crew were using manual means in a vain attempt to stop the blaze. A strong northwesterly wind blowing over ''Lafayette''{{'}}s [[port and starboard|port]] quarter swept the blaze forward, eventually consuming the three upper decks of the ship within an hour of the start of the conflagration. Capt. Coman, along with Capt. Simmers, arrived about 15:25 to see his huge prospective command in flames.

[[File:Normandie capsized (LIFE).jpg|left|thumb|USS ''Lafayette'' capsized in New York Harbor]]
As firefighters on shore and in fire boats poured water on the blaze, ''Lafayette'' developed a dangerous [[angle of list|list]] to port due to water pumped into the seaward side by fireboats. [[Vladimir Yourkevitch]], the ship's designer, arrived at the scene to offer expertise but was barred by harbor police.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=325–326}}{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|pp=373–374}} Yourkevitch's suggestion was to enter the vessel and open the sea-cocks. This would flood the lower decks and make her settle the few feet to the bottom. With the ship stabilised, water could be pumped into burning areas without the risk of [[capsizing]]. The suggestion was rejected by the commander of the [[3rd Naval District]], Rear Admiral [[Adolphus Andrews]].

Between 17:45 and 18:00 on 9 February 1942, authorities considered the fire under control and began winding down operations until 20:00. Water entering ''Lafayette'' through submerged openings and flowing to the lower decks negated efforts to counter-flood, and her list to port gradually increased. Shortly after midnight, Rear Adm. Andrews ordered ''Lafayette'' abandoned. The ship continued to list, a process hastened by the 6,000 tons of water that had been sprayed on her. New York fire officials were concerned that the fire could spread to the nearby buildings. ''Lafayette'' eventually capsized during the mid watch (02:45) on 10 February, nearly crushing a fire boat, and came to rest on her port side at an angle of approximately 80 degrees. Recognising that his incompetence had caused the disaster, Rear Adm. Andrews ordered all pressmen barred from viewing the moment of capsize in an effort to lower the level of publicity.{{sfn|Braynard|1987|p=97}}

[[File:USS Lafayette 1942.jpg|thumb|''Normandie'', renamed USS ''Lafayette'', lies capsized in the frozen mud of her New York pier in the winter of 1942]]
One man died in the incident – Frank "Trent" Trentacosta, 36, of [[Brooklyn]], a member of the fire watch. Some 94 USCG and Navy sailors, including some from ''Lafayette''{{'}}s pre-commissioning crew and men assigned to the receiving ship ''[[USS Washington (ACR-11)|Seattle]]'', 38 fire fighters, and 153 civilians, were treated for various injuries, burns, [[smoke inhalation]], and exposure.

====''Saboteur'' (film)====
The ruined ''Lafayette'' after the fire can be seen briefly in the film ''[[Saboteur (film)|Saboteur]]'' (1942). The ship is not identified in the film, but the antagonist smiles when he sees it, suggesting that he was responsible. The film's director, [[Alfred Hitchcock]], later said that "the Navy raised hell" about the implication that their security was so poor.{{sfn|Spoto|1999|p=[https://archive.org/details/darksideofgenius00spot_0/page/253 253]}}

===Investigation and salvage===
{{See also|Operation Underworld}}
[[File:J4F Widgeon flies over wreck of Lafayette in New York 1943.jpg|thumb|[[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]] [[Grumman G-44 Widgeon|Grumman Widgeon]] flies over wreck of ''Lafayette'' in New York 1943]]
Enemy sabotage was widely suspected, but a congressional investigation in the wake of the sinking, chaired by [[United States Representative|Representative]] [[Patrick Henry Drewry]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]-[[Virginia]]), concluded that the fire was accidental.{{sfn|Ardman|1985 |}}{{page needed|date=July 2022}}{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972}}{{Page needed|date=August 2023}} The investigation found evidence of carelessness, rule violations, lack of coordination between the various parties on board, lack of clear [[command structure]] during the fire, and a hasty, poorly planned conversion effort.

Members of [[organized crime]] retrospectively claimed that they had sabotaged the vessel. It was alleged that [[arson]] had been organized by mobster [[Anthony Anastasio]], who was a power in the local longshoremen's [[labor union|union]], to provide [[Leverage (negotiation)|leverage]] for the release of mob boss [[Charles Luciano|Charles "Lucky" Luciano]] from prison. Luciano's end of the bargain would be to ensure that there would be no further "enemy" sabotage in the ports where the mob had strong influence with the unions.{{efn|The suggestion that the fire was caused by arson comes from [[Meyer Lansky]] and Luciano themselves.{{sfn|Bondanella|2004|p=[https://archive.org/details/hollywooditalian00bond/page/200 200]}}{{sfn|Gosch|Hammer|1974|pp=260–262}}}}

