Several Town-class cruisers experienced Atlantic passages with fast liners maintaining close to 30 knots. Their engineering crews did not welcome the sustained demand. Operating near maximum speed across an ocean accelerated machinery wear even when the ship could achieve the speed on paper. The example reinforces why strategic transit estimates should use a sustainable cruising speed rather than a trial maximum.
Notable Point · 2:55:41-2:55:56
Why sustained 30-knot passages punished machinery
Town-class cruisers escorting very fast liners learned that a near-30-knot Atlantic passage could impose severe engine wear.