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UNITED STATES NAVY
TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS
WORLD WAR I

Photo # NH 105703:  USS Roanoke arriving off New York with troops on board, 1919

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Roanoke (ID # 1695), 1918-1919

USS Roanoke, a 7620-ton minelayer, was built in 1901 as the merchant passenger-cargo ship El Dia. Taken over by the Navy in November 1917, she was converted to a minelayer at Hoboken, New Jersey. The ship was commissioned as USS Roanoke in January 1918 and spent the next few months in shakedown and training. In April 1918, she loaded passengers and a cargo of mines at Norfolk, Virginia, for transportation across the Atlantic.

Roanoke arrived at Base 17, Invergordon, Scotland, in May 1918. She was soon at work helping to plant the vast North Sea Mine Barrage, intended to hamper the operations of German submarines, and remained on that duty until World War I ended in November 1918. After return to the United States in early 1919, Roanoke was modified for transport purposes. She subsequently made four voyages between the U.S. and France as part of the effort to bring home troops from the former war zone. USS Roanoke decommissioned in August 1919 and was returned to her owners.

This page features all available views concerning USS Roanoke (ID # 1695).

For pictorial coverage of Roanoke as a civilian ship, see:

  • SS El Dia (Passenger-cargo ship, 1901).


    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: NH 61101

    U.S. Navy Mine Layers


    Steaming in line abreast during the laying of the North Sea mine barrage, September 1918.
    Analysis of camouflage patterns indicates that these ships are (from front to rear):
    USS Roanoke (ID # 1695);
    USS Housatonic (ID # 1697);
    USS Shawmut (ID # 1255);
    USS Canandaigua (ID # 1694);
    USS Canonicus (ID # 1696);
    with USS Quinnebaug (ID # 1687) and USS Saranac (ID # 1702) in the left and right center distance.
    A four-stack British cruiser is in the left distance.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 86KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 105703

    USS Roanoke
    (ID # 1695)

    Off New York City in 1919, upon her arrival from Europe with troops on board.

    Panoramic photograph by E. Muller, Jr., New York.

    Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 174KB; 1200 x 725 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 103584

    USS Roanoke
    (ID # 1695)

    In port, probably at Norfolk, Virginia, while serving as a troop transport in 1919.
    Unlike most of the post-World War I "Ship that brought us home" photographs, the original print of this view was not printed on postal card stock, but was of large format (approximately 12" x 7" image size), .

    Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 70KB; 740 x 450 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 2805

    Laying the North Sea Mine Barrage, 1918


    U.S. Navy minelayers steaming in column in the North Sea, September 1918. At left, British destroyers are covering the formation's flank with a smoke screen.
    Ships in the minelayer column are (from front to rear): Roanoke, Housatonic, Quinnebaug and Baltimore.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 76KB; 740 x 560 pixels

     
    Photo #: 111-SC-43563

    Laying the North Sea Mine Barrage, 1918


    U.S. Navy minelayers proceeding to sea in two columns, in Area Number 2 of the North Sea, September 1918.
    Ships in the column at left are (from front to rear): Roanoke, Housatonic, Quinnebaug and Baltimore.
    Ships in column at right are (from front to rear): Canonicus (out of picture, to right), Canandaigua, Aroostook and Saranac.
    Note disruptive "dazzle" camouflage worn by these ships.

    Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 59KB; 740 x 460 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: NH 99394

    USS Mexican
    (ID # 1655)

    Panoramic photograph of the ship at St. Nazaire, France, in 1919, while serving as a troop transport.
    USS Roanoke (ID # 1695), a former minelayer also employed as a troop transport, is at right.

    Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Lieutenant Charles Dutreaux.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 126KB; 1200 x 400 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 52819

    Mine Squadron One, U.S. Atlantic Fleet


    Senior officers of the squadron, photographed on board ship in the North Sea area, September 1918.
    Those present are identified in Photo # NH 52819 (complete caption).

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 96KB; 740 x 430 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 52995

    Mine Squadron One, U.S. Atlantic Fleet


    Senior officers of the squadron, photographed on board ship in the North Sea area, September 1918.
    Those present are identified in Photo # NH 52995 (complete caption).

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 88KB; 740 x 495 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 53575

    USS Canandaigua
    (ID# 1694);
    USS Roanoke (ID # 1695);
    USS Canonicus (ID # 1696); and
    USS Housatonic (ID # 1697)

    Sketch of "Rearrangement of Steering Gear" on ships' bridges, made at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, 23 April 1918.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 81KB; 590 x 765 pixels

     


    The ships seen in the following photograph MAY include USS Roanoke:

    Photo #: NH 89508

    U.S. Navy mine layers and British warships in a Scottish harbor, 1918


    Photographed from on board either USS Shawmut (ID # 1255) or USS Aroostook (1256), with a British light cruiser at left.
    Two U.S. mine layers are at right. That nearest the camera is either USS Quinnebaug (ID # 1687) or USS Saranac (ID # 1702). Immediately ahead of her is either USS Housatonic (ID # 1697), USS Canonicus (ID # 1696), USS Roanoke (ID # 1695) or USS Canandaigua (ID # 1694).

    Collection of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) A. Alvin Booth, USNRF.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 455 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99468

    U.S. Navy Transport


    Crowded with troops, probably in a French port just before departure for the United States in 1919.
    This ship is not USS Ohioan. She is rather one of the four former Morgan Line steamers converted to minelayers during World War I and employed as transports in 1919. These were USS Canandaigua (ID # 1694), USS Roanoke (ID # 1695), USS Canonicus (ID # 1696) and USS Housatonic (ID # 1697).
    Photographed from USS Scranton (ID # 3511).

    Photograph from the USS Scranton photo album kept by J.D. Bartar, one of her crew members.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 64KB; 740 x 440 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 107072

    Two U.S. Navy Transports at St. Nazaire, France circa April-June 1919


    The left-hand ship is USS Huron (ID # 1408). That on the right is one of four former minelayers: USS Canandaigua (ID # 1694), USS Canonicus (ID # 1696), USS Housatonic (ID # 1697) or USS Roanoke (ID # 1695).
    Note the rifle-armed sentry in the lower center.
    Copied from the Donald R. Cochran album (Lot S-591), page 11.

    Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2010.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 124KB; 900 x 640 pixels

     

    For pictorial coverage of Roanoke as a civilian ship, see:

  • SS El Dia (Passenger-cargo ship, 1901).


    NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".



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    Page made 15 January 2001
    New image added 18 October 2010