In one of the largest and most expensive [[Marine salvage|salvage operations]] of its kind, estimated at $5{{nbs}}million at the time (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|5|1943}}{{nbs}}million in {{Inflation/year|US}}), the ship was stripped of superstructure and righted on 7 August 1943.{{sfn|Schenk|2013|p=}}{{page needed|date=August 2021}} She was renamed ''Lafayette'' and reclassified as an aircraft and transport ferry, APV-4, on 15 September 1943 and placed in [[drydock]] the following month. However, extensive damage to her hull, deterioration of her machinery, and the necessity for employing manpower on other more critical war projects prevented resumption of the conversion program, with the cost of restoring her determined to be too great. Her hulk remained in the Navy's custody through the end of the war.

''Lafayette'' was stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 11 October 1945 without having ever sailed under the U.S. flag. President [[Harry Truman]] authorized her disposal in an Executive Order on 8 September 1946, and she was sold as scrap on 3 October 1946 to Lipsett, Inc., an American salvage company based in New York City, for [[United States dollar|US$]]161,680 (approx. $1,997,000 in 2017 value). After neither the Navy nor French Line offered a plan to salvage her, Yourkevitch, the ship's original designer, proposed to cut the ship down and restore her as a mid-sized liner.{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=392}} This plan also failed to draw backing. She was sent for scrapping beginning in October 1946{{sfn|Maxtone-Graham|1972|p=391}} at [[Port Newark, New Jersey]], and completely scrapped by 31 December 1948.

==Legacy==
The silhouette of ''Normandie'' influenced ocean liners over the decades, including ''[[Queen Mary 2]]''.{{cn|date=September 2023}} The ambience of classic transatlantic liners like ''Normandie'' and ''Queen Mary'' was the source of inspiration for [[Disney Cruise Line]]'s matching vessels, ''[[Disney Magic]],'' ''[[Disney Wonder]]'', ''[[Disney Dream]]'', and ''[[Disney Fantasy]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.britishdesigninnovation.org/index.php?page=newsservice/view&news_id=2431 |title=Imagination Creates Atmosphere on Disney Wonder, UK |date=27 May 2003 |publisher=British Design Innovation |access-date=22 November 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529054916/http://www.britishdesigninnovation.org/index.php?page=newsservice/view&news_id=2431 |archive-date=2009-05-29}}</ref>

[[File:San Juan, PR 05.jpg|thumb|The [[Normandie Hotel]] in San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
''Normandie'' also inspired the architecture and design of the [[Normandie Hotel]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]. The hotel's roof sign is one of the two signs that adorned the top deck of ''Normandie'' but were removed from it during an early refitting. It also inspired the nickname 'The Normandie' given to the [[Wukang Mansion|International Savings Society Apartments]] in [[Shanghai]], one of the most fashionable residential buildings during the city's pre-revolutionary heyday and home to several stars of China's mid-20th century film industry.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} ''Normandie''{{'s}} name also may have inspired that of [[The Normandy]] apartment building in New York City.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ruttenbaum |first=Steven |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ssZPAAAAMAAJ |title=Mansions in the Clouds: The Skyscraper Palazzi of Emery Roth |publisher=Balsam Press |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-917439-09-4 |oclc=13665931 |page=172}}</ref>

Items from ''Normandie'' were sold at a series of auctions after her demise,{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=418–420}} and many pieces are considered valuable Art Deco treasures today. The rescued items include the ten large dining-room door medallions and fittings, and some of the individual [[Jean Dupas]] glass panels that formed the large murals mounted at the four corners of her Grand Salon.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=418–420}} One entire corner is preserved at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in New York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1976.414.3a-ggg|title='History of Navigation' Mural – Jean Dupas – 1934 |id=1976.414.3a-ggg |publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref> The dining room door medallions are now on the exterior doors of [[Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral (Brooklyn)|Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral]] in Brooklyn.<ref name=cathedral>{{cite web|url=http://ololc.org/about.html|title=History of Our Lady of Lebanon|publisher=Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral|access-date=8 January 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Normandie doors.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|left|Dining room door medallions]]
Also surviving are some examples of the 24,000 pieces of crystal, some from the massive Lalique torchères that adorned her dining salon. Also extant are some of the room's table silverware, chairs, and gold-plated bronze table bases. Custom-designed suite and cabin furniture as well as original artwork and statues that decorated the ship, or were built for use by the CGT aboard ''Normandie'', also survive today.

The {{convert|8|ft|m|adj=mid|-high|order=flip}}, {{cvt|1000|lb|adj=on|order=flip}} bronze figural sculpture of a woman named "''La Normandie''", which was at the top of the grand stairway from the first class smoking room up to the grill room café, was found in a New Jersey scrapyard in 1954 and was purchased for the then-new [[Fontainebleau Hotel]] in [[Miami Beach, Florida]]. It was first displayed outside in the [[parterre]] gardens near the formal pool and later indoors near the then-Fontainebleau Hilton's spa. In 2001, the hotel sold the statue to [[Celebrity Cruises]], which placed it in the main dining room of their new ship ''[[Celebrity Summit]]''.{{sfn|Ardman|1985|pp=418–420}} The cruise ship also had a separate Normandie Restaurant, designed to reflect the interiors of the liner, and containing gold lacquered panels from the Normandie's First Class Smoking Room.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecaptainslog.org.uk/ShipGalleryIndex/Summit.html|title=Summit Gallery|website=thecaptainslog.org.uk}}</ref> The Normandie Restaurant and associated ocean liner decor was removed in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maritimematters.com/2015/10/celebrity-to-replace-ocean-liner-themed-restaurants/|title=Celebrity To Replace Ocean Liner-Themed Restaurants|access-date=25 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031658/http://maritimematters.com/2015/10/celebrity-to-replace-ocean-liner-themed-restaurants/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The statue "''La Paix''", which stood in the First Class Dining Room, now stands in the Pinelawn Memorial Park, a cemetery in New York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/6441753/La-Paix-from-the-Normandie|title="La Paix" from the Normandie Oceanliner|website=wikimapia.org}}</ref>

The three-note chime steam whistle, after salvage, was sent to the Bethlehem Steel factory in [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]], where it was used to announce shift changes.<ref>{{cite news |title=History's Headlines: Doomed ocean liner's whistle lived on at Bethlehem Steel |url=https://www.wfmz.com/features/historys-headlines/historys-headlines-doomed-ocean-liners-whistle-lived-on-at-bethlehem-steel/21047952 |publisher=WFMZ |date=10 February 2015}}</ref> It later resided in the [[Pratt Institute]] in Brooklyn and was used in their New Year's Eve steam whistle ceremony until 2014.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Year's Eve 2014 Marked Final Year of Steam Whistle Tradition |url=https://www.pratt.edu/news/view/new-years-eve-2014-marked-final-year-of-steam-whistle-tradition |publisher=Pratt Institute |date=21 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rueb |first1=Emily S. |title=The Normandie Breathes Again |url=https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/the-normandie-breathes-again/ |website=City Room |access-date=31 July 2019 |date=4 June 2010}}</ref>

Pieces from ''Normandie'' occasionally appear on the [[BBC]] television series ''[[Antiques Roadshow]]''<ref>{{cite web|last=Crafton|first=Luke|title=The Normandie: A Legend Undiminished|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/fts/savannah_200301T08.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908070651/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/fts/savannah_200301T08.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 September 2012|work=Antiques Roadshow |access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> and also on its [[Antiques Roadshow (U.S.)|American counterpart]]. A public lounge and promenade was created from some of the panels and furniture from ''Normandie'' in the [[Hilton Chicago]]. The dining room "Normandie" on the Carnival Cruise ship ''[[Carnival Pride]]'' was also inspired by the ocean liner, per the ship's designer Joseph Farcus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beyondships.com/Carnival-art-Farcus.html|title=Carnival Dream – An Interview with Designer Joe Farcus|website=beyondships.com|access-date=19 December 2011|archive-date=7 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107070232/http://www.beyondships.com/Carnival-art-Farcus.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Though not shown explicitly, "the majestic form of the ''Normandie"''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Horeau |first=Yves |title=The Adventures of Tintin at Sea |publisher=Éditions Moulinsart |year=2021 |isbn=978-2-87424-484-1 |editor-last=Farr |editor-first=Michael |location=Belgium |pages=30 |translator-last=Farr |translator-first=Michael}}</ref> appears in the [[The Adventures of Tintin|Tintin]] story, ''[[The Broken Ear]]''. 
{{Clear}}

==Profile views==
[[File:Normandie deck e lateral.GIF|center|thumb|upright=2.5|Starboard and side elevation diagram of ''Normandie''{{'}}s [[Streamline Moderne]] profile. The third funnel was a dummy employed to balance the ship aesthetically and contain the air conditioning machinery. This third funnel also was known to contain the dog kennels.]]
[[File:Ssnormandie sideelevation NYC.png|thumb|upright=2.5|center|Side elevation and cutaway, revealing the vast internal spaces devoted to ''Normandie''{{'}}s public compartments]]

==See also==
*''[[The Big Broadcast of 1938]]'', a 1938 film that featured the fictional ocean liner SS ''Colossal'', based upon SS ''Normandie''
* [[Oceanic (unfinished ship)|''Oceanic III'']]
* [[Pierre-Marie Poisson]]
* {{RMS|Queen Elizabeth}}
* {{SS|France|1960}}
* {{SS|Ile de France}}
* {{SS|Liberté}}
* {{SS|Paris|1916}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
{{DANFS}}
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*{{cite journal |last=Smith |first=Daniella Ohad |date=March 2011 |title=Legendary Interiors and Illustrious Travelers aboard the SS Normandie |journal=Interiors: Design, Architecture, Culture |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=128–131 |doi=10.2752/204191211X12980384100274 |s2cid=194098328 }}
*{{cite book |last=Spoto |first=Donald |author-link=Donald Spoto |title=The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock |publisher=Da Capo |year=1999 |isbn=0-306-80932-X |url=https://archive.org/details/darksideofgenius00spot_0}}
*{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=David L. |last2=De Kerbrech |first2=R. P. |title=Damned by Destiny |year=1982 |place=Brighton |publisher=Teredo Books |isbn=978-0-90366209-3}}
*{{cite web |last=Streater |first=Les |title=NORMANDIE Vols 1–5: The complete history |website=marpubs |url=https://www.marpubs.com/books-an-overview/normandie-vols-1-5/ |ref=none |access-date=2023-08-22}}
* {{citation |last=Boks |first=W. Holland |title=photo of the model boat SS ''Normandie'' |year=1935}}{{clarify|date=May 2013}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Normandie (ship, 1935)}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=pigDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1931+plane&pg=PA36 How Biggest Ship Was Safely Launched, February 1933, ''Popular Science''] slipway and launching of French passenger liner ''Normandie'' in 1933—excellent drawing and illustrations showing basics of process
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=uN4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1933+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA826 "The Queen Of The Seven Seas"  ''Popular Mechanics'', June 1935]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=tt4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA164 "Normandie a Marvel in Speed and Comfort" ''Popular Mechanics'', August 1935] detailed drawings on steam-electric drive system
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=wN8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA536 "Across the Atlantic in a Blue Ribbon Winner" ''Popular Mechanics'', October 1935]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070331085755/http://www.alae.us/Normandie/ The ''Normandie'' – virtual reality tour of the Art Deco masterpiece]
* Pictures in the official French Lines Archives : [https://web.archive.org/web/20071115200154/http://www.frenchlines.com/images/resultat_fr.php?origine=rindex&champ=navire&mc=Normandie SS ''Normandie''] (French captions)
* [http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/normandie2.html The Great Ocean Liners: ''Normandie''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721130024/http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/normandie2.html |date=21 July 2016 }}
*{{YouTube| rBYpqlqZryk | ''Salvage of the USS Lafayette (AP-53)'' – 1944 United States Navy Educational Documentary" }}
* [http://www.charlesfreemandesign.com/curator-intro Hommage Au Normandie Exhibition, New York] SS ''Normandie'' – Ocean Liner Museum Exhibit in New York City
* [https://www.ggarchives.com/OceanTravel/ImmigrantShips/Normandie.html GG Archives] Ephemera for the SS Normandie, including Passenger Lists, Menus, Brochures, Passage Tickets, Photographs, etc.

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|rec}}
{{S-bef|before={{SS|Rex|3=2}}}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Blue Riband]] (Westbound record-holder)|years=1935–1936}}
{{S-aft|rows=2|after={{RMS|Queen Mary|3=2}}}}
{{S-bef|before={{SS|Bremen|1928|2}}}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Blue Riband]] (Eastbound record-holder) |years=1935–1936}}
|-
{{S-bef|rows=2|before={{RMS|Queen Mary|3=2}}}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Blue Riband]] (Westbound record-holder)|years=1937–1938}}
{{S-aft|rows=2|after={{RMS|Queen Mary|3=2}}}}
|-
{{S-ttl|title=[[Blue Riband]] (Eastbound record-holder) |years=1937–1938}}
{{s-bef|before= [[SS Rex|''Rex'']]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Holder of the [[Hales Trophy]] |years=1935–1952}}
{{s-aft|after= [[SS United States|'' United States'']]}}
{{end}}
{{Compagnie Générale Transatlantique ships}}
{{Largest passenger ships}}
{{Unique United States Navy transports}}
{{February 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Normandie}}
[[Category:1932 ships]]
[[Category:Art Deco ships]]
[[Category:Blue Riband holders]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in February 1942]]
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of France]]
[[Category:Ships built by Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët]]
[[Category:Ship fires]]
[[Category:Ships of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the New York (state) coast]]
[[Category:Turbo-electric steamships]]
[[Category:United States home front during World War II]]
[[Category:Transportation accidents in New York City]]
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