The first RMS Saxonia was a passenger ship of the British Cunard Line. Between 1900 and 1925, Saxonia operated on North Atlantic and Mediterranean passenger routes, and she saw military service during World War I (1914–1918).
Saxonia was the second and largest ship launched of the Ivernia class of intermediate liners for Cunard.[1] RMS Ivernia (1899) was launched a few months before Saxonia, and RMS Carpathia was launched in 1902.
Design
Around 1900, the Cunard Line faced tight competition from the British White Star Line and the German lines Norddeutscher Lloyd and Hamburg America (HAPAG). Cunard's largest liners, as of 1898 RMS Campania and RMS Lucania, had a reputation for size and speed, both being of 12,950