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UNITED STATES NAVY
TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS
WORLD WAR I

Photo # NH 44759: USS Northern Pacific stranded off Fire Island, N.Y., after going aground on 1 January 1919

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

USS Northern Pacific (1917-1919) --
Stranding, January 1919

On Christmas Day 1918, USS Northern Pacific departed Brest, France, beginning the westbound leg of her eleventh World War I era trans-Atlantic troop carrying cycle. On board were 2508 passengers, among them homeward bound veterans, some of them wounded, and seventeen Navy Nurses. At 2:20 A.M. on New Year's Day, 1919, while approaching the port of New York in a pouring rain, she ran aground on a sand bar off Fire Island. The sea was very rough, with waves continually breaking over the ship's superstructure and smokestacks, and Northern Pacific's attempts back free were fruitless. An S.O.S. message was sent out. U.S. Coastguardsmen soon arrived and shot a line out to the stranded ship.

After dawn several Navy ships arrived, among them the salvage tug Resolute and a number of destroyers. Northern Pacific was by now hard aground, in less than half as much water as her normal draft. Big waves continued to roll in, and one of her lifeboats was washed away from its position high on the ship's superstructure. That day, under difficult conditions, a Coast Guard boat removed 254 men, fortunately without loss of life. The next day was calmer, and 210 more people were taken off, though a motor launch from the cruiser Columbia was swamped and thrown ashore in the process. Late in the day Resolute and the minesweeper Widgeon secured lines to Northern Pacific's stern and refloating efforts commenced, though without success. On 3 and 4 January submarine chasers and small craft busily removed passengers, taking the wounded men to the transport Henry R. Mallory and hospital ship Solace (AH-2), which were standing by offshore.

Salvage work now began in earnest, with barges being used to remove Northern Pacific's four six-inch guns, liferafts, boats, signal towers and other gear in order to lighten her. On every high tide three tugs were employed to pull the ship seaward. Progress was achieved a few feet at a time until finally, just before 9 P.M. on 18 January, USS Northern Pacific was again afloat. Tugs then towed her into New York Harbor, where she anchored off Staten Island on the morning of 20 January 1919. With damaged bottom plating and a non-functional rudder, she would require months of repairs before returning to service.

This page features all available views concerning the stranding and recovery of USS Northern Pacific in January 1919.

For other images related to this ship, and this incident, see:

  • USS Northern Pacific (1917-1919); and
  • USS Northern Pacific (1917-1919) -- Under Repair, January-May 1919.


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


    Photo #: NH 103179

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Aground off Fire Island, New York, circa 1-18 January 1919.
    The original print was made by Naval Air Station Rockaway Beach, New York, and is dated 20 February 1919.

    Collection of Harry Polunsky. Donated by his grandson, Stephen Polunsky, 1974.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 590 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 44755

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Stranded off Fire Island, New York, in early January 1919.
    Note the swamped boat on the beach (with letter "C" on its bow), another boat full of men just off Northern Pacific's stern, and destroyers standing by offshore.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 605 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 103278

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Stranded off Fire Island, New York, during the first half of January 1919. Several U.S. Navy destroyers and other ships are offshore, engaged in rescue and salvage operations.
    The original image was printed on postal card ("AZO") stock.

    Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2005.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 470 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 44759

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Stranded off Fire Island, New York, after going aground on 1 January 1919.
    A destroyer and two other ships are standing by offshore, and a boat is near Northern Pacific's stern.
    Soldiers in the foreground are examining a beached and swamped boat, which has the letter "C" on its bow.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 41KB; 740 x 530 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 44758

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Stranded off Fire Island, New York, after going aground on 1 January 1919.
    Soldiers in the foreground are standing by a breeches buoy, which was used to bring men ashore from the ship after she grounded.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 625 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 44756

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Stranded off Fire Island, New York, after going aground on 1 January 1919.
    USS SC-294 and several boats are alongside.
    Note that Northern Pacific's after stack is still producing smoke.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 87KB; 740 x 595 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 1023

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Stranded off Fire Island, New York, in early January 1919, with USS SC-291 off her stern debarking wounded troops, and other ships standing by further offshore.
    A HS-1 type seaplane is overhead.

    Collection of James Lee, USNRF.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 77KB; 740 x 545 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 44757

    USS Northern Pacific     (1917-1919)

    Stranded off Fire Island, New York, after going aground on 1 January 1919.
    Men are visible on the ship's stern, and in a boat just below. A Curtiss HS-1 type flying boat is overhead.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 63KB; 740 x 565 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 103279

    Stranding of USS Northern Pacific, January 1919

    A motor launch en route to the Northern Pacific, which had run hard aground off Fire Island, New York, on 1 January 1919. Photographed circa 3-4 January, while the hospital ship Solace (visible in the center distance) was receiving wounded Soldier passengers from the stranded ship.
    The original image was printed on postal card ("AZO") stock.

    Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2005.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 47KB; 740 x 475 pixels

     


    The following photograph shows a submarine chaser that was involved in removing troops and crew members from USS Northern Pacific after her 1 January 1919 grounding:

    Photo #: NH 42594

    USS SC-292     (1918-1921)

    Underway in harbor, circa 1918.
    She was one of the submarine chasers which took the troops and crew off the transport USS Northern Pacific, when the transport went aground off Fire Island, New York, on 1 January 1919.
    Note the 3"/23 gun mounted on SC-292's foredeck.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 63KB; 740 x 570 pixels

     


    For other images related to this ship, and this incident, see:

  • USS Northern Pacific (1917-1919); and
  • USS Northern Pacific (1917-1919) -- Under Repair, January-May 1919.


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    Page made 29 November 2005