▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁reducing ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁prof itable ▁trans at l antic ▁voy ages . ▁In ▁response , ▁sh ipping ▁companies ▁redirect ed ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁lin ers ▁to ▁a ▁more ▁prof itable ▁cru ise ▁service . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁C un ard ▁Line ▁and ▁White ▁Star ▁Line ▁were ▁in ▁very ▁bad ▁shape ▁finan cially . ▁Chan cell or ▁of ▁the ▁Ex che quer ▁Ne ville ▁Chamber lain ▁proposed ▁to ▁merge ▁the ▁two ▁companies ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁solve ▁their ▁financial ▁problems . ▁The ▁mer ger ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁launched ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Queen ▁Mary ▁while ▁progress ively ▁sending ▁their ▁older ▁ships ▁to ▁the ▁scra py ard . ▁The ▁Queen ▁Mary ▁was ▁the ▁fast est ▁ship ▁of ▁her ▁time ▁and ▁the ▁largest ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁amount ▁of ▁time , ▁she ▁captured ▁the ▁Blue ▁Rib and ▁twice , ▁both ▁off ▁Norm and ie . ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁second ▁ship , ▁the ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth , ▁was ▁interrupted ▁by ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁The ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁was ▁a ▁conflict ▁rich ▁in ▁events ▁involving ▁lin ers . ▁From ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁conflict , ▁German ▁lin ers ▁were ▁requ is ition ed ▁and ▁many ▁were ▁turned ▁into ▁bar ra cks ▁ships . ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁this ▁activity ▁that ▁the ▁Bre men ▁caught ▁fire ▁and ▁was ▁scra pped ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁During ▁the ▁conflict , ▁ ▁and