Britain's First Underwater Telephone Link With America. A general view of Her Majesty's Telegraph Ship. "Monarch", the largest cable laying ship in the world, with Kerrara Island Scotland in the background. The Monarch was built in 19H5 and has a gross tonnage of 8,056 and with full oil bunkers she can carry between 5,000 and 6,000 tons of cable. She is the only cable ship afloat capable of laying the whole of the deep sea part of the transatlantic cable between Newfoundland and Scotland in one operation. December 1, 1955. (Photo by British Official Photograph).