- bo at ▁when ▁t ugs ▁tried ▁to ▁to w ▁her ▁to ▁safety . ▁ ▁Dec line ▁of ▁long - distance ▁line ▁voy ages ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁some ▁ships ▁were ▁again ▁transferred ▁from ▁the ▁defeated ▁nations ▁to ▁the ▁winning ▁nations ▁as ▁war ▁re par ations . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁Europa , ▁which ▁was ▁c eded ▁to ▁France ▁and ▁renamed ▁Libert é . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁government ▁was ▁very ▁im pressed ▁with ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁the ▁C un ard ' s ▁Queen ▁Mary ▁and ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁as ▁tro op ships ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁To ▁ensure ▁a ▁reliable ▁and ▁fast ▁tro op ▁transport ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁a ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁spons ored ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁entered ▁it ▁into ▁service ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁L ines ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁She ▁won ▁the ▁Blue ▁Rib and ▁on ▁her ▁ma iden ▁voyage ▁in ▁that ▁year ▁and ▁held ▁it ▁until ▁Richard ▁Br anson ▁won ▁it ▁back ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁with ▁Virgin ▁Atlantic ▁Ch allen ger ▁II . ▁One ▁year ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁Italy ▁completed ▁the ▁, ▁which ▁later ▁s ank ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁after ▁a ▁collision ▁with ▁MS ▁Stockholm . ▁ ▁Before ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁aircraft ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁a ▁significant ▁threat ▁to ▁ocean ▁lin ers . ▁Most ▁pre - war ▁aircraft ▁were ▁no isy , ▁vulner able ▁to ▁bad ▁weather , ▁few ▁had ▁the