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UNITED STATES NAVY
TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS
WORLD WAR I

Photo # NH 104234: USS Graf Waldersee entering New York Harbor, 1919

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

USS Graf Waldersee (ID # 4040), 1919-1919.
Formerly the German passenger steamer Graf Waldersee, 1898-1899

USS Graf Waldersee, a 13,193 gross ton troop transport, was built in 1898-1899 at Hamburg, Germany, as the Hamburg-Amerika line passenger steamship of the same name. She spent World War I in Germany, and was taken over by the U.S. Navy following the end of the fighting. Commissioned at Spithead, England, in late March 1919, Graf Waldersee made three voyages to New York from Brest, France, between early April and late August, carrying more than 5600 war veterans and other passengers. On the foggy night of 11 June 1919, soon after departing New York for France, she was seriously damaged in a collision with the merchant steamship Redondo, but was repaired and returned to service. Decommissioned in November 1919 and turned over to the U.S. Shipping Board, Graf Waldersee was sold for scrapping in 1921.

This page features, and provides links to, all the views that are available concerning USS Graf Waldersee (ID # 4040).

For more images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Graf Waldersee (ID # 4040) -- Collision with S.S. Redondo, 11 June 1919.


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

    Photo #: NH 104234

    USS Graf Waldersee     (ID # 4040)

    Entering in New York Harbor bringing U.S. service personnel home from France, circa April-August 1919.
    The Statue of Liberty is in the right background.
    Photographed by E. Muller, Jr., New York.
    Note Armistice markings in German and English on the ship's side, amidships.

    Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 455 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 106632

    USS Graf Waldersee     (ID # 4040)

    Photographed in 1919, possibly from USS Corsair (SP-159).

    Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 68KB; 900 x 530 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99274

    USS Graf Waldersee     (ID # 4040)

    In port, probably at New York City, in 1919.
    Note "Armistice" markings on her hull side, amidships.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 445 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99453

    USS Graf Waldersee     (ID # 4040)

    Ship's port side near the after superstructure break, photographed from USS Scranton (ID # 3511) while in port, 1919.
    Note "Armistice" markings on the ship's side (at extreme left) in both German and English.

    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: 88KB; 740 x 445 pixels

     


    For more images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Graf Waldersee (ID # 4040) -- Collision with S.S. Redondo, 11 June 1919.


    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 17 April 2004
    New image added 29 November 2009