IT’s both deeply depressing yet slightly reassuring to read of the profoundly distressing fate of one of the greatest ships of all time, the mighty SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built.

In a move worthy of Britain’s own abysmal ship preservation achievements, it’s revealing to find that the Americans are equally hopeless. The ‘Big U’, as she’s nicknamed has just been towed from years of lay-up in Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama, for preparation to be sunk as an artificial reef for the benefit of leisure divers. This is in spite of the vessel being officially listed on the US National Register of Historic Places as deemed worthy of preservation for historical significance or “great artistic value”.

How the richest nation on earth reached a point where it cares so little for one of the world’s greatest maritime creations – produced by its own talents – beggars belief. Isn’t this the kind of anti-national attitude the US President Trump rails against?

SS United States’ transatlantic glory days are long gone, when her passenger lists included A list film stars Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando, artist Salvador Dali (latter two onboard, right), JFK and Jackie Kennedy, future US president Bill Clinton (who has backed her preservation), and was favoured by royalty – HRH Duke of Windsor and the Duchess of Windsor (thanks to free voyages ensuring their loyalty). Poet Dylan Thomas returned from New York to Southampton as a corpse in her morgue refridgerator after expiring on a US reading tour.

As a child I had the Triang Minic model of United States and in those simpler days was happy pushing it around the carpet, in and out of a dock I built. I was also excited to see her at the Runcorn Empress cinema featured in the 1966 comedy film Munster, Go Home! The eponymous ghoulish family sailed to the UK to claim their inheritance, which included a bomb graphically exploding off the liner’s stern. I can’t imagine any cruise line agreeing to that stunt played for real today.

The liner was designed and built to an incredible standard by the genius naval architect William Francis Gibbs (right), with her signature profile of two massive winged funnels (the world’s biggest) over a sleek 990ft long hull.

The renowned naval architect Robert Tilberg told me that United States’ appearance was a triumph of massing, making her look far bigger than she actually was (which was still big, but nothing like today’s cruise liner ‘floating blocks of flats’, as seen left with MS Utopia of the Seas during her tow).

What wasn’t in dispute was her speed, although its maximum was for years a closely guarded secret. It is believed to be 38.32 knots (44.10mph), although there are claims of 43kn (49mph). Either speed is incredible for a 53,329 gross ton ocean liner, helped by plenty of US naval knowledge influencing her engineering for the reasons explained below.

The US government was so impressed by the performance of Cunard Line’s two original Queen liners when converted to troopships during World War II that in 1949 it decided it needed one of its own.

In doing so, Yankee pride was further boosted as on her maiden voyage when SS United States snatched the Blue Riband of the Atlantic (for the fastest Transatlantic crossing) off Britain’s long term holder RMS Queen Mary, in 1952.

As Hollywood star comedian Bob Hope, a passenger on the Big U’s maiden voyage, quipped: “Cunard Line is giving us a 21-torpedo salute!”

In spite of healthy bookings, and expanding her cruise schedule, she was abruptly withdrawn from service on 14 November 1969. She’s been laid up ever since her owner United States Lines went bust, due to mismanagement. Since then, she’s passed through several owners. There was even an offbeat plan by Cunard Line to rebuild her for Cherbourg – Florida service.

All her fittings were auctioned off in 1984 and then she was stripped to her bulkheads a decade later. To stop her being scrapped the SS United States Conservancy started fundraising in 2009 and bought her two years later, but all its plans came to nothing.

Evicted from her Philadelphia pier in last year over a bitter rent dispute, she has been bought by Okaloosa County, Florida, to become the world’s largest artificial reef. Now berthed at Mobile, Alabama, holes are being cut in her hull so she can be sunk off the coast next year.

In one last gasp, the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States has been formed which has launched a petition, which attracted 13,000 signatures and is growing. But with so many previous plans for static display as a recreation complex and locations exhausted there seems little hope.

In contrast her older British rival RMS Queen Mary is preserved as a hotel ship in Long Beach, California (right), likewise her contemporary SS Rotterdam, former flagship of Holland America Line, is permanently berthed in her namesake city. Meantime, Britain’s world famous QE2 was sold to Dubai also as a hotel ship, having trumped a UK consortium bid.

You never know, but don’t hold your breath – or you might have to if visiting the ‘Big U’ as  the biggest artificial reef in the world.

In a final bizarre footnote Okaloosa County Sheriff arrested and charged Trey Everts Roots, of Cherokee, Oklahoma, for a bomb threat via computer stemming from the county’s purchase and plans for SS United States, although he had no means of making a bomb